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TikTok said Thursday it’s in the process of launching its first e-commerce product exclusively for travel brands.
The social media giant is testing the product with a select number of brands, but it has plans to roll it out for general availability, said Hannah Bennett, Head of Travel at TikTok, on-stage at Skift Megatrends event in London.
The product aims to help brands find people on the social media platform who are “in the market, at that moment, to book a trip.”
“It’s called Travel Ads or Catalogue Ads for Travel. What’s great is that it’s the first [TikTok] product built on a travel intent model,” she said. “For us, on the travel team, it’s super exciting and definitely one to watch.”
Bennett said the product would be “only for travel brands” and “hopefully be available to everyone very soon.”
A Threatened U.S. Ban
As the possibility of a U.S. TikTok ban looms, Skift’s Airlines Editor, Gordon Smith asked Bennett what the company would say to a potential travel brand partner.
“Our position has always been the same; we believe any ban would be unconstitutional,” she said of the U.S. case.
When it comes to brands, they were being supportive. “If anything, we see advertising revenue continue to increase,” Bennett said.
TikTok’s Travel Influence
Bennett said there was a misconception that TikTok is “just a younger platform.”
“We now have a billion people on the platform globally, and our average age is now over 30. When it comes to travel, there are so many different subcategories and something for everyone there,” she said.
Travel content continues growing on TikTok, with posts containing hashtags containing “travel” up 250%, year over year, in 2023.
Asked whether there was an audience for luxury travel, Bennett said the specific hashtag for luxury travel had received 27 million views in the last month alone.
“If you’re on TikTok, you’re going to see content that’s relevant to you. It’s not about who you’re following. If you’re interested in luxury travel, you’re going to see that content,” she said.
There was also a misconception around the spending power of TikTok’s audience, Bennett said.
“But the average spend per trip, per person, for people who converted with TikTok, was nearly a hundred pounds higher than people who converted with other platforms,” Bennett said.
Discovering Destinations
A recent survey found that 83% of TikTok users said the app’s content sparks their interest in visiting destinations they hadn’t considered.
Asked about whether TikTok could help play a role in combating overtourism, Bennett said TikTok’s role as a place to “find out about new things” meant people were “coming to search on the platform, and they’re searching for that alternative destination that’s maybe very similar to somewhere else.”
Bennett gave the examples of Bosnia rather than Croatia or Bruges rather than Paris.
Travel brands hoping to succeed on TikTok could look to examples like Booking.com’s account, which “illustrates exactly how brands can show up on the platform.”
“They have a fantastic account. They work with massive celebrities and creatives in their own social team. They’ve tapped into a range of different communities on the platform,” Bennett said.
