Travellers around the world are increasingly using TikTok as a source of holiday inspiration, with viral videos, popular travel creators and trending locations influencing where people choose to visit, explore and spend their vacations.
Travellers Are Following TikTok Trends to Discover the World’s Most Popular Destinations.
Before booking a trip, many travellers are turning to social media to research potential destinations, browse real experiences and gather ideas, while trusted travel influencers increasingly shape their choices through personal recommendations, reviews, itineraries and visual content.
When social media turns a place into a must-visit destination
A small mountain refuge in Italy has unexpectedly become a major attraction after one of its traditional pastries gained widespread attention online.
The Friedrich August refuge, situated at an altitude of about 2,300 metres in the Dolomites of northeastern Italy, has recently experienced a significant increase in visitors following the spread of social media videos featuring its homemade krapfen.
The pastry, which resembles a doughnut, attracted so much attention on social media that travellers began making their way to the remote mountain location specifically to try it.
Visitors have reportedly been willing to wait in long queues for the popular treat, while some have arrived early in the day in an effort to secure one before the supply runs out.
What began as a viral food trend has become an example of a much wider change in the way people discover and choose holiday destinations.
TikTok and Instagram increasingly influence travel choices
For many travellers, planning a holiday no longer begins with a traditional travel guide or a search engine.
Instead, people are increasingly discovering places while scrolling through social media.
A short TikTok video showing a picturesque street, a hidden café, a mountain viewpoint or a popular local dish can be enough to put an unfamiliar destination on someone’s travel list.
Instagram plays a similar role, with photographs and videos giving potential visitors a visual impression of what they might experience once they arrive.
The popularity of these platforms means that a location can attract international attention almost overnight.
A restaurant that was previously known mainly by local residents can suddenly receive visitors from abroad after a creator posts a video about it.
Likewise, a small hotel, café or natural attraction can become a must-see stop after appearing repeatedly in travellers’ social media feeds.
From online videos to real-life trips
The influence of social media is particularly noticeable among travellers who use online platforms for inspiration before booking their holidays.
Rather than simply searching for a country or city, they may look for specific videos showing what to do, where to eat, where to stay and which locations are worth visiting.
This allows potential tourists to see destinations through the experiences of other people.
Travel creators often share detailed itineraries, restaurant recommendations, hotel reviews and practical tips.
For viewers, this type of content can feel more personal than conventional advertising.
Instead of reading a description of a destination, they can watch someone walk through its streets, taste its food and describe their experience.
That visual connection can make people more interested in visiting the same location themselves.
The power of a viral moment
The story of the Friedrich August refuge illustrates how quickly social media attention can translate into physical visitors.
The refuge was already located in a scenic part of the Dolomites, but the sudden popularity of its krapfen gave people another reason to make the journey.
The pastry became more than simply something to eat.
For some visitors, trying the food became part of the travel experience itself.
This is increasingly common in destinations around the world.
A particular dessert, coffee shop, restaurant dish or local speciality can become an attraction in its own right after receiving widespread attention online.
Travellers may then include the location in their itinerary specifically because they have seen it repeatedly on social media.
When food becomes a travel attraction
Food has always played an important role in tourism, but social media has amplified its influence.
A visually appealing dish can be photographed or filmed and shared with millions of people.
If enough viewers respond positively, the food can become associated with a particular destination.
The result can be a new type of tourism in which people travel not only to see landmarks but also to experience dishes they have discovered online.
In the case of the Dolomites refuge, visitors are reportedly willing to queue for its homemade pastry.
That level of interest shows how a relatively simple food item can become a major reason for visiting a location.
Travellers are looking for experiences
Social media has also changed what many people expect from a holiday.
Travellers are increasingly interested in experiences that are memorable and visually distinctive.
A scenic café overlooking mountains, an unusual restaurant, a colourful street or a seasonal activity can become highly attractive when presented through compelling video content.
The experience can also extend beyond the trip itself.
Visitors may record their own videos and photographs, sharing them with their followers and potentially introducing the destination to another group of travellers.
This creates a cycle in which one person’s trip inspires another person’s holiday.
A personal example from the UAE
The influence of TikTok can also be seen among travellers from the UAE.
UAE citizen Sally Al Nuaimi decided to visit Vienna after repeatedly seeing videos showcasing the city’s winter atmosphere and seasonal activities.
