TikTok is rapidly becoming a powerful tool in the consumer landscape. With more than 400 million users across Southeast Asia and nearly 29 million monthly users in Malaysia alone, TikTok’s reach is immense.
At the recent ASEAN Tourism Conference 2025, Amelia Peng I-Mei, head of brand partnerships Malaysia for TikTok, shared insights into the platform's growing influence in the travel sector, especially how travel agents can leverage TikTok for their own business success.
Peng shared that 9 out of 10 digital users in Malaysia are on TikTok, and users spend an average of 110 minutes daily on the platform — almost the length of a Korean drama series. This makes TikTok an essential tool for travel businesses looking to engage consumers, boost visibility, and drive sales.
TikTok’s impact on consumer behaviour
TikTok’s ability to move at the speed of culture, combined with its user-driven content, has transformed the way people plan their trips, according to Peng, who highlighted several key points about how TikTok is shaping travel planning and consumer behavior:
Influence: 61% of TikTok users discover new brands and products on the platform, making it an ideal channel for travel agents to showcase unique offerings.
Engagement: After discovering travel content on TikTok, 45% of users continue searching for more information, which opens up opportunities for agents to nurture leads and convert interest into bookings.
ROI: According to Kantar, TikTok campaigns in Southeast Asia drive two times more return on ad spend (ROAS) than average media campaigns, showing the platform’s effectiveness in driving business outcomes.
How TikTok encourages travel planning
One of the most exciting aspects of TikTok is how it influences users before they even start booking their trips. Peng explained how TikTok’s highly personalised content can inspire spontaneous decisions to visit new destinations, often without users realising it. This is particularly true for travel content, where users may see a destination they hadn’t planned to visit and change their plans accordingly.
Discovering new destinations: 75% of TikTok users discover new travel destinations on the platform.
Researching activities: 74% of users conduct research on activities and attractions at the destination after seeing related content on TikTok.
Booking intent: 3 in 5 TikTok users have changed their plans based on suggestions seen on the platform, showing how effective TikTok is in prompting users to book travel products and services.
Content strategy for travel agents
To effectively harness TikTok, travel agents should focus on creating content that resonates with the platform's users. TikTok thrives on authenticity, relatability, and creativity. Here are some ways for creating impactful travel content:
Create value: Content should be culturally relevant and tailored to the interests of your target audience. Whether it’s showcasing hidden gems in popular destinations or offering unique travel experiences, content that provides real value is more likely to resonate with viewers.
Embrace trends: Leverage trending audio, challenges, and hashtags to increase visibility and engagement. By tapping into the latest trends, travel agents can boost the discoverability of their posts.
Iterate and refresh: TikTok users are drawn to fresh, up-to-date content. Regularly updating your videos with new ideas and angles ensures that your content stays relevant and engaging.
TikTok's features to enhance content creation
Peng mentioned the TikTok Symphony, an AI-powered suite designed to streamline content creation, from scriptwriting to video production. This tool enables businesses to produce content at scale, helping agents stay ahead of the competition.
Creative centre: Access trends, inspiration, and insights to help generate ideas and improve content.
Creator marketplace: Collaborate with nearly 2 million creators worldwide to amplify your content and expand reach.
Symphony Assistant: An AI-driven tool that generates scripts and storyboards in seconds, making content creation easier and more efficient.