According to Scott Thwaites, head of emerging markets for TikTok Global Business Solutions, billions of users are flocking to social platforms for travel inspiration, and are basing their travel choices on the reviews and recommendations of their favourite content creators.
“Video has proven particularly effective at showcasing travel content, providing users with a snapshot into the sights and sounds of travel destinations around the world,” said Thwaites.
He believes that with a number of local creators leading the charge and contributing to the development of the rising #traveltok subculture, TikTok is well positioned to become South Africa’s platform of choice for travel and tourism content.
He said that the popularity of travel content online speaks strongly to the prominence of social currency in the digital age, and that with online reviews being the digital version of “word-of-mouth marketing”, the influence of social platform users plays a key role in how other users make decisions, particularly around travel and tourism.
According to Thwaites, since its inception in late 2016, TikTok has developed organically, with user-driven content moulding and defining several global trends that have become synonymous with TikTok’s digital community.
“One of these trends is the emergence of subcultures – or groups of users who produce and share content based on a common interest,” said Thwaites.
He said that #traveltok, the hashtag under which travel content is curated, has garnered over three billion in-app views to date. This is a good example of the inroads being made by TikTok in the tourism environment.
Thwaites said that travel content on TikTok is all-encompassing and speaks to users who enjoy luxury travel and backpackers, nature enthusiasts, seekers of undiscovered gems and everyone in between.
“Now, with travel heading into its highest season after two years of lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic, brands have the unique opportunity to leverage off the conversation and join the hype around travel content on TikTok,” said Thwaites.
On #traveltok, users can discover hidden gems in places like the Mapungubwe National Park, weekend getaways that are close to the city and groups of buskers on world-renowned beaches like Camps Bay in Cape Town.
“What we’ve seen on TikTok over the last two years is the development of a community of users who want to share their worlds with the world. Heading into National Tourism Month, we expect TikTok to be a major driver of the revitalisation of the tourism industry in the digital space as we rediscover and redefine our post-pandemic realities,” said Thwaites.