[Pin Orange Travel] July and August are often the peak travel season in the Chinese market. The summer vacation has arrived, and Douyin has been opened. Many travel agencies and OTAs have begun to use this video platform to share videos and live broadcasts to bring goods to their own travel products. The introduction has attracted many Douyin users, and it has also realized the transformation of users from online to offline. In fact, not only in China, the platform Douyin is also popular with travel industry peers in the international market.
As the global epidemic situation gradually stabilizes, considering the surge in passenger demand and the recovery of the travel market, foreign media reports that more and more travel companies are now turning to the video app TikTok to increase brand awareness and promote the recovery of the travel market. Attract new customers. As the most downloaded app for two consecutive years, TikTok has a huge global influence, and travel service providers can provide users with personalized services through the app.
Start with Booking.com, which launched its first TikTok-centric campaign on July 20, called TikTokMadeMeBookIt, but only available to TikTok users living in the US, UK, Germany or Japan. When first using TikTok, Booking.com aimed to encourage people to travel and create positive brand interactions and make people think the brand is a leader in travel, said Laura Kaye, director of social media at Booking.com.
Kaye found video to be a particularly effective form of promoting travel brands. Booking.com is partnering with some of the most influential bloggers on TikTok, also known as "spokespersons," with more than a million followers on TikTok. The online travel agency also works with content creators with fewer than 100,000 followers. These content creators will produce and share content on Booking’s TikTok channel.
For Kayak, also owned by Booking Holdings, metasearch brands are also learning how to use the video-sharing platform. Matt Clarke, Kayak’s vice president of marketing for North America, said the company’s marketing strategy is “TikTok is all about meeting travelers anytime, anywhere.” Clarke said Kayak's goal is to connect with new audiences, but he also said Kayak is still in the early stages of testing and learning to resonate with travelers. Kayak's marketing has been edgy and humorous, and it will continue to build on that strength on TikTok. .
Matt Lupoli, senior manager of public relations for Carnival Cruise Lines, said the company created the TikTok videos to introduce its cruise business and Carnival Corp. to new audiences. The live video from the ship is the brand's most popular post.
Additionally, Skyscanner is another brand in the early stages of exploring video-sharing apps. According to a spokesperson, TikTok is a great way to connect with travelers during the discovery phase of the journey. While the metasearch brand has yet to post videos, it plans to have its TikTok channel partner with influencers internally.
