In Amsterdam, Paris and London, social media popularity can prove overwhelming – but the social media platform is a quick resource for many visitorsTikTok has more than one billion users. Posts can swiftly clock up tens, or hundreds, of thousands of views and the platform has proved a popular place on which to share recommendations of what to do, see and eat in tourist destinations.
“This phenomenon perpetuates a unique cycle in which they will travel to the same places they’ve seen online, take the same types of [template, or copycat] photos or videos of themselves there and then post them online for others to see and thus continue the cycle.”A clutch of businesses in the city have had difficulties coping with the sudden queues that are, at least in part, sparked by social media interest. Take Fabel Friet, a business serving Dutch fries.
Among the TikTok users who regularly watch its travel-related posts is PR consultant Rebecca Rhodes. She recently used TikTok to plan a trip to Lisbon. The platform helped her find the “That said, TikTok is a lot more off the cuff and casual [than a newspaper or news site], so I also cover things that I just happen to be doing, but realise would make a really good video – in that case, I try to be very upfront about what I’m doing when I’m there.”