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The 3 hottest TikTok trends travel brands need to know

12 April, 2024

Travel on TikTok is booming: since 2021, we've seen a whopping 410% increase in views of travel content [1] and 71% of our European users say they're likely to book a holiday based on recommendations they've seen on our platform [1]. Want a shortcut to connecting with this thriving travel-hungry community and driving brand love and conversions? It's time to talk trends.

TikTok is a place where communities go to share their travel experiences, bringing authentic, unfiltered glimpses of people, culture and places to a global platform. Tapping into trends is a surefire way of deepening trust with your audiences and becoming the brand of choice for discerning travellers. Here are the travel trends you need to know to give your business a boost.

1 . Showcase tips with #GRWM

Meaning "Get Ready With Me", this TikTok trend involves showcasing the process of getting ready for an event, activity or moment. Usually used to depict getting ready for a night out, showcasing the process from make-up application to getting out the door, the video can be accompanied by a gripping story.

Travel brands can share their packing tips and tricks in these videos, highlighting the essential clothing items, accessories and gadgets that are a must for any trip. Take viewers behind the scenes of your travel brand's operations and show how you plan trips, curate experiences and ensure customer satisfaction.

2. Highlight locations with #AdventureCat

#AdventureCat offers a new lens through which to view travel content: the eyes of our pets. From exploring iconic destinations like Times Square to embarking on adventures in Edinburgh and Bora Bora, this trend is a fun way to showcase different travel destinations.

Travel brands can therefore showcase how their products or services are used in various scenarios – a quick business trip, a family vacation or a solo adventure – or can highlight recommendations or tips for travel destinations.

3. Speak louder than words with silent travel

With quiet meditation retreats, wordless walking tours and silent discos becoming a growing trend in the travel industry and "slow-living" gaining traction as a lifestyle, travellers are increasingly excited by more intimate and mindful experiences. Pair this travel trend with popular TikTok formats such as ASMR videos or the new 'Silent Reviews' trend to put a new spin on and old favourite and excite and inspire your audience.

Bonus tip: Think outside the box

Try exploring our Creative Centre where you can utilise our keyword insight tool and review top ads or videos to gain inspiration and understand what resonates in the travel community. Right now, we can see that hashtags around 'Ocean' and 'Hiking' are popular, so brands can post content around these topics if relevant to their business.

Similarly, we're currently seeing a trend of long-form content series, where users tell one story in several videos, piquing their audience's curiosity and sustaining interest over multiple videos. Learn more about this trend and how to harness trends in general in the TikTok Trends Digest.

Hit the road running

Trends are the lifeblood of the platform and the easiest way to relate to audiences. Remember to leverage the power of TikTok's creative tools and features, such as filters, effects, and music, to make your videos more engaging and shareable. Read about how brands like TUI and Booking.com have leveraged TikTok's ethos of joyful creativity and seen game-changing results across the funnel.

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1. TikTok Marketing Science UK Travel Survey 2023 conducted via AYTM (Among TT users who intend to travel in the next 12 months)

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