Portugal and More Nations Turn TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and Other Social Media Into a Powerful New Engine for Travel and Tourism Growth

Written By: Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar

Tuhin Sarkar is a Senior Journalist at Travel and Tour World with more than 10 years of experience in travel and tourism journalism. A post-graduate in Journalism and Mass Communication from Jadavpur University, he combines strong research, industry knowledge and storytelling expertise to produce engaging, insightful and impactful travel news and fascinating feature stories.

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August 28, 2026 17:27 GMT+5:30

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Portugal and more nations are turning TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and other social media into a powerful new engine for travel and tourism growth. The shift is changing destination promotion worldwide.

Portugal and more nations are turning TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and other social media into a powerful new engine for travel and tourism growth. Today, destinations can reach potential visitors through short videos, discussions, creator recommendations and authentic traveller experiences. Moreover, social media allows tourism organisations to respond quickly to changing interests and emerging travel trends. Portugal is part of this wider movement, as nations increasingly use digital storytelling to make destinations visible beyond traditional advertising. As a result, travel discovery is becoming more personal, while tourism promotion is becoming more interactive. Therefore, social media now plays an increasingly important role in global destination marketing.

Portugal and more nations are turning social media into a powerful new engine for travel and tourism growth worldwide. Today, tourism boards actively use creators, video and social platforms to capture attention. Moreover, travel inspiration can begin with a short video, a live broadcast or a traveller’s personal recommendation. Portugal is part of this wider movement, while countries across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas are developing their own digital strategies. As a result, social media is changing how destinations communicate with potential visitors. Instead of simply promoting attractions, tourism organisations can show authentic experiences, local culture and real journeys. Therefore, travel discovery is becoming increasingly visual, personal and interactive.

Tourism boards around the world are using social media to make destinations part of everyday digital conversations, with creators, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, livestreams and local platforms becoming important tools for travel and tourism promotion.

Portugal: Creators can tell destinations through unexpected perspectives

Portugal has experimented with creator-led destination storytelling through projects such as Sketch Tour Portugal. The initiative invited international Urban Sketchers to travel around Portugal and interpret its landscapes, heritage, food, people and less-obvious details through drawings and videos.

The idea shows that creator marketing does not have to mean conventional travel influencers. Artists, writers, photographers, filmmakers and specialists can all become destination storytellers, giving tourism organisations access to niche audiences that may respond strongly to particular creative formats.

Thailand: Creator-powered tourism moves into the spotlight

Thailand is among the clearest examples of how tourism marketing is changing from traditional advertising towards creator-led experiences. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) partnered with TikTok Thailand for TikTok LIVE Community Fest 2026, bringing more than 300 LIVE creators from Southeast Asia, the Caucasus and Central Asia to Bangkok’s historic Song Wat neighbourhood.

The creators explored heritage buildings, local food, shophouses, businesses and the riverside environment, while producing content from their first-hand experiences. This matters because tourism promotion is no longer limited to showing a destination; it is increasingly about allowing audiences to see how a real person experiences travel in that destination.

The TAT describes this approach as Creator-Powered Tourism, linking discovery, inspiration and travel consideration through creator communities. Thailand is therefore using social media not only as an advertising channel, but as a bridge between travel experiences and potential visitors.

Thailand is putting creator-led storytelling at the centre of its tourism strategy, with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and TikTok Thailand bringing more than 300 LIVE creators to Bangkok for TikTok LIVE Community Fest 2026. Song Wat experiences became travel content for international audiences.

Why Song Wat became the focus

The 25 August programme took creators through Song Wat, known for heritage buildings, food and established businesses. Creators from Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, the Caucasus and Central Asia explored the area through tuk-tuk journeys and shophouse visits, giving audiences a direct view of Bangkok travel.

For TAT, the tourism value lies in connecting experience with trusted digital storytelling. Creator content can show how travel feels on the ground and encourage trips.