The images and clips she encountered online helped create an impression of what visiting Vienna during the colder months might be like.
For her, the social media content was not simply entertainment.
It became a source of travel inspiration and encouraged her to turn an online interest into an actual trip.
TikTok creates a sense of discovery
One reason platforms such as TikTok can be powerful travel tools is the sense of discovery they create.
Users may come across destinations they had never previously considered.
A video can introduce them to a neighbourhood, attraction or experience without them actively searching for it.
This differs from traditional travel planning, where people often begin with a specific destination in mind.
On social media, the destination can come first through the content itself.
A traveller might open an app without any intention of planning a trip and suddenly find themselves researching flights, hotels or activities in a place they had not previously considered.
The reality may be different from the video
However, social media does not always provide a complete picture of a destination.
Videos are often carefully filmed and edited to highlight the most attractive aspects of a place.
Crowds, queues, bad weather, construction work and other less appealing details may not appear in the final clip.
This can create expectations that are difficult for real-world destinations to meet.
Sally’s experience in Vienna illustrates this difference.
Although she found the city even better in person than it appeared in the videos she had watched, there was one aspect of the trip she had not anticipated.
The surprise of large crowds
The biggest surprise for Al Nuaimi was the number of people visiting.
The winter scenes she had seen on TikTok had encouraged her to travel to Vienna, but the online videos had not prepared her for the crowds she encountered.
She said she had not expected the destination to be so busy.
This is an important consequence of viral travel content.
The same videos that encourage people to visit a place can eventually contribute to overcrowding.
When thousands of viewers see the same location and decide to add it to their itineraries, a once-quiet attraction can become extremely busy.
Viral popularity can have a downside
The increased popularity of destinations can bring economic benefits to local businesses.
Restaurants, hotels, tour operators and other businesses can benefit when more visitors arrive.
However, sudden increases in tourism can also create challenges.
Small businesses may struggle to keep up with demand.
Queues can become longer, prices may increase and local infrastructure may come under pressure.
Popular natural attractions can also face environmental concerns if visitor numbers rise beyond sustainable levels.
The Friedrich August refuge is a clear example of how a single viral food item can attract large numbers of people to a relatively remote location.
The role of travel influencers
Travel influencers have become another major part of this trend.
Many social media users follow specific creators because they trust their recommendations.
An influencer may visit several destinations and provide advice about where to stay, what to eat and which attractions are worth seeing.
Their followers can develop a sense of familiarity with the creator and may therefore view their recommendations as more trustworthy than conventional advertising.
When an influencer praises a particular location, followers may be more likely to add it to their own travel plans.
Personal recommendations feel more authentic
One reason influencer content is effective is that it often feels like advice from another traveller rather than an advertisement.
Creators may describe both the positive and negative aspects of a destination.
They may explain how long they waited, how much something cost or whether a particular attraction was worth visiting.
This type of practical information can be especially useful to people planning their own trips.
At the same time, travellers should remember that social media recommendations are subjective and may not reflect everyone’s experience.
The new travel planning process
For many people, the travel-planning process now looks very different from previous generations.
A traveller might first discover a location through a TikTok video.
They may then search Instagram for more photographs, look for reviews, check accommodation options and research flights.
After gathering enough information, the social media discovery can become a real booking.
This process shows how strongly digital content has become connected to tourism.
Social media is no longer simply a place where travellers share photographs after returning home.
It has become part of the decision-making process that happens before the journey begins.
Destinations can become famous overnight
The speed at which content spreads online means that destinations no longer necessarily need years of traditional promotion to attract international attention.
A single video can reach a huge audience within hours or days.
If viewers find the content entertaining or inspiring, they may share it further, increasing the location’s exposure.
The process can turn previously overlooked places into international attractions.
For local tourism authorities and businesses, this creates opportunities to reach audiences that would have been difficult to access through conventional marketing.
Travellers are also becoming content creators
The relationship between social media and tourism works in both directions.
Professional influencers are not the only people producing travel content.
Ordinary tourists also record their trips and share them online.
A visitor who films a beautiful sunset, an unusual meal or a memorable experience can unintentionally promote the destination to their own followers.
Those followers may then become interested in visiting the same place.
This creates a continuous stream of user-generated travel promotion.
What makes a destination go viral?
There is no single formula for creating a viral travel destination.
Beautiful scenery, unusual food, unique architecture and seasonal events can all attract attention.
