TikTok has quickly become one of the most influential platforms in the travel planning journey, making TikTok tourism marketing a priority for hotels, destinations, attractions, and tour operators.
Millions of travellers now use it as a search engine to plan trips, discover hidden gems, compare hotels, and decide where to stay. If you still think the platofrm is just for dance trends, you are a few years behind your guests. Brands that understand how to use TikTok hotel marketing effectively can reach new audiences, influence booking decisions, and build trust long before a traveller ever reaches a booking engine. Videos built here now appear regularly in Google search results, Google Discover, and AI-generated travel recommendations, which means your content can surface far beyond the app itself.
It’s this platform that hospitality businesses ask us about the most, and also the one they’re most nervous about. In this guide, I am answering the key questions tourism and hospitality brands ask Allera Marketing about TikTok, and how it fits into a digital strategy in 2026.
How can tourism brands and hotels use TikTok for marketing?
TikTok is built for showcasing experiences, not selling rooms in a traditional way. For hotels and destinations, this includes:
- Short room and suite tours
- First-person guest experiences
- Destination highlights and seasonal moments
- Behind-the-scenes with staff
- Local food, activities, and hidden spots
- Mini itineraries and day-by-day guides
Search-led content is now critical. Travellers actively search TikTok for phrases like “best hotel in Inverness”, “romantic spa weekend Scotland”, or “things to do near [location]”. Using natural language keywords in captions, on-screen text, and voiceovers helps your videos appear in both TikTok search, Google, and AI-powered results.
Creator/Influencer partnerships and UGC (user generated content) remain powerful, but in 2026 the emphasis is on credibility and usefulness, not just reach. Short-form reviews, room comparisons, and “what I would book again” style videos consistently outperform glossy promo edits.
You can find out more about Influencer Marketing in these blogs:
- 5 Questions to Ask Your Agency about Influencer Marketing
- How Instagram Influencer Content Now Impacts Your SEO Strategy
Consistency and storytelling still matter more than perfection. I can’t stress enough, TikTok is not Instagram or Facebook (and that’s the trap a lot of brands are falling into.) People want to know what it feels like to stay with you, what the atmosphere is like, and who they will meet when they arrive.
Is TikTok effective for hospitality and tourism marketing?
Yes, and its influence has only grown. TikTok now sits alongside Google and Instagram as one of the main inspiration and research tools for travellers across Gen Z, millennials, and increasingly Gen X and 55+ audiences.
It’s important to note, for most, TikTok is a discovery and consideration channel rather than a last-click booking driver. Unlike Facebook, it’s not set up to feed links into captions. A guest may see your hotel on TikTok, save the video, search you on Google later, read reviews, and then book. This makes attribution more complex, but the influence is very real.
Brands featured in high-engagement/viral TikTok travel content regularly see:
- Spikes in branded search
- Increased website traffic
- More direct booking intent
- Stronger brand recall and trust
What types of TikTok content work best for hotels and destinations?
The biggest mistake we still see is over-produced, overly polished content. A lot of them are failing to embrace the platform’s more relaxed culture. TikTok’s community doesn’t want to be sold to in the same way that Instagram and Facebook’s do. Overly polished content very rarely resonates with TikTok users, and we see brands neglecting the importance of short, authentic, casual videos.
High-performing formats in 2026 include:
- “Come with me” style stay experiences
- Honest room and spa walkthroughs
- Staff-led recommendations
- Local food and activity guides
- Seasonal travel inspiration
- Quick FAQs answered on camera
- Budget vs luxury comparisons
- Mini itineraries and packing tips
User-generated content (UGC) is especially powerful because it feels genuine. Jumping on TikTok trends can work too, as long as it aligns with your brand. The aim is to share moments and emotions that help your audience picture themselves there.
Case Study: Loch Melfort Hotel.
By using relatable hooks, trending sounds, and natural storytelling, the hotel is seeing videos go viral with view numbers in the 200k range.
Visit the Loch Melfort Hotel TikTok Account or see their viral ‘location video’ below.
How do I measure success for TikTok in hospitality?
I’ll be honest, (without using their paid ad features) this can get tricky. Organic TikTok is largely top-of-funnel, but that does not mean it is unmeasurable. A majority percentage of our clients’ viewers come from the ‘For You’ page – a personalised feed that shows users a curated stream of videos based on their interests and interactions.
Key metrics to track include:
- Video views and average watch time
- Saves and shares, which indicate travel planning intent
- Profile visits and website clicks
- Follower growth from location-based content
- Search visibility inside TikTok for your brand and destination
Pay attention to your own social media habits on TikTok (and Instagram). When you see a travel location, do you use their ‘link in bio’ to make your final purchase/booking? Or do you save it and then head to a trusted booking engine or their website directly?
On the business side, you should also track:
- Traffic from TikTok in Google Analytics
- Assisted conversions (when your TikTok ad influences a user to buy later through a different channel)
- Branded search uplift after viral or high-reach posts
- Promo codes or trackable links
- Direct mentions of TikTok in enquiries and reviews
TikTok Pixel and server-side tracking are now essential if you run ads or want clearer attribution modelling.
How do TikTok travel trends impact direct bookings?
Travel trends on TikTok can still drive rapid demand, particularly for:
- Boutique hotels
- Unique experiences
- Scenic locations
- Seasonal events
- Wellness and spa breaks
When a video positions your property as the answer to a specific travel intent, such as “best coastal hotel for a winter break” or “romantic anniversary stay in the Highlands”, it can directly influence booking behaviour.
Clear calls to action, optimised bio links, pinned videos, and AI-readable website content all help turn inspiration into bookings. TikTok has also noted that they are beginning to roll out more booking features through its platform (in theory, making it even easier to convert viewers into guests.) We are yet to see this across any of our clients’ accounts as of Jan’26.
Is TikTok replacing Google for travel search?
For many travellers (especially Gen Z) TikTok is already the go-to search tool for trip planning. Users search for hotels, destinations, and travel tips because they prefer the visual, authentic feel of TikTok videos (and information) over traditional search results. This becomes even more important if your business website is missing clear imagery of your offering.
However, most travellers still cross-check on Google, review platforms, and hotel websites before booking. This is why your TikTok content, your SEO, and your website messaging must align. AI search tools increasingly pull from social content, reviews, and structured website data to form recommendations.
If your TikTok captions, on-screen text, and spoken keywords clearly describe your location, experience, and audience, you increase your visibility across both traditional and AI-driven search results.
What are the risks of relying on TikTok for tourism marketing?
TikTok isn’t without its challenges. While powerful, it should never be your only channel. Challenges include:
- Time and resource demands
- Algorithm changes affecting reach
- Internal resistance to informal content
- Over-tourism driven by viral exposure
- Misinformation or unrealistic expectations
- Reputation management when negative content spreads quickly
For hotels and tourism businesses, it’s important to balance TikTok with other marketing channels like SEO and email to reduce reliance on one platform.
My main take away … when used strategically, TikTok supports brand awareness, search visibility, and long-term booking intent.
If you want to explore how TikTok fits into your wider digital strategy, from content planning to search optimisation and conversion tracking, the Allera Marketing team can help you build and execute a platform-specific approach that aligns with your goals. Get in touch.