From airport walkthroughs to destination diaries, social media has overtaken conventional travel agents.
Instead of consulting brochures and doing online research, travellers are using social networks such as TikTok to decide where to go, how far to travel and whether they go alone or not.
TikTok is now the most powerful travel agent, an industry expert from Dragonpass, a travel pass and discount company, has revealed.
Andrew Harrison-Chinn, chief marketing officer of Dragonpass, says: ‘Travel inspiration used to be aspirational. Today, it’s practical.
‘People aren’t just seeing where to go on TikTok, they’re seeing exactly how to get there, what it costs and how smooth the journey really is.
‘That visibility builds confidence, particularly for solo travellers and first-time long-haul trips.
‘When someone watches a real person navigate an airport or a destination successfully, the mindset shift is simple: if they can do it, so can I.’
It comes as almost one in four UK adults say they have booked a holiday after seeing travel content on TikTok.
Booking holidays as a result of TikTok inspiration is on the rise
Plus, 73 per cent of travellers globally say influencer recommendations have influenced a booking decision.
What’s more, 61 per cent of travellers now discover trip ideas on social platforms, up from 35 per cent in 2022.
And 42 per cent of 18–24s and 44 per cent of 25–34s use social media as a primary source of travel inspiration.
Around half of travellers say social content has encouraged them to consider destinations they had never previously planned to visit.
There are many perks to social media in the travel industry, according to Andrew.
He explains how short-form video doesn’t just showcase destinations, it shows how journeys actually work: the airport experience, transfers, queues, costs and the realities on the ground.
Andrew argues that the real impact of social video is confidence. ‘Watching someone else successfully navigate an airport, manage transfers, understand costs and arrive smoothly removes the uncertainty that once held people back,’ he says.
This is particularly powerful for solo travellers and first-time long-haul trips, where unknowns have been the biggest barrier.
More people are turning to social media for inspiration and practical advice
TikTok also explains the rise of lesser-known destinations and so-called ‘destination dupes’, according to Andrew.
He says: ‘When travellers can see the full journey end to end, unfamiliar places feel no more daunting than established hotspots.
‘Social platforms are quietly normalising solo travel. Real people documenting real journeys make independent travel feel achievable rather than intimidating.
‘Seeing someone travel alone, confidently and competently, makes it easier for others to follow in their footsteps.’