However, the presentation also matters.
Short videos that immediately capture attention can be particularly effective.
A destination that offers something visually distinctive may have a greater chance of standing out among the enormous amount of content uploaded every day.
The Friedrich August refuge benefited from this effect because its homemade krapfen offered viewers something unusual and appealing.
Beyond famous landmarks
Social media is also encouraging travellers to look beyond traditional tourist attractions.
Instead of visiting only famous monuments and museums, people may seek out small cafés, local markets, independent restaurants and lesser-known scenic locations.
This can provide visitors with a more local experience.
However, once a hidden location becomes widely known online, its character can change as visitor numbers increase.
The term “hidden gem” can become almost contradictory when thousands of people have seen the same recommendation.
A changing tourism industry
The rise of social media-driven tourism is influencing how destinations promote themselves.
Tourism boards and hospitality businesses increasingly recognise the value of short-form video content.
Hotels may collaborate with creators, restaurants may encourage customers to share dishes online and destinations may highlight visually appealing experiences.
The aim is to become part of the conversations travellers are already having on social media.
This represents a shift from traditional advertising toward content that can be shared and discussed by users themselves.
Travellers should look beyond the viral clip
While social media can be an excellent source of travel inspiration, it is still important for tourists to conduct additional research.
A viral video may not show opening hours, seasonal restrictions, accessibility issues or how busy a location can become.
Weather conditions and local circumstances can also change.
Travellers who want to visit a viral attraction should therefore check current information before making plans.
This is particularly important for remote locations such as mountain refuges, where availability and access may depend on conditions.
A powerful influence on travel decisions
The stories of the Italian mountain refuge and Al Nuaimi’s trip to Vienna illustrate two sides of the same phenomenon.
One shows how a specific food item can turn a remote location into a major attraction.
The other demonstrates how a city’s atmosphere and seasonal activities can inspire someone thousands of kilometres away to book a holiday.
In both cases, social media played an important role in transforming curiosity into travel.
From scrolling to booking
The growing connection between social media and tourism means that travel inspiration can now appear almost anywhere.
A person may begin scrolling through TikTok or Instagram with no intention of planning a holiday.
A few minutes later, they may have discovered a destination, saved a video and started imagining themselves there.
For travellers, this can open the door to new experiences and destinations they might otherwise never have considered.
For popular locations, however, viral fame can bring both opportunities and challenges.
The rise of social media-driven tourism shows that the journey can now begin long before a traveller reaches an airport.
Sometimes, all it takes is one video, one recommendation or one irresistible dish to turn an unfamiliar location into the next place on someone’s travel list.
Social media recommendations can shape choices, but travellers still make the final call
Instead of becoming discouraged by her experience with crowded tourist spots, Al Nuaimi said it changed the way she approaches travel content online. She has become more careful about deciding which recommendations are worth following and which creators offer information she can genuinely rely on.
Today, she uses platforms such as TikTok as part of her research before choosing where to travel. Rather than simply following every destination that becomes popular, she pays attention to particular travel creators whose content she finds useful and whose suggestions have proved reliable.
For her, social media is now less about following every viral trend and more about finding useful ideas that can help shape a trip.
A Bali hotel became the reason for an entire holiday
For lifestyle creator Maitha, social media did more than inspire a single activity or restaurant visit. One hotel she discovered online remained in her thoughts for nearly two years and eventually became the central reason behind an entire trip to Bali.
She first encountered the property on social media in 2024. What immediately caught her attention was its unusual concept and the story surrounding the place.
The hotel had rescued horses and other animals, and each of its rooms was given the name of one of the animals. The concept made the property stand out from the typical accommodation options featured in travel content.
Rather than simply adding the hotel to a list of places she might visit someday, Maitha kept thinking about it.
When she eventually began planning her Bali holiday, the property became one of the main reasons for the trip.
She said she deliberately organised her itinerary around the opportunity to stay there, showing how powerful a single piece of online content can become when it creates a lasting impression.
The real experience went beyond the photographs
What Maitha discovered after arriving in Bali was that the actual experience could not be fully conveyed through photographs and videos.
The online content had shown her what the hotel looked like, but being there allowed her to experience aspects that were impossible to understand through a screen.
The atmosphere, interactions with people and story behind the property gave her a much deeper appreciation of the place.
Meeting the owner was particularly meaningful because it gave her an opportunity to learn about the motivation behind the hotel and the work involved in creating it.
