TikTok Increases U.S. Users’ Wanderlust, According to a National Survey

You may or may not have heard about a new bill that could ban TikTok. The U.S. Senate bill, known as the Restrict Act, would give the Commerce Department and White House the power to ban or restrict a wide range of communications and tech products coming from China, including TikTok. 

And if you’re a “connected” traveler, you probably already know how much content creators and travel influencers use the social media platform to inspire others to travel the world. Well, MGH, a full-service marketing communications agency that specializes in tourism marketing, released the results of a recent national survey of U.S. TikTok users that explores how the social media platform drives tourism discovery and action.

The survey shows that TikTok — with it recently announced 150 million users in the U.S. — has a major impact on the travel and tourism industry, as 60% of surveyed TikTok users have become interested in visiting a new destination (city, beach, park, etc.) after seeing a TikTok video about it.

The survey demonstrates that TikTok isn’t just driving interest, it’s driving users’ actions as well: 35% of U.S. TikTok users — or approximately 52.5 million people — have traveled to visit a new destination (city, beach, park, etc.) after seeing a TikTok video about it.

While users spanning all generations are inspired by TikTok to visit new places, the millennial generation is particularly influenced by the social media platform when it comes to their travel plans, as 45% of U.S. TikTok millennials (aged 25-44) surveyed have traveled to a new destination they saw on TikTok.

“While TikTok’s future hangs in the balance, this survey highlights the undeniable influence that TikTok is having on the travel industry. It’s not only driving awareness of destinations, but it’s actually taking its users to places they’ve never seen or been to before,” said Ryan Goff, EVP, Social Media Marketing Director at MGH. “While TikTok’s future is uncertain, marketers shouldn’t ignore the platform’s short-term potential when there are very few tools left that have as big of an impact across audiences of all generations.”

The survey reveals that in addition to inspiring users to visit new destinations, TikTok motivates them to visit specific resorts/hotels or attractions they’ve seen on the platform: 32% of those surveyed have booked a stay at a new resort or hotel they saw on TikTok, and 28% have visited an attraction (waterpark, amusement park, aquarium, museum, historical site, etc.) they saw on TikTok.  

Additionally, the survey emphasizes that all facets of the tourism industry can benefit from TikTok’s influence on its millions of U.S. users:

• 18% have traveled to a new city they saw on TikTok
• 18% have traveled to a new beach they saw on TikTok
• 15% have visited a new state park, lake, or nature reserve they saw on TikTok
• 12% have attended a festival or state fair they saw on TikTok

About the Survey

Results are based on a national survey of 1,139 U.S. TikTok users. The survey was fielded July 16-18, 2022, using SurveyMonkey Audience. The margin of error is +/- 3.06%.

Click here for more insights and infographics from MGH’s survey.