Social media superplatform TikTok has been a staple in travel influencer marketing almost since its inception, offering consumers a rich, authentic view of destinations, hotels, resorts and more. In late 2025, the platform took its travel marketing tools to the next level with a new feature poised to empower DMO’s industry partners—hotels, attractions, restaurants and airlines—to encourage conversion and increase bookings.
In this article, we’ll show how destinations can use this high-impact social media channel and dive into the new features that will change how travel businesses are marketing in 2026.
How TikTok Inspires Travel
From its debut, TikTok has been an amazing way to spread awareness about a destination or hospitality business. Its highly interactive, personalized nature enables travel brands to connect with right-fit consumers, particularly in the inspiration and early planning stages—the “For You” pages offer users curated content based on their viewing habits, optimized in real time, while search allows them to seek out experiences and locations.
TikTok’s own data shows the power of the platform for travel inspiration—their research shows that 66% of users state that TikTok is “the most helpful source of travel inspiration,” while a whopping 60% choose to visit new destinations after learning about them via TikTok.
And it gets a lot of its users’ attention—according to SemRush’s trend tool Exploding Topics, TikTok users spend an average of 58 minutes on the app daily. Considering the massive user base (estimated at over 955M in 2025 per Statista), it’s not a platform marketers can ignore. Savvy travel brands can leverage that regular use to craft digital content that builds a relationship with their potential travelers—one that will convert interested viewers into loyal visitors.
How DMOs Can Leverage TikTok to Reach Travelers
TikTok can be a valuable way for destinations to increase their reach and awareness among key audiences, including younger travelers (who make up the majority of TikTok users). Here are a few destination-focused ways to use this platform:
Reaching New Audiences Through Influencer Marketing
It’s hard to overstate the power of content creators on TikTok. Right-fit influencers can serve as a brand ambassador for a destination, attraction or hospitality brand in a seamless, digital-first way. Here are a few DMOs who are leveraging TikTok creators to create a splash in the travel scene:
- Visit Virginia Beach worked with @wellnesstraveled, a Toronto-based duo focused on health and wellness travel, to showcase the unexpectedly rejuvenating experiences in this oceanside destination. Their content went beyond the best-known attractions to showcase hidden gems, encouraging a greater awareness of the destination.
- Visit Loudoun enlisted @thelesbianpassport to showcase the LGBTQ+-friendly aspects of their wine country and scenic countryside. These TikToks were syndicated from other platforms, like Instagram, which allowed Visit Loudoun to reach entirely new audiences without spending more on content creation.
Building Followers and Brand Awareness Through Spark Ads
Spark Ads allow advertisers to boost their organic content, giving them a larger audience than their original post. They’re a cost-effective way to turn native content into a new advertising arm. According to TikTok, these ads boast a 134% higher completion rate than standard In-Feed Ads, likely due to the fact that this content is organic—it fits seamlessly into a user’s normal TikTok experience.
Destinations and travel brands with strong existing content can really benefit from Spark Ads, which can draw in new followers and allow them to connect with users who may not normally find their videos. For example, Visit USVI leveraged Spark Ads to broadcast their vibrant, rhythmic videos across TikTok in 2025, resulting in 58.8M video views, 34.5k follows and 918k engagements.
How Hospitality Brands Use TikTok to Drive Conversion
While DMO use of TikTok is focused on awareness and inspiration, hospitality brands can use the platform to achieve a whole range of goals within the funnel, from prospecting to sales promotion, influencer amplification to seasonal campaigns. A comprehensive TikTok strategy for a hospitality brand includes different types of content aimed at moving consumers towards conversion and long-term loyalty. The platform also gives these brands the opportunity to interact with potential customers directly through comments and reactions.
TikTok’s potential as a marketing channel for hospitality brands continues to grow—particularly with the debut of TikTok Travel Ads in late 2025.
How TikTok Travel Ads Empower DMO Partners
In September, TikTok announced that the platform will now go beyond travel inspiration with new TikTok Travel Ad formats that allow users to book directly from the app. These ads, powered by Smart+ (TikTok’s AI-driven campaign management system), integrate with online inventory catalogs to show attractions, flights and hotels—with deals updated in real time. They leverage user information to deliver relevant ads based on a user’s preferences, which makes an advertiser’s spend go farther and empowers them to connect with high-value potential customers.
The three ad types—Single Video, Catalogue Video and Carousel—all feature a card that can link to hotels, flights or travel experiences, driving users to conversion from the app. Travel brands within a destination’s marketing ecosystem, like airlines and hospitality businesses, can leverage these ads to increase direct bookings and revenue. While this feature is most relevant to businesses, it also has a benefit for DMOs: As your local partners increase their reach and bookings, they’ll drive more visitation and economic benefit to your community.
Whether you’re a DMO or an industry partner, TikTok is a marketing avenue with broad potential—and as it continues to grow in popularity year over year, it will remain a reliable way to connect with your target audiences and grow your digital brand presence.