TAT expands creator-powered tourism

TAT Governor Ms Thapanee Kiatphaibool said travel decisions increasingly begin with what people watch, trust and share online. The partnership places creator voices within Thailand’s tourism marketing approach, allowing first-hand experiences to reach audiences through trusted personalities.

Teams competed for Thailand travel packages worth more than 300,000 baht in total. The programme ended at TRUE ICON HALL, ICONSIAM, with creator and fan activities, five awards and entertainment.

Greece: Authentic stories replace polished destination advertising

Greece is taking a different but closely related approach through its Greece, Unfiltered campaign. The Greek National Tourism Organisation is using TikTok and YouTube creator content to reach audiences in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Sweden and Denmark, with a stated reach target of 19 million users.

The campaign focuses on hidden gems and city-break destinations rather than relying entirely on Greece’s most recognisable island imagery. That gives tourism marketing a broader role, allowing creators to show different sides of Greek travel while helping the country maintain visibility during the spring and summer booking period.

For tourism marketers, the Greek model shows why creator content can be valuable: it gives audiences practical, personal and informal reasons to consider travel. Instead of simply saying that Greece is beautiful, the content can demonstrate what travellers can actually see, eat, explore and experience.

Nepal: Tourism professionals are becoming content creators

Nepal is building its social media strategy from inside the tourism industry. The Nepal Tourism Board and TikTok held a three-day Travel Content Creation Workshop in Kathmandu in June 2026, bringing together tourism professionals, travel creators, trekking guides, mountaineers, tourism entrepreneurs and tourism media representatives.

The programme covered short-form video, audience engagement, digital storytelling and responsible content development. Nepal’s approach is significant because it spreads social media capability across hotels, operators, guides and local tourism businesses instead of leaving destination promotion entirely to a central tourism organisation.

The strategy continued in August, when 35 travel video makers, vloggers and influencers met with Nepal Tourism Board officials to discuss how the country’s tourism story could become wider and more authentic. The emphasis was on showing the real Nepal, including people, culture, hospitality and everyday experiences alongside mountains and heritage.

Maldives: Building an economy around tourism creators

Maldives is pushing the creator model further by developing infrastructure specifically for digital content. Visit Maldives Corporation opened Creatoll, a global content creator platform designed to connect Maldivian and international creators with tourism partners, brands and audiences.

Creatoll allows creators to showcase, license and monetise content based on experiences across the Maldives. The platform also supports the country’s broader effort to make authentic visual storytelling a permanent part of destination marketing rather than treating creator campaigns as occasional promotions.

In June 2026, Visit Maldives launched the This is My Maldives photography competition on Creatoll, inviting people to capture places, people, culture, nature and experiences through their own perspective. The public-voting element adds another social dimension because audiences become participants in deciding which images best represent the destination.

Singapore: Turning a national icon into social entertainment

Singapore is using social media to make destination branding more interactive. Its 2026 campaign with Scoot turns the Merlion into a central character and distributes the campaign through Instagram, RedNote and TikTok, encouraging people to respond to and participate in the story.

This approach reflects an important change in tourism communication: a destination symbol can become entertainment rather than simply an image. Singapore is also showing how tourism campaigns can combine technology with human storytelling, creating content designed to continue across social platforms instead of ending after one advertisement.

The strategy is especially relevant for tourism because younger travellers often discover destinations while consuming entertainment, creator videos and social conversations. The boundary between travel advertising and digital entertainment is therefore becoming increasingly difficult to separate.

New Zealand: Matching social platforms to source markets

New Zealand provides another lesson for tourism organisations: different travellers do not necessarily use the same social platforms. Rather than treating social media as one global channel, destinations can adapt their storytelling to the platforms and habits of individual source markets.

That approach is particularly important in Asian tourism, where platforms such as RedNote, Douyin and Weibo can complement Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. For destination marketers, this means successful travel promotion increasingly requires local platform knowledge, suitable creators and culturally relevant storytelling.

