TikTok Revolutionizes Travel Planning and Inspiration

With an estimated 1.9 billion users worldwide, TikTok influences nearly every part of our lives, from food to fashion. The app so profoundly changed the way we travel, it now describes itself as a “modern-day travel agency, itinerary planner, and travel blog rolled into one.” Using TikTok to plan travel is so popular, the app recently launched TikTok Go to make booking even easier.

However, users don’t just look to TikTok for ideas about where to go. They use it to plan nearly every detail of their trip, from hotels to restaurants and attractions. “For many travelers, TikTok now plays the role that guidebooks and travel blogs once did. It’s where people discover destinations, plan itineraries and get recommendations from people who have actually been there,” said Jack Cummings, head of Social Media and Community, Intrepid Travel. Nevertheless, using TikTok for travel planning has its limits. “Viral doesn’t always mean worthwhile,” he cautioned.

Here’s how to use TikTok to plan a great trip … and when to keep scrolling.

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Use TikTok to plan specialized trips. General travel guides and Top 10 lists are great for getting recommendations that work for a wide variety of people. However, “TikTok excels at helping travelers find experiences many traditional guides miss, such as solo female travel, accessible travel, rail travel or food-focused itineraries,” Cummings said. Search TikTok for the specific type of trip you seek, from budget- friendly ideas to luxe getaways and niche interests such as paragliding, and you’ll likely get content that seems tailor-made for you.

Save travel reels that catch your eye. TikTok is full of travel inspiration, but it can be hard to keep track of all the gems you find. “Given the nature of the algorithm, it’s unlikely you’ll be served the same post again; so if it resonates, make sure to save it or share it with a friend you want to travel with,” Cummings said. Create destination-specific collections within the app to keep them organized.

Once you figure out where you are going, move off the app. “If there’s somewhere you really want to visit, open your favorite mapping app, find the exact physical location, and save it to a dedicated list or folder. It’s a great way to ensure you don’t lose your plans midway through a trip,” advised Chris Bradshaw, in-house travel expert, AttractionTickets.com. If maps aren’t your style, Bradshaw suggested downloading TikTok videos and creating a dedicated album in your photo app so you can find them easily, even when you are offline or in a country where TikTok is banned, such as India.

Verify the accuracy of what you see. Before you book a hotel, make a restaurant reservation or buy tickets to an attraction, verify what you saw on TikTok lives up to the hype. It’s not always easy to tell when clickbait or a paid ad masquerades as a genuine recommendation. Many creators are professionals who excel at making somewhere look incredible for 15 seconds, Cummings said. “In reality, the destination may be overcrowded, highly seasonal or difficult to access. This can put pressure on local communities while also giving visitors a less authentic experience.” While there is nothing wrong with using TikTok for inspiration, “local operators and trusted travel providers remain important for validation and context,” Cummings added. Additionally, according to Josh Pizey, global head of Social Media, HX Expeditions, informed travelers “are looking for networks of reviews before reaching conclusions about their next destination to mitigate this risk,” instead of simply looking at a reel or two.

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Seek recent videos. TikTok videos may remain live long after their usefulness has expired. Searching for recent content helps you make better-informed travel decisions. “It’s worth filtering results by recency whenever possible, as travel landscapes change fast, especially to avoid showing up to a restaurant that closed six months ago,” Bradshaw said. Prompting TikTok to show up-to-date content “can give you a more accurate picture of what you can expect, helping you avoid wasted journeys and allowing you to make decisions based on current information.”

Look for credibility over perfection. There’s a difference between a creator who made a dozen videos during a three-day trip and someone who knows a place intimately. After you get your inspiration for a destination, try to find credible creators who deserve their reputation as subject matter experts, Pizey recommended. For example, “Don’t just follow an account that recently became interested in up-and-coming destinations like Greenland. Instead, follow a native Greenlandic creator like Q’s Greenland, who shares tips on how to best experience such a unique and untouched environment,” Pizey said.

Search for negative reviews, too. TikTok prioritizes high-energy content that promotes FOMO (fear of missing out), AttractionTicket’s Bradshaw explained. That means the app is less likely to show you videos revealing the less glamorous side of a destination. Savvy travelers dig deeper. “Research the downsides of a location to build a realistic itinerary and understand potential frustrations,” said Bradshaw. “Searching for terms like ‘overrated’ or ‘tourist traps’ can reveal issues like overcrowding, long queues, hidden costs or accessibility challenges in a certain area, which can ultimately balance your expectations once you arrive and make for a smoother, more enjoyable trip.”

Use TikTok strategically to plan travel instead of opening the app and seeing what pops up. Start searching for trips you are interested in outside of TikTok, whether it’s Greece, an African safari or a family- friendly beach. “TikTok’s ‘For You’ feed is excellent at supporting your organic searches with tailored content to support your planning,” Pizey said.

A reel is not an itinerary. It’s easy to open a reel from a creator you love and imagine following in their footsteps. However, “the short-form nature of the platform means content may leave out important details related to cost, accessibility, crowds, safety or logistics,” cautioned Jakob Wahl, CEO, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Before buying plane tickets to the latest viral destination, research the nitty-gritty of what’s involved in traveling there.

Look for red flags that videos don’t accurately portray a destination. Many content creators are skilled at strategically showing a destination in its best light, even if it doesn’t match reality. Some paid or particularly well-known influencers may even get exclusive access to an area without the crowds. Others may use color grading or filters to make a location appear more vibrant. Or they may strategically crop videos and use strange angles to cut out crowds, long lines or garbage bins, Bradshaw explained. Keep an eye out for these red flags before booking travel.

Use TikTok to keep tabs on news impacting your trip. “Many assume TikTok is only ideal for best destination recommendations, but it’s also great for travel alerts and crises happening in real time,” said Lauren Gumport, vice president, Communications and Brand, Faye Travel, a travel insurance company. The app can be a great source of information on TSA delays, outages, airline bankruptcies and other events that could affect a trip.