Where we get our travel inspo from has changed drastically over the years. First there were guidebooks, then there were websites (including our very own Time Out Travel, of course) and now there’s one social media app that’s taken over the world since the pandemic. You guessed it: TikTok.
According to Prabhakar Raghavan, Senior VP of Google, 40 percent of Gen Z use TikTok as their go-to source of info, and of all users, 76 percent said the app is what inspired them to travel.
But what are the destinations TikTok users are most interested in? In order to find out, travel company Cruise Croatia has looked at the number of TikTok views for 135 of the world’s most populous cities between early March and early July.
By far the most popular city is the Catalan capital of Barcelona, which received over 24 billion views.
Famed for its unique Gaudi-designed buildings like the iconic La Sagrada Familia cathedral, its beachfront location and a world-renowned food and nightlife scene, Barcelona’s popularity comes as no surprise.
The hashtag #barcelonathingstodo is particularly popular among Gen Z users – another unsurprising revelation, given the city hosts big annual festivals such as Primavera, Sonar Festival and San Joan.
New York ranks in second place, with users hunting for tips for the Big Apple from Tiktokkers who live in the city. Paris is third, likely because of the ever-predictable social media sensation that is fashion week. Also, popularity could be attributed to TV shows set in these respective cities — the revival of Gossip Girl and the release of Emily in Paris have likely piqued Gen Z’s interest.
Europe scores very well overall, as five cities occupy the top six spaces. It seems like the Euro Summer trend is here to stay.
Some slightly less expected but worthy mentions are Lima, the so-called ‘culinary capital’ of South America, and Jakarta, which is made up of over 100 islands.
Here are the top 10 most viewed destinations in the world on TikTok.
- Barcelona, Spain (24 billion)
- New York City, USA (18 billion)
- Paris, France (16 billion)
- London, UK (15 billion)
- Istanbul, Turkey (9 billion)
- Madrid, Spain (9 billion)
- Lima, Peru (7 billion)
- Jakarta, Indonesia (5 billion)
- Tokyo, Japan (4 billion)
- Singapore (4 billion)
Did you see that these are officially the prettiest villages in the world?
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