Turning Places into Playlists: TikTok’s Secret Sauce for Destination Marketing
What Japan, Toronto, Turin and Georgia show us about powerful storytelling on TikTok.
You’re reading Talking Places - a newsletter about how places talk, trend and grow.
I’m Kevin, Freelance Writer & Partnerships Manager based in Tokyo.
Today, we take a look at how Japan, Toronto, Turin, and Georgia are embracing TikTok to tell powerful stories.
Turning Places into Playlists: TikTok’s Secret Sauce for Destination Marketing
Have you noticed? The world’s most exciting destinations no longer pitch themselves as just dream vacations. They’re being remixed into living playlists on TikTok. Think of it as Spotify for travel: instead of songs, you discover street food hotspots, midnight markets, sunrise temples. All in quick, bingeable videos. Now you scroll, save, and share whatever fits your personal travel vibe, building a bespoke mixtape for your next trip.
The secret sauce behind these trending places isn’t glossy drone shots. It’s the freedom for both locals and visitors to capture authentic moments that makes people curious.
Here’s how creative destinations are letting TikTok users become both the storytellers and the audience all at once.
1. Japan: Turning Food into Shareable Fantasies
What worked:
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) in collaboration with Travel Marketing Agency Anorak didn’t rehash cherry blossom shots. Instead, they sent authentic foodie creators like Katie Cung to explore Tokyo’s street eats and Kyoto’s hidden gems crafting “culinary fantasy come to life.” Content was rich in local context, made for TikTok, Instagram and YouTube and told as a personal adventure.
Results:
1.9 million reach, 8% engagement, over 153 pieces of content, 56,000+ direct audience engagements from food-focused content alone.
What to steal:
Pair with micro-creators for niche stories (street food, spiritual havens), let them deep dive, and make the story hyper-personal.
More Details ↗
2. Toronto: The Power of Choice and Interactivity
What worked:
Toronto’s “You Gotta See What We See” campaign went interactive: TikTok Story Selection Ads let viewers choose what to discover (Dining, Arts, or Adventure). In partnership with Destination Ontario and Air Canada, the campaign set out to spark curiosity and boost travel consideration for Toronto. Leveraging TikTok’s interactive tools, including “Story Selection” ads, viewers were invited to shape their journey by choosing between themes like Dining, Arts or Adventure in Toronto.
Results:
296% click-through rate (CTR) above industry average, 44% more impressions than forecast, 3.4 million unique users reached.
What to steal:
Use TikTok’s interactive tools let users pick their journey. It transforms passive viewers into active participants, massively boosting engagement.
3. Turin: Winning with Authentic, Everyday Micro-Stories
What worked:
Turin, Italy’s tourism office didn’t need big budgets. Instead, they teamed up with local creators like @FoodFede, served up street markets and daily scenes, and promoted “curious content” about real life in Turin.
Results:
<0.2€ CPM (!), 94% of new followers coming directly via campaigns, all on a budget <10,000€.
What to steal:
Breathe with the city’s actual rhythm. Lean into micro-influencers, celebrate daily moments, and don’t overproduce—realness wins.
4. Georgia: 🇬🇪 Food Culture as Viral Currency
What worked:
Georgia isn’t running fancy campaigns. They just encouraging travelers to share. Viral TikToks show off khachapuri-making, wine country, and the “diets don’t exist here, and I love it” vibe. The openness, joy, and tradition make the country sticky and craveable.
Results:
Some posts rack up 100,000+ likes. Hashtags like #georgia saturate foodie TikTok.
What to steal:
If your culinary or winemaking tradition is unbeatable, let it speak for itself! Create space for visitors AND locals to post unfiltered.
What All These Places Teach Us
Authenticity beats polish always.
Invite participation; don’t dictate the story.
Specificity and “insider” content outperform travel clichés.
Micro-influencers (not celebrity influencers) often drive real engagement.
Interactive tools create memorable, personalized journeys.
Lean into local quirks: markets, food origins, daily habits, community leaders.
5 Quick Moves For Your Destination’s TikTok
Launch a UGC challenge for local secrets
Partner with foodie creators who can show stories behind the plate, not just the food
Use TikTok’s Story Selection or Branded Missions to make your campaign interactive
Go micro- and local: commission creators with daily access, not tourist access
Embrace “strange” and authentic traditions: explain, contextualize, and celebrate them
Where Next?
With TikTok moving toward geotagged experiences, direct bookings, and smart itineraries, the line between “seeing” and “booking” is blurring. The destinations that will win? Those that show up, openly, with their quirks, their kitchens, and their community.
Sources / Further reading:
How TikTok Is Transforming the Tourism Industry in 2025 – WTFI
Winning TikTok & Instagram Marketing Strategies for Destination Marketing – InfluencerMarketingHub
Want a deep-dive, see a trend you think I missed, or have a place for me to cover? → Hit reply.
Thanks for reading :)