TikTok is shaping where people go, what they book, and how they dream about travel. At least 71% of European TikTok users say they’re likely to book a holiday based on recommendations they’ve seen on the platform.
And as a tour operator, if you’re not using TikTok yet, you’re not just missing out on a marketing tool—you’re missing the moment.
The rise of short-form video has fundamentally changed how travelers discover new experiences. TikTok has quickly become one of the most influential platforms for travelers. While Gen Z is still the primary audience, all ages are flocking to the platform for travel inspiration.
TikTok for tour operators isn’t about chasing trends and popular hashtags like #TravelTok (although they can help discoverability). It’s about staying authentic in a shifting experiences landscape.
So whether you’re just starting out with TikTok or looking to level up your TikTok strategy, check out this tour operator TikTok strategy guide.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
- How to Set Up TikTok: An effective TikTok strategy for tour operators starts with properly setting up your account and optimizing your profile.
- TikTok’s Algorithm for Beginners: Learn how TikTok decides what gets views, and arm yourself with the knowledge to increase your chances of “going viral.”
- TikTok’s Impact on Travel Marketing: Learn about TikTok’s influence on travel booking decisions and why TikTok works for tour operator
- Creating Your TikTok Strategy: Learn what kinds of content engages, and some technical tips to create content effectively.
- Growing Your TikTok Following: Learn how to leverage TikTok tools, use hashtags effectively, and measure your success.
How to Set Up TikTok
Before we dive into content strategy and development, you need a solid foundation, which starts with setting up and optimizing your TikTok account correctly.
Setting Up Your TikTok Business Account
Business accounts give you access to analytics, ad tools, and better control over how people discover and interact with your content.
- Sign up or log in, then go to your profile and tap the three dots in the top-right corner.
- Switch to Business Account (under “Manage Account”) and select a category like “Travel” or “Tourism.”
- Adjust privacy settings so your content is public and ready to reach the TikTok audience.
Optimizing Your Profile for Maximum Impact
This is your digital storefront. Make it count with three simple elements:
- Profile Picture: Use a clear logo or a compelling image from your tour or experience.
- Bio: Get specific. Mention your destination, type of tours, and what makes you different. Keep it authentic.
- Link: Point users to your direct booking site or Linktree with your most important calls-to-action.
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TikTok’s Algorithm for Beginners
If you’re wondering how TikTok decides which videos go viral, you’re not alone. The platform’s algorithm is one of the most sophisticated there is in social media, but if you spend just a little time scrolling, you can start to see the basics of how it works.
TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes three things:
- Watch time: Are people watching your video all the way through?
- Engagement: Likes, shares, comments, follows.
- Relevance: Are you using trending sounds, hashtags, or responding to popular content?
The algorithm isn’t just about luck—it rewards compelling content that resonates with users. Consistency and experimentation are key here. Here are a few more tips to make your content appealing to both TikTok users and the TikTok algorithm:
Hook the viewer: Watch time is a crucial metric to keep track of as you get started. If someone watches your video all the way through, and even better rewatches it, that signals to TikTok that your content is relevant. Hook someone quickly (first 2-3 seconds) using a question, or an eye-catching visual or scenario.
Encourage interaction: Like any social media, engagement is a key indicator of success. Likes, comments, shares, saves, follows—it all counts. Create content that prompts reactions in the comments.
Be discoverable: As a visual platform, your video content is the priority, however don’t neglect captions, text overlays and hashtags. Your caption is premium real estate that TikTok scans for relevant keywords and ideas.
Include audio: Whether it’s a popular song that’s trending or a short and memorable story about a place you go on tour, always include audio.
Be consistent: You’re not going to hack the algorithm by spamming it with tons of content and hashtags. Your niche and point of view should be consistent and true to your brand. By doing so, over time, you will get more qualified leads as people will be landing on your content because they are searching it.
TikTok’s Impact on Travel
TikTok isn’t just for trends—it’s becoming the go-to travel search engine, especially for younger travelers. In fact, 40% of Gen Z users prefer TikTok and other social media over Google for finding local things to do.
And it’s no longer just for travel inspiration, either. In an keynote session at Arival 360 | San Diego, Klook’s Chief Commercial Officer Wilfred Fan described how next-gen travelers are turning to TikTok, Discord, and Instagram instead of Google to not only find but even book their next trip, even making the purchase right through the app.
From Inspiration to Booking
It starts with discovery—but it doesn’t end there.
