2022/12/12

Will 2023 be the year TikTok and tourism find each other?

We asked our clients about how they want to tackle 2023 or what goals they’d like to reach. One answer emerged strongly: tourism boards want to be on board the TikTok train.

The end of 2022 is around the corner and that usually equals the period of choice to make plans for next year. We asked our clients about how they want to tackle 2023 or what goals they’d like to reach. One answer emerged strongly: tourism boards want to be on board the TikTok train.  

Shift from photo to video  

First of all: tourism boards are noticing a shift from photo to video: "We think that with social video content we can portray the contrasts of our region even better," says Tamara Ernst of VisitBrabant. Merk Fryslan is also following suit: "We are researching how to utilize the TikTok and Instagram Reels to their full potential," says Maureen Evbota. To finish the list, the German National Tourist Board and the Tourist Board of Costa Brava and the Pyrenees of Girona also want to take their chance on new channels like TikTok and Instagram Reels next year.   

The latter will become the new standard for collaborations with influencers for the majority of tourism boards. At least, if it depends on our clients. "We see opportunities for Instagram Reels, especially in combination with authentic written content," it sounds at VisitBrabant. Merk Fryslan already increasingly included Instagram Reels as part of its deals over the past year and wants to make them a standard part of its content package by 2023.   

40% go looking for travel inspiration on TikTok  

Skift, the leading news source for the travel industry, is also getting travel professionals ready for the short video storm. "Short video is increasingly becoming indispensable for destinations to get their message out," it sounds. Both Meta and Instagram are pushing Reels, YouTube is betting on YouTube Shorts and Google is also pushing video to the forefront within search results. And all of this as a result of booming TikTok.   

An annual survey by MMGY Global reveals that 40% of travelers over the age of 30 prefer TikTok when it comes to travel inspiration. So it's not just Gen Z you're reaching with this channel anymore. More and more users are over 30 and they are not content creators, but content consumers. So TikTok offers the opportunity to reach a lot of potential customers through unique, original content. Visit Norway, Visit Morocco and Visit Berlin are examples of Tourism Services that are successfully experimenting with TikTok.   

Successful TikTok case study: Visit Singapore  

The baseline for success on TikTok is well known: be unique. Because TikTok is going to push original and creative content towards future tourists. Users want entertainment and inspiration. An Instagram mindset, which often revolves around staged images, will not get you very far on TikTok. Authenticity is key here. And that's something Visit Singapore understood. They campaigned around their annual Grand Prix. They partnered with a world-renowned TikTok trio, three content creators from Australia with more than 1 million followers on TikTok. They portrayed three local grandmothers and their love for Singapore. Some videos reached more than 1 million hits. Authentic: check, original: check and unique: check!  

Will 2023 be the year you jump on the TikTok train?   

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