That personal connection changed the way she viewed the property.
Instead of seeing it simply as an attractive hotel she had discovered online, she began to appreciate it as a place with a history, a purpose and a personality.
A screen cannot capture everything
Maitha’s experience highlights one of the limitations of social media travel content.
Videos can provide a useful preview of a destination, but they cannot reproduce every aspect of being there.
A camera can show the architecture, scenery, food and rooms, but it cannot fully communicate the atmosphere of a place.
It also cannot capture every conversation, interaction or unexpected moment that contributes to a traveller’s memories.
For Maitha, these less visible elements were among the things that made the Bali hotel special.
The experience demonstrated that there can be a significant difference between seeing a destination online and actually spending time there.
Viral popularity does not guarantee a perfect trip
The growing influence of TikTok, Instagram and other platforms does not mean every traveller is prepared to visit a destination simply because it becomes popular.
Responses from social media users show that people have very different attitudes towards viral travel trends.
Some travellers see them as an opportunity to discover new places.
Others are more cautious and prefer to wait until the initial excitement disappears.
Some may use viral content to identify a destination but then carry out their own research before making a decision.
The range of responses suggests that social media is influencing travel in different ways rather than creating a single pattern for everyone.
Some travellers have followed the trend
When users were asked whether they would travel to a country simply because it had become popular online, several said they had already done so.
Some TikTok users described visiting Poland after noticing that many of their friends and acquaintances had travelled there.
For them, seeing people they knew enjoying the destination helped generate curiosity and encouraged them to consider visiting themselves.
Others mentioned choosing Thailand because of factors such as shopping opportunities and relatively attractive prices.
Some travellers were drawn to Spain after discovering a particular location through online content.
These examples show that viral exposure can act as the first step in a traveller’s decision-making process.
Social media can create travel curiosity
Seeing friends, influencers or strangers enjoying themselves in another country can create a strong sense of curiosity.
Travellers may begin wondering what the destination is really like and whether they should experience it for themselves.
This effect can be especially powerful when online content provides an immediate visual impression.
A short video can show a beautiful street, a busy market, an unusual hotel or a memorable meal within seconds.
The viewer does not need to search extensively for the information.
The destination appears directly in their feed.
That convenience can make social media an important source of travel inspiration.
But some travellers prefer to wait
Not everyone wants to visit a destination while it is at the height of its popularity.
Some users said that going viral could actually make them postpone their trip.
One user on X explained that she might still want to visit a destination after seeing it online, but would prefer to wait until the trend had faded.
Her concern was straightforward: crowds.
When a destination becomes extremely popular, the experience shown in the original video may change.
A quiet viewpoint can become crowded, a small restaurant can develop long queues and accommodation prices can rise.
For travellers who value peace and space, waiting until the attention decreases can therefore be a better option.
Waiting for the hype to disappear
A similar opinion appeared in responses shared on LinkedIn.
Some users said they would rather allow the initial excitement to settle before making the journey.
This approach can have several advantages.
Travellers may encounter shorter queues, fewer visitors and potentially lower prices.
They may also have a better opportunity to experience the destination without feeling that they are simply following a crowd.
However, waiting also involves a risk.
A particular attraction may lose some of its availability or change over time.
A restaurant that became famous online could close, a temporary attraction could disappear or a destination could introduce new restrictions.
Therefore, deciding whether to visit immediately or wait depends on the individual traveller and the nature of the attraction.
Trends can inspire without controlling the trip
For some people, social media is neither the sole reason for travelling nor something they completely ignore.
Instead, it provides inspiration.
One LinkedIn user summarised this approach by suggesting that trends can influence the choice of destination without determining every aspect of the journey.
That distinction is important.
A traveller may discover a country because of a viral video but then choose their itinerary based on personal interests, budget, available time and recommendations from other sources.
The viral content may open the door, but the traveller still decides whether to walk through it.
Social media is becoming a starting point
Travel planning has increasingly become a combination of inspiration and independent research.
A person might discover a destination through TikTok, save several videos and then move to other platforms to investigate it further.
They may check accommodation reviews, compare prices, look at maps and research transport options before booking anything.
This means social media does not necessarily replace traditional travel research.
Instead, it has become another layer of the process.
It can introduce people to destinations they would not otherwise have considered, after which they can decide whether the destination genuinely suits them.
The difference between seeing and experiencing
The experiences of Maitha and Al Nuaimi also demonstrate the gap that can exist between online expectations and reality.
Al Nuaimi found Vienna even more appealing in person than she had expected, but she was surprised by the number of visitors.
Maitha similarly discovered that the Bali hotel offered more than the visual experience she had seen online.
In her case, meeting the owner and learning about the property’s story added a new dimension to her stay.
Both experiences show why travellers should remember that social media provides only one perspective.
Viral content can be useful
Despite its limitations, social media can be extremely helpful for travellers.
It can provide ideas about destinations, accommodation, restaurants, seasonal events and lesser-known attractions.
It can also make travel research more engaging.
Instead of reading long descriptions, users can see real people experiencing a place and describing what they enjoyed.
For travellers who are unsure where to go, this can provide a useful starting point.
The key is to treat viral content as inspiration rather than unquestionable advice.
The importance of choosing trusted creators
As social media becomes more influential in tourism, the person delivering the recommendation can matter almost as much as the destination itself.
Travellers may follow creators whose style and priorities match their own.
Someone interested in luxury hotels may prefer one type of influencer, while another traveller looking for affordable holidays may follow creators who focus on budget travel.
Likewise, families, solo travellers and adventure seekers may all look for different types of recommendations.
This explains why travellers such as Al Nuaimi have become more selective about whose advice they follow.
The personal element matters
One reason travel influencers can have such a strong impact is that their content often feels personal.
Viewers can watch a creator walk through a hotel, order food, explore a city or describe an attraction.
This can create a sense of connection that traditional advertisements may not provide.
However, viewers should still remember that online creators may have commercial relationships with businesses or destinations.
Checking several sources can help travellers build a more balanced understanding before making a booking.
A destination’s popularity can be a double-edged sword
For tourism businesses, becoming viral can be extremely valuable.
More visitors can mean more bookings, restaurant customers and sales.
A small business can gain international exposure without spending large amounts on traditional advertising.
But popularity can also create challenges.
A sudden influx of tourists can put pressure on staff, supplies and infrastructure.
Remote destinations may struggle to accommodate large crowds.
Natural areas can face environmental pressure, while local residents may experience disruption.
The same attention that creates economic opportunities can therefore require careful management.
The hidden cost of going viral
There can also be a psychological effect on travellers.
When a destination repeatedly appears online, people may feel that they are missing out if they do not visit.
This can contribute to the fear of missing out, particularly when friends and influencers are posting photographs from the same location.
For some travellers, this can make a destination feel almost obligatory.
However, travel decisions based entirely on social pressure may not always produce the most satisfying experiences.
A location that is perfect for one person may not necessarily suit another.
Travellers still have the final say
Ultimately, social media may influence where people look, but it does not have to determine where they go.
Some travellers will immediately book a destination after seeing it online.
Others will save the video and revisit the idea months or years later.
Some may decide that the crowds are not worth it.
Others may deliberately travel during quieter periods.
And some will simply use the recommendation as one idea among many while planning a much broader trip.
From a pastry to a full holiday
The examples behind this trend demonstrate just how varied social media’s influence can be.
At one end, a simple pastry in the Italian Alps can encourage visitors to travel to a mountain refuge and queue for a taste.
At the other, a single hotel in Bali can remain in someone’s thoughts for two years and eventually become the centrepiece of an entire holiday.
Between these extremes are countless travellers discovering restaurants, beaches, cities, hotels and cultural experiences through their feeds every day.
The journey begins online for many travellers
For an increasing number of tourists, the holiday experience starts before they leave home.
It may begin with a short video appearing unexpectedly on a phone screen.
That video can lead to another, followed by a search for more information and eventually a booking.
Sometimes the result is exactly what the traveller expected.
Sometimes the real experience is even better.
And occasionally, the reality comes with surprises such as crowds, higher prices or long queues.
But that unpredictability is also part of what makes travel appealing.
Social media can open the door to destinations that might otherwise remain unknown, while the traveller ultimately decides whether to step through it.
From a modest pastry in the Dolomites to an animal-themed hotel in Bali, viral content has shown that a few seconds of online exposure can have a surprisingly powerful effect on real-world travel.
Whether that influence leads to an immediate booking, a carefully researched holiday or a decision to wait until the crowds disappear, however, remains firmly in the hands of the traveller.
