Social media’s role in travel inspiration during the booking
journey is only increasing, with Phocuswright research finding that nearly
two-thirds of travelers who used social media for trip planning made a trip purchase
or visitation decision based on content they had viewed.
Now, TikTok and Booking.com are leaning into this conversion opportunity through a new partnership aimed at meeting travelers where they are by enabling in-app hotel bookings.
“We want to make it easier for travelers to discover, plan and book their trips, no matter where inspiration comes from,” a Booking.com spokesperson said.
When users see a TikTok video or a point of interest, they can then find ratings, prices, availability, reviews and book with Booking.com via an in-app browser, without leaving TikTok. Once a booking is complete, travelers receive confirmation in their TikTok inbox. Currently, the test is available for 10% of TikTok users in the U.S. and applies to videos featuring U.S.-based accommodations.
As part of their partnership, Booking.com is also participating in TikTok Go, a program that allows creators to link and earn commission from posting about hotels, experiences and restaurants.
"People increasingly use TikTok as a place to search for their next travel destination,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “We want to make it easier for our global community to discover, learn, plan and book travel all on TikTok."
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Lucy Kemmitz, global senior director of social media for Marriott Bonvoy and hotel brands for Marriott International, said these initiatives underscore how travel discovery is changing.
“It’s no longer just about where people want to go but how they’re inspired and how seamless the path is from content to conversion,” Kemmitz said. “What matters here is the frictionless experience, removing steps between inspiration and action.”
And some believe that the ability to book on the platform is going to change the travel distribution game entirely.
Louis-Hippolyte Bouchayer, head of lodging strategy and supplier management at SAP Concur, said TikTok has “nuked” the travel funnel.
“This isn’t ‘just another integration,’” Bouchayer wrote on LinkedIn. “It’s the opening shot in social rewriting the rules of travel distribution. Ignore it at your peril.”
Overall, however, Bouchayer sees what’s happening as a larger play by Booking.com.
“They’ve always been masters of Google search, but they know that model is maturing,” he told PhocusWire. “Now they’re pushing into social and AI—and building their connected trip vision in the background. Put together, it means content, commerce and technology are colliding, and the lines between inspiration and transaction are vanishing.”
Industry implications
Kemmitz believes this move is a reminder that travelers, particularly those of younger generations, trust creators. And this isn’t a new narrative; social media’s impact on the travel industry has been well-researched.
For years, travel discovery has started on Google. Now, with TikTok, inspiration and booking sit side by side.
Louis-Hippolyte Bouchayer, SAP Concur
Booking.com and TikTok are not the only players seeking to gain an edge from social media, either, and it goes beyond commissioning content.
In May, Expedia launched Trip Matching. The feature allows users to send Instagram Reels to Expedia via direct message, which then creates an artificial intelligence (AI)-generated, bookable itinerary based on the content. In June, TourRadar launched TourRadar Moments in its app, a social commerce tool that allows travelers to book trips from photos and reels.
For Marriott, what’s happening is an indicator of the industry’s future. It’s time to think even more about meeting travelers where they are and leaning into creator-led storytelling that can build trust and lead to bookings, Kemmitz said.
Others, like Bouchayer, say the news is more significant.
“For years, travel discovery has started on Google,” he said. “Now, with TikTok, inspiration and booking sit side by side. Content doesn’t just entertain anymore, it converts. This makes social platforms a serious new distribution channel for travel.”
But not everyone believes the journey to social-based booking is complete.
“Social media travel videos are complex—recommending destinations, hotels, activities, travel tips and transportation,” said Archit Karandikar, CEO of CoInvent AI, which operates AI-powered travel agent Airial.
“Travelers are inspired by and want to relive the vibe of the video along with the many facets of its suggestions. Support for booking hotels is only one piece of the puzzle.”
Still, this trend marks a step forward for travel industry players like Karandikar, who said the news validates his team’s hypothesis that the combination of social media, generative AI and travel inventory APIs will become the future of travel planning.
Tony Carne, co-founder of Videreo, a video booking platform for travel, is intrigued, too.
“We are excited to see any new innovations in the move to social commerce,” Carne said. “Our vision is that travel creators will become one of the dominant sales forces in travel, and this move by TikTok and Booking is a step in the direction of that vision becoming a reality.”
When Expedia launched its Trip Matching product, Videreo saw an uptick in interest from companies looking to take similar advantage of social media, Carne said, adding that his company is already receiving inquiries about the Booking and TikTok announcement.
That’s where the company’s agnostic approach works in its favor, he said.
“We are happy to partner with any company serious about the future of social commerce in travel and wanting to be at the forefront of it.”
What does the partnership mean for hotel bookings?
While some, like Bouchayer, are certain the news will reshape the core of travel distribution, others are waiting to see what happens.
Bouchayer said bookings will now flow from where people spend their time, namely TikTok. And travelers who used to search and compare options on online travel agencies (OTAs) can now move from a video to a reservation seamlessly.
“For hotels, that means more eyeballs but also more reliance on platforms like Booking to capture those guests,” Bouchayer said.
But TikTok’s algorithm works well to show users what they are interested in and “if you are looking for a hotel and searching on TikTok, then these placements are going to show up,” Carne said.
TikTok and Booking are offering ‘Book Now’, but what can the hotel offer that beats that?
Tony Carne, Videreo
It’s important to note that this isn’t the first time social media has had a role in driving hotel bookings. It just happened in a different format before, Karandikar said, referencing affiliate links that have been included on TikTok and Instagram ads.
“This partnership now streamlines that flow and makes it easier for hotels, creators and travelers to recommend, find and book hotels via social media videos,” Karandikar said. “However, until the generative AI piece comes in, we don't expect this to rapidly disrupt the way people book their hotels.”
According to Karandikar, a holistic solution for social media-native trip planning is what’s really needed, and hotels are valuable only in the context of the entire trip.
Historically, Carne isn’t sure how many hotels have truly had success gaining a competitive edge on TikTok, even if they’ve partnered with content creators. That said, they are still likely to show up in TikTok’s search.
The question becomes what the hotel is offering. “TikTok and Booking are offering ‘Book Now,’ but what can the hotel offer that beats that?” Carne said, then providing an example.
“One of our ambassadors at Videreo, who is somewhat of a hotel specialist, has driven over $500,000 in sales for a hotel in New York City through TikTok by putting a very compelling offer in front of the audience alongside her top-notch content,” said Carne. “That is the way to win on social, in our opinion. Booking is never going to have those offers.”
Bouchayer agreed that hotels can still compete.
“They don’t have TikTok’s scale, but they can play the same game: lean into content, make their properties ‘social ready’ and use video to inspire,” Bouchayer said. “The key is not just selling a room but selling a story. Hotels that create their own social-first marketing or partner with the right creators can still stand out.”
Direct booking will remain relevant, but it’s likely to become more difficult to achieve, according to Bouchayer. For now, hotels will have to push harder on loyalty, branding and post-stay relationship efforts to bring customers back for direct booking.
Learn more about TikTok's strategy at The Phocuswright Conference
Register now to hear from David Hoctor, the vertical director for travel and gaming at TikTok Global Business Solutions, on Center Stage at the event in San Diego November 18-20.