TikTok revealed that 80% of users are more likely to book something that inspired them, and 76% are more likely to plan a future trip after seeing content about a destination. Here’s how to use that to your advantage:
Include booking links in your bio: When you are promoting a tour or experience in a post, be sure to add captions like “Link in bio to book this tour,” and include those links to make it as easy as possible for users to get to the point of purchase.
Pin videos that are getting engagement: Your TikTok profile isn’t just a feed, it’s your storefront. Make sure to pin videos that give clear tour overviews and calls to action, customer testimonials, and any videos that include comments like “just booked.”
Make content that answers booking questions: Create “what to expect” videos that show pickup spots, what to wear, and some of the key stops on your experience.
You can also explore formats like “How to book with us” that shows you behind-the-scenes communicating with guests, or “3 reasons people love this tour” with customer reviews as text overlay (bonus points if you also turn it into audio), and video or photo that is relevant to the quote. Be sure to cite the quote’s source to gain trust and credibility.
The Rise of Search-Based Discovery
Creating content for TikTok requires you to think like you are creating for a search engine. Use clear, destination-specific captions, hashtags, and even trending audio (songs especially) to surface in those searches.
Use keywords in your captions
Captions are what help TikTok index your content. Think about the types of things a customer might Google and use the same keywords as part of your captions, like “hidden food tours in Rome,” “best wine tours to Napa,” or “things to do in Lisbon.
Take those more general search queries and think about how you can elevate them into more compelling captions that are relevant to your content. For example:
- “End the day with the best sunset view in Napa wine country on our wine tour from San Francisco.”
- “What to expect on our hidden food tour of Rome.”
- “Check out the best rooftop bars in Lisbon on our happy hour tour.”
Use hashtags like SEO tags
Use a mix of broad, trending, and specific topics for TikTok to scan. Start with broad terms like #thingstodo or #tiktoktravel, then continue to narrow your topics to be more specific about your experience.
Use text overlays to reinforce your keywords
TikTok scans on-screen text, not just captions. Keep your text short, punchy, and visible for at least 3 seconds. Use large fonts and good contrasts to increase readability.
Respond to comments with searchable phrases
When someone comments things like “where is this?”—include a response that is both accurate but also colorful. If it is a beach, explain how close it is to a nearby major city or airport, or describe the vibe and demographics of who likes to hang at the beach. If your video is at a certain time of day that is optimal for avoiding crowds, mention that too.
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Creating Your TikTok Strategy
A solid tour operator TikTok strategy includes more than just posting pretty videos. You need structure and purpose. However you don’t need a full production crew. Some of the most authentic travel TikToks are shot by people alone on their smartphones—with good lighting, good timing, and good energy.
Celebrate your niche
While the foundation of your content should be that it is searchable, it’s your unique point of view or offering that will resonate and connect with users.
For David Harry, also known as The London Spy, it was his genuine curiosity and joy for storytelling as well as his authentic approach that catapulted him to 10 million likes on his stories across London.
As for another travel TikToker, Alex Ojeda, it is all about amusement and adventure parks. The adrenaline junkie has accumulated more than eight million followers and 340 million likes.
@alexojeda Illuminated polkadot funnel water slide! 🤯 Would you try this? #travel #waterpark #waterslide #thrill #adrenaline #germany #slide #europe ♬ original sound – Alex Ojeda 🇲🇽
Using waterproof cameras, he’s gone across the globe in search of attractions such as the world’s best lazy rivers, America’s longest zipline, and the world’s tallest water slide in Qatar. It can take up to 10 takes for him to film, and then he layers in music and an AI-powered voiceover that explains the scene and engages users by asking questions for them to answer in the comments.
Another great travel TikTok example is Bernice Padilla (aka Trendy Traveler) who has taken her day job as a flight attendant and turned it into her own travel brand, with guides and tips for destinations across the globe that have gained four million likes and counting.
@trendytraveler This is only a small fraction of all the amazing things there are to do in Oahu 😍 #hawaii #oahu #honolulu #northshore #diamondhead #travel #traveltiktok #travelbucketlist #travelwithme #travellife #traveltips ♬ Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride (From "Lilo & Stitch") – Karaoke Version – Urock Karaoke
As you build and implement your TikTok marketing strategy, keep an eye on subject matter experts and influencers who share content that is relevant to your product and might resonate with your target audience. It’s a great way to find the right partnerships that can build authentic connections and trust with their user bases, and tap into TikTok influencer marketing to expand your own following.