Slovenia: Digital promotion becomes an international tourism system

Slovenia has also invested heavily in digital destination promotion, combining social channels with international campaigns and creator activity. Its approach demonstrates that tourism boards can use social media as part of a wider destination-marketing system rather than treating Instagram or TikTok as isolated communication channels.

The Slovenian model is useful for smaller destinations because social media can help them compete for attention against larger tourism brands. Instead of attempting to match the advertising budgets of major countries, destinations can focus on distinctive experiences, specialist creators and audiences interested in particular forms of travel.

Finland: Social participation supports destination discovery

Finland is another European example where tourism promotion increasingly connects social media with participation. Campaigns using Instagram and TikTok can turn travel inspiration into an interactive experience, particularly when visitors are encouraged to share their own interpretation of Finnish destinations.

That model is valuable for tourism because user participation creates a continuing stream of destination content. A tourism board may launch the initial campaign, but travellers and creators can extend the story through their own posts, videos and recommendations.

Australia: User-generated content keeps the destination visible

Australia has long used digital storytelling and social media to promote travel across its states and territories. Its destination marketing strategy demonstrates the importance of maintaining a consistent visual identity while allowing travellers and creators to contribute their own images and experiences.

The Australian approach is particularly relevant to large countries, where tourism promotion must showcase very different landscapes, cities, wildlife, food and regional experiences. Social media allows those stories to be presented repeatedly to different audiences instead of relying on a single national tourism advertisement.

Why social media now matters so much to tourism

The common thread across these countries is simple: travel discovery is becoming more social, visual and personal. A traveller can encounter a destination while watching a TikTok LIVE, scrolling through Instagram, searching RedNote or viewing a YouTube travel story, long before visiting an official tourism website.

That changes the job of tourism organisations. They still need strong destination brands, accurate information and professional campaigns, but they also need creators who can translate a place into stories that feel credible, useful and emotionally relevant.

The strongest tourism strategies are therefore combining several elements:

• Creators who already have audience trust.
• Short-form video for rapid destination discovery.
• Long-form video for deeper travel planning.
• UGC that gives destinations a human voice.
• Local platforms for specific international markets.
• Livestreaming that allows audiences to experience destinations in real time.
• Interactive campaigns that turn viewers into participants.

“Social media has changed the way travel and tourism destinations compete for global attention. Countries are no longer relying only on traditional advertising; they are inviting creators, travellers and local communities to tell destination stories in real time. This is a positive development because authentic content can show the culture, people, food and experiences behind a destination brand. Thailand, Nepal, Greece and Maldives demonstrate how tourism organisations are building stronger connections between digital discovery and real travel decisions. For the global tourism industry, this trend creates new opportunities for destinations, businesses and creators to work together while giving travellers more personal and meaningful reasons to explore the world.” says Anup Kumar Keshan, Editor-in-Chief, Travel And Tour World

What countries are learning from the social-media shift

The evidence points to a clear direction for international tourism marketing. Countries that understand social media as a destination experience, rather than simply another advertising space, can build stronger relationships with travellers.

The most effective campaigns are also becoming more market-specific. A campaign aimed at British travellers may require a different creator, platform and message from one targeting India, China, Southeast Asia or continental Europe.

That means tourism boards need to measure more than views. They should examine engagement, searches, website traffic, booking intent, creator performance, audience quality and the ability of social content to move people from inspiration towards actual travel.

Portugal and more nations are turning TikTok, Instagram, Reddit and other social media into a powerful engine for travel and tourism growth. The change gives destinations new ways to present attractions, culture, food, nature and local experiences directly to potential visitors. Meanwhile, travellers can influence tourism conversations by sharing reviews, photographs, videos and recommendations. Consequently, social platforms increasingly connect inspiration with trip planning. Portugal’s role reflects a wider international movement, as tourism organisations seek stronger digital visibility and more authentic engagement. As social media continues shaping travel decisions, destinