Banning Tik Tok travel could change travel

Without TikTok, Saint Honoré, a donut and pizza shop in Las Vegas, or Vivoli Gelateria, a shop in Florence, Italy, known for its fancy affogatos, might not be on the bucket list of travelers queuing up. in the current block. his food.

“Most of our customers come from TikTok,” said Alexandra Lourdes, 40, owner of Saint Honoré. “We rely on it alone to sell our business here in Las Vegas, and we are very concerned about losing business.”

And Ryan Goff, 40, may not have gone to stay at the five-star Waldorf Astoria in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Cabo was “never on my radar,” said Mr. Goff, director of social media and marketing for a marketing agency called MGH in Baltimore, but a video on the app convinced him to book his trip.

But with the US ban likely to take effect as early as Sunday, about 170 million US users could lose access to TikTok, closing a major exit for the industry. influencers, and will deny their followers the way to what they see, to be better. or worse.

Travel is one of the areas that have been heavily impacted by the application. Since TikTok became popular in 2019, there have been 56.5 million posts under #travel, and it has launched a new trend: a couple who seem to jump from the airport to the beach , a hacker who often shares travel hacks and someone who makes videos of people dancing. in the mirror that they often pass during their journey.

According to TikTok, 59 percent of North American users have found travel inspiration on the app, with its algorithm recommending relevant videos to users about travel destinations around the world. and under-the-radar gems. While some of these posts will automatically migrate to platforms like YouTube and Instagram Reels, influencers and travel experts are wondering how the ban might change the current trend.

MGH is one of many places that have investigated how TikTok is reshaping the travel industry.

“In a platform like Google or TripAdvisor, it’s too much in terms of the amount of content, the amount of recommendations and not knowing what’s real versus what’s paid,” said Mr. Goff. “It’s very difficult to break through this clutter, as opposed to a platform like TikTok, which is presented to you in a pure form from people who are very trustworthy.”

Jennifer Gay, 44, started making TikToks about Las Vegas in 2021 under the name @vegasstarfish. He currently has 1.7 million followers on the app, who flock to him for advice on the best buffets, clean lounges and local entertainment, but he worries that the Prohibition will harm local businesses that cannot afford international marketing campaigns.

“TikTok is unique in that it’s free to play – you don’t have to promote a video to be seen,” Ms Gay said. “You put it out there, and if the food is good, if the content is good, if they’re doing something really unique, it can reach millions of people.”

When Ms. Gay first posted about a business on her account, it wasn’t uncommon for them to sell food or get lines that stretched across the block. This instant boom in business helped underground shows like “The Magician’s Study”, restaurants like With Love, Always and The Pepper Club and the Mexican snack shop Un Poko Krazy, among many others. . In this way, he sees TikTok as a very useful way to shake up the local tourism industry.

Although she will continue to post her videos on nearly a dozen other platforms, Ms. Gay is certain that many small tourism-oriented businesses would go out of business without TikTok.

“I’m in Keith Lee’s community,” said Ms Gay – referring to the highly influential food critic with 16.8 million TikTok followers who sample food in his car – “and he alone saved hundreds of companies.

Even travel agents outside the United States are concerned about how the ban will affect their operations.

Jorden Tually, 31, is an Australian travel designer who travels the world in a bright orange baseball cap and takes requests from his 3.7 million followers on TikTok. He says a quarter of his followers are based in the United States, and many of his endorsement deals are as well. Without their access to TikTok, he worries that people in the US won’t see travel content in the same way.

Mr Tually said one of the app’s distinguishing features was its search capabilities. “If you search on YouTube, you’re looking for something specific,” he said. “If you’re searching on Instagram, it doesn’t work. But if you’re searching on TikTok, you can put in, like, ‘cool travel destination,’ and then search for what went viral last week.”

One possible silver lining: “Maybe you won’t get hit by the cultural-tourist attack on a particular place that spreads on TikTok,” he said. “Like maybe a three-foot hot dog cafe.”

Vivoli’s affogato caught Becky Blaine’s eye. “I kept seeing this virtual affogato in Florence, where they, like, spread ice cream on all four sides of the cup,” said Ms. Blaine, 47, a travel editor for The Points Guy, a site dedicated to rewards. travel.

The only problem?

“Look at these lines,” he said. “I don’t want to stand in these lines the next time I go to Italy.”

In that sense, Travel TikTok’s content evokes a common paradox of social media: People try to post about places that aren’t so popular, but when their videos go viral, these places become the kind of crowded places they try to avoid.

Folderol, a Paris ice cream shop and natural wine bar, struggled after being flooded with TikTokers in early 2023. Owners Jessica Yang and Robert had to put up signs on the door banning customers from using TikTok. Companion.

“They don’t even try ice cream,” Ms. Yang told The Times in 2023. “They let it sink into a bowl of melting liquid and die in the sun.”

And while the TikTok ban may cause a temporary change in the travel industry, there’s no doubt that short travel content will soon find a new home.

“At the end of the day, the show has to go on,” said Mr Tually, who also posts content on YouTube and Instagram. “The only positive thing about TikTok’s death is that it’s another platform created.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram SY subscribe to our Travel Dispatch newsletter for expert advice on how to travel smart and be inspired on your next vacation. Dreaming of a future vacation or just going on a vacation? Check out ours 52 Destinations in 2025.