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Hannah Bennet, TikTok’s head of Travel, sat down with the Mirror at the World Travel Market in the London Excel at the beginning of November to offer advice on how to become a TikTok travel video creator
It is a question as old as time – how best to become a successful TikTok travel creator?
There are many good reasons why you may want to spend your days entertaining millions of followers with videos of infinity pools, stretches of the African Savannah and you trying out unusual street food. TikTok has an enormous reach and has a knack for helping video creators find their audience. If you make that reach stretch far enough, then there’s a very good chance travel firms will foot your holiday bill and give you the opportunity to visit some of the world’s most amazing areas. What is not to like?
Becoming a TikTok travel star is easier said than done, however.
Hannah Bennet, TikTok’s head of Travel, sat down with the Mirror at the World Travel Market in the London Excel at the beginning of November to offer her advice on how to find your audience and make it big on the video app.
Her first piece of advice? Find your people.
TikTok has over 1 billion monthly active users and has been downloaded over 2.6 billion times worldwide. It is the fifth most popular social media platform in the world. Around a fifth of those users have a folder where they save travel videos in particular, meaning the market for travel content is huge. It also means if you have a specialism or niche, probably there’ll be people out there who share it.
“You don’t have just to travel. You can tap into a community that also happens to travel, whether that’s food or parenting or whatever. It is about being able to speak to different communities on TikTok,” Hannah explained.
“There are so many different communities or TikTok. It is about being authentic to that. If you’re a solo traveller, own that. Travel is so vast, you want to almost relate to an area where you can have a natural conversation.”
Hannah admits that there is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing a theme for content that resonates with viewers. The main rule is ‘don’t make it boring.’ There is no exact science,” Hannah said, “provided your content is entertaining. “
When it comes to how long your videos should be and what style you should go for, Hannah recommends the ‘test and learn approach’. In a nutshell, that means keeping a watchful eye on how your videos are performing, how long they are, and not being afraid to tweak things.
“Finding your groove at first can take a little bit of time. Is it you talking to the camera or reviews of restaurants? What works, and what is the audience engaging with?”
Hannah was also keen to dispel the idea that TikTok rewards low-quality content. “People think TikTok content can be rough and ready. To an extent, yes. You might film it on your phone, but it has to be that quality. It has to be high-resolution, and people have to understand what you’re saying. It can take a little bit of time to create entertaining and engaging content. I’d suggest focusing on that rather than churning it out.”
If you’re not quite inspired enough to lay the first brick in what could soon become a TikTok travel empire, then Hannah suggested the following channel as great examples of creators who have found their audience, and who may get your creative juices flowing.
Hand Luggage Only – @handluggageonly (1.2m followers, 50m likes) Hand Luggage Only’s TikTok page offers a blend of travel stories, photography, and food experiences from around the world. Yaya and Lloyd share travel planning advice and updates on their adventures, including destination guides, surprising luxury travel locations and culinary insights.
Kelly Prince-Wright – @kellyprincewright (587k followers, 17.1m followers) Kelly Prince-Wright shares her adventures exploring enchanting destinations across the UK and beyond. She uses TikTok to highlight picturesque locations, luxury accommodations, and immersive experiences that inspire the TikTok community to discover stunning new places.
Live The Dash – @live_thedash (457k followers, 21.5m likes)
Ryan and Jade are budget travelers who explore unexpected places in unique and spontaneous ways. Their content showcases adventures like searching for one dollar pizzas in NYC, exploring quirky hotels and uncovering the cheapest ways to travel around the world.
Kelsey In London – @KelseyinLondon (351k followers, 18.5m likes)
Kelsey is a creator and photographer who brings humour, honesty, and confidence to her TikTok followers. Described as the internet’s older sister, she showcases unique destinations, hotels, and restaurants.
Travelling Tuesdays – @TravellingTuesdays (240k followers – 18.8m likes) Abena shares her solo adventures and travel tips with her following of aspiring solo travellers. She offers insights into budget-friendly travel, hidden gems, and practical advice for solo travellers, particularly women.
