New consumer research shows that almost half of Gen Z travellers get their travel inspiration from TikTok, giving more weight to recommendations from influencers on the platform than they do to itinerary suggestions from friends and family.
The survey by TUI Musement conducted across Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom reveals 48% of Gen Z travellers (born between 1997 and 2012) get holiday ideas from TikTok, which they rate as a higher source of authority than their own contacts (ranked at 43%).
The same figure and over four in ten travellers (43%) said that seeing a viral post or video had incited them to make a reservation or participate in an activity. Millennials were in fact even more likely (52%) to make an internet inspo booking than Gen Z (50%).
Among people who follow content creators, 43% said influencers had affected their travel decisions, while over a quarter (27%) said they had altered their planned destination based on influencer commentary.
Noting the impact of short form video clips, Mirco Fiumene, Managing Director Experiences & CMO, TUI Musement, said: “A single image or video can now inspire travel, and we have steadily increased our focus on how we can best reach and engage our audience through platforms such as Instagram and TikTok.”
@isabellamjohn go and see the world!!!! #travel #indonesia #eastjava #travelinspo #adventure ♬ Save My Soul – noahrinker
Another notable aspect of how online posts are changing engagement with travel is that consumers themselves are becoming inspired (or feeling pressured) to create content themselves, with more than a third (37%) telling TUI Musement they feel compelled to present their vacations on their social media accounts as more exciting than they actually were. Gen Z are even more likely to succumb that expectation with 45% of the younger generation flexing a perfectly curated version of their holiday on their internet profile.
While some research shows travellers are increasingly choosing off-the-beaten path locations and smaller towns in order to be the first on the scene, to avoid crowds, or to show off a never-before-seen place, others appear to be torn between well-known sights and novelty. 39% said they had visited a well-known tourist location just to show they were present there, and 37% said they would prioritise Instagram-famous destinations rather than seek out under-the-radar spots.
One perhaps unexpected finding of the survey is that, despite the growing popularity and acceptance of social media, person-to-person relationships, rather than life as lived via a screen, are still important. Nearly one in five respondents (18%) told TUI they would consider an obsession with photos and social media to be a red flag when choosing a travel companion.
Overall, TUI interprets the survey results as confirmation that social media has “transformed the way people discover, plan and share travel, while the activities, tours and moments experienced at a destination remain what connects travellers authentically with each place.”
