Tourism Marketing on TikTok: The Role of Next-Generation Platforms in Promoting Destinations Across Different Generations

Gémes Dávid (2025) Tourism Marketing on TikTok: The Role of Next-Generation Platforms in Promoting Destinations Across Different Generations. Kereskedelmi, Vendéglátóipari és Idegenforgalmi Kar.

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Absztrakt (kivonat)

This thesis explores the emerging role of TikTok in tourism marketing focusing on how the platform influences the travel decisions and destination perceptions of users across Generation Z and Generation Y. In recent years, social media has dramatically transformed the tourism industry by offering dynamic, interactive and highly personalized content that shapes travellers’ choices. Among these platforms, TikTok has gained significant attention for its viral potential, short-form videos, emotionally engaging storytelling and powerful personalization algorithms. Despite its rapid growth, there remains a research gap regarding TikTok's effectiveness as a tourism marketing tool, which this study aims to address.The primary research question guiding this study is: "How does TikTok influence the travel decisions and perceptions of users across different generations?" To investigate this a qualitative research methodology was employed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants from Generation Z and Generation Y who actively use TikTok and frequently encounter travel-related content on the platform. The data were analysed using thematic analysis under an interpretivist paradigm, aiming to uncover deep insights into users' personal experiences, emotions and perceptions.The findings reveal that TikTok significantly influences users' travel inspiration and destination choice. Both generations engage with travel content daily, often discovering new destinations passively through the platform's personalized recommendations. TikTok's visual and emotional storytelling that is combined with its use of trending music and authentic user-generated content it creates a strong emotional connection with users, inspiring spontaneous and planned travel decisions. The platform's algorithm further improves its effectiveness by exposing users to travel content tailored to their preferences, increasing the relevance and emotional impact of the material.Generational differences were also identified. Generation Z participants exhibited a stronger emotional response to visually charged, trend-based content and were more likely to act on spontaneous travel inspiration. In contrast, Generation Y participants valued a balance between inspirational content and practical information, such as travel tips and destination reviews. Despite these differences, both generations emphasized the importance of authenticity, trusting travel content that appeared genuine and was often created by everyday users rather than polished advertisements or promotional influencers.Moreover, TikTok’s role in the future of tourism marketing appears promising. Participants agreed that TikTok is likely to become an even more important tool for destination marketing, especially as it continues to integrate new features such as e-commerce and augmented reality experiences. The platform’s viral nature offers smaller and lesser-known destinations the chance to gain visibility without massive marketing budgets. However, challenges such as the rapid pace of trends, competition for attention and the risk of over-commercialization were also highlighted. Sustainable and ethical tourism practices will need to be promoted to counteract potential issues like over-tourism caused by viral trends.The thesis demonstrates that TikTok has reshaped how travel inspiration and decisions are formed, offering tourism marketers a dynamic and powerful tool to engage with modern travellers. By harnessing TikTok’s strengths like authentic storytelling, emotional resonance, viral reach and personalization can effectively boost their visibility and appeal to younger, digitally native audiences. However, marketers must also remain agile and ethically conscious to maintain authenticity and ensure long-term success in an increasingly competitive digital landscape. The thesis contributes to the growing body of knowledge on next-generation social media platforms and offers practical insights for future tourism marketing strategies.

Intézmény

Budapesti Gazdasági Egyetem

Kar

Kereskedelmi, Vendéglátóipari és Idegenforgalmi Kar

Tanszék

Turizmus Tanszék

Tudományterület/tudományág

NEM RÉSZLETEZETT

Szak

Turizmus-vendéglátás

Mű típusa:	diplomadolgozat (NEM RÉSZLETEZETT)
Kulcsszavak:	21th century, Generation Y, Generation Z, online marketing, Social media
SWORD Depositor:	User Archive
Felhasználói azonosító szám (ID):	User Archive
Rekord készítés dátuma:	2026. Ápr. 09. 14:53
Utolsó módosítás:	2026. Ápr. 09. 14:53

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