Keep your content short and snappy
This isn’t the place for long intros or slow pans. Show, don’t tell, and leave your viewer wanting more. Think: bite-sized, high energy storytelling that teases the most unique and loveable things about your tour or business.
TikTok Content Recommendations for Tour Operators
- Day-in-the-life of your guides: Give the “locals” content with their favorite coffee shop, view, happy hour, or places to go.
- Behind-the-scenes of tours: Pull back the curtain and show how a tour is brought to life. From how you find the most haunted spots for a ghost tour to the process of dreaming up a menu for a cooking class.
- Customer reactions and testimonials: Social proof sells. Show natural, engaging moments on tour where people are surprised, laughing, and engaging.
- Trendjacking: Use the audio and video styles that are trending on your For You page, and join the conversation. Just don’t force it. Remember to always make it feel like a natural extension of your brand.
- Polls and “This or That” Challenges: Interactive stickers like polls and “this or that” quizzes invite your audience to make choices—“Beach hike or city stroll?”—and get instant insights. Share the results from your polls in follow-up videos, weaving in personalized recommendations based on your followers’ votes to demonstrate you’re listening and building community.
Growing Your TikTok Following
When John O’Sullivan started his TikTok account for Depot Adventures, it was a way to connect with everyone sheltering in place back in 2020. Fast forward to now, and combined it with his One-Minute Tours account, he’s amassed nearly 100,000 followers stretching from Melbourne to Minnesota.
@oneminutetours #duet with @Depot Adventures #tourguide ♬ Vlog Video work Fashionable BGM(847726) – Tsuyoshi_san
O’Sullivan always focuses on talking directly to his viewers as if he is giving a personal tour or account of what is happening. “In both places I’ve seen that focusing on hyper-local content is like a recipe for just insane exposure,” he explained during the Hot Takes, Hot Topics session at Arival 360 I San Diego.
TikTok Features to Use to Attract Followers
Duet & Stitch
Duets let you appear side-by-side with another creator’s video, while Stitch lets you clip and respond to specific moments. Use these to engage with travel influencers or highlight guest reactions: stitch a fellow guide’s scenic clip and add your own narration about hidden local gems, or duet a traveler’s review to thank them and encourage others to share. This taps into existing creator communities and exposes your content to their followers.
Going Live
Live broadcasts build a real-time connection. Go live to stream a portion of your tour—showcasing a stunning vista, a local market, or a Q&A in front of a landmark—to give viewers an immediate sense of your style and expertise. Before you go live, promote your live session ahead of time with a post, and use the Q&A feature to answer questions on the spot, turning viewers into participants.
Measuring Success
A solid TikTok growth strategy has to include measurement. As a tour operator, tracking performance helps you understand what content drives real engagement, builds trust, and—most importantly—converts followers into bookings.
Once you switch to a TikTok Business Account, you’ll gain access to built-in analytics that offer insights into three core areas:
- Content Performance
- Views: How many people watched your video.
- Watch time: Did they finish it or drop off early?
- Shares & Saves: Are viewers finding it valuable enough to send to others?
- Audience Insights
- Follower growth: Are you building a consistent audience?
- Demographics: Where are your viewers located? What are their age groups?
- Engagement Rate
- Likes, comments, shares: High engagement signals stronger algorithm distribution.
- Click-throughs: If your bio link is getting more clicks, that’s real lead potential.
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Ready to Elevate Your Tour Business with TikTok?
TikTok isn’t a trend—it’s a travel tool. From spontaneous discoveries to dream-trip planning, it’s where today’s (and tomorrow’s) travelers go to be inspired, entertained, and convinced. And increasingly, it’s where travelers are going not just for inspiration, but to actually plan and purchase their tours. For tour operators, it’s not just about going viral—it’s about showing up with consistency, clarity, and authenticity.
So experiment, have fun with it, and keep showing up. Because the operators who meet travelers where they are—on their phones, in their feeds—are the ones who turn scrolls into sales.
About the Author
Kate Cornell is an editorial and digital strategist with many years of experience in the experiences sector of travel, and has spoken at Arival on the topics of writing tour descriptions, and the “content conundrum.” She has led global editorial teams for travel brands including Viator and Tripadvisor, helped build startups such as TourismSolved, and worked behind the scenes as a content consultant for leading travel and luxury brands.
Want more insights? Check out Arival’s Ultimate Social Medial Guide for Tour Operators and this article on Best Tiktok & Instagram Strategies For Travel, and join us at the next Arival event to learn more from the experts on the latest innovative strategies in social media and digital marketing in tours, activities and attractions.
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