Well, Air New Zealand has finally joined the TikTok squad.
Or, more accurately, it’s finally taken the plunge and posted two videos after lurking on the platform and gathering upwards of 13,400 followers.
Posted on February 22 with the caption “Kia ora TikTok”, the first video consists of a montage of Air New Zealand staff who wave, wink, smile and greet the camera. This was followed several days later by a timelapse of planes leaving an airport.
Given Air NZ’s reputation for outrageously quirky safety videos, the clips are relatively vanilla. However, what is interesting is the bandwagon Air New Zealand has jumped on to; one already full of airlines.
Airlines who Tik the Tok
Think of a major airline and chances are it doesn’t just have a TikTok profile but actively posts to thousands of followers.
Delta Airlines, Aer Lingus, Air France, Lufthansa, China Southern and Southwest Airlines are just a handful of companies that share videos about carry-on baggage rules and airport lounges, the lives of airline crew and holiday destinations.
Naturally, some do it better than others. After hopping on TikTok in May 2020, RyanAir became the darling of the platform, revered in the advertising world as an example of how to absolutely nail the game.
Videos posted to their 2 million-strong audience indicate a clear understanding of how the platform and its users operate; quickly hopping on trending music, pop culture references and fresh formats to project a savvy, cool ‘I’m-not-like-other-boring-airlines’ image.
In Australasia, Jetstar has been on TikTok since 2021 and similarly sees the platform as a way to cultivate a certain reputation.
“TikTok is a great way for us to connect with customers, share behind-the-scenes content and showcase the incredible places we fly to in New Zealand,” a spokesperson told Herald Travel.
Airlines aren’t the only ones either. Entire countries in the form of tourism agencies have put their money on the young platform, from Norway, Los Angeles and Dubai to Japan, Morocco and even Tourism New Zealand, which ran paid ads on the platform to bolster an existing digital campaign.
Other tourism giants like Airbnb, TripAdvisor, Flight Centre and Heathrow Airport are all active on the platform.
This isn’t a question of coincidence or corporate curiosity. Operating a social media platform for a multi-million-dollar company like Carnival Cruise Lines or Airbnb can require eye-wateringly expensive social media strategies and full-time staff. That many tourism organisations are investing in the platform, says something.
Travel ‘one of the most popular’ topics in New Zealand
After examining how people use the platform and what content is growing in popularity, it seems a safe investment.
There are more than 1.65 million TikTok users over the age of 18 in New Zealand and when it comes to the kind of content they love, travel is high on the list and rising.
“New Zealand travel content is one of the most popular on TikTok, with more than 233 million video views of #travel content in New Zealand last year,” a TikTok spokesperson told Herald.
“Its popularity has tripled in the past few years, up from 74 million video views in 2020,” they added.
This is only expected to increase. Daily views of videos with the travel hashtag are 154 per cent higher compared with the same time last year, something the spokesperson said was a sign people love creating and viewing travel content on the platform.
“The growing demand for travel content is a clear indicator of the thriving community on the platform who are proud to share what makes their part of the world special,” they said.
TikTok eclipses Google Search and Maps for ‘travel shopping’
Unsurprisingly, similar use patterns have been observed abroad in countries like the US.
In July 2022, Google senior vice president Prabhakar Raghavan said an internal study found 40 per cent of Americans aged 18-25 prefer apps like TikTok and Instagram instead of Google Search or Maps when ‘travel shopping’. This involves researching anything from holiday destinations to lunch spots.
It isn’t just the young players either. Around 40 per cent of travellers over 30 said they preferred TikTok over Google as a search tool for travel planning, according to an annual survey by American tourism marketing agency MMGY Global.
The same study found 34 per cent of travellers were influenced by TikTok in 2022, a 10 percentage point increase from 2021.
“Early decision-making is where a lot of our respondents talk about how TikTok influences their decision of where to go and where to stay, whereas Google, especially as they get more aggressive against online travel agencies, has moved down in some ways,” said Clayton Reid, CEO of MMGY.
TikTok and travel; the perfect combination
Video is always an engaging medium but especially when it comes to travel.
Built on dynamic, snappy videos created by everyday people and served to users most likely to engage, it’s no surprise TikTok has become the first port of call for those seeking travel inspiration or advice.
Google map hacks and viral skits mocking tourists sit beside Europe holiday mistakes to avoid, and dreamy montages of holidays and activities cut to trending pop songs; all a single swipe away.
For the tourism industry, this could see TikTok become an essential place to be in order to reach travellers before they book that hotel or holiday. While users could see the platform continue to develop into a repository of tips, tricks and inspiration from the industry and one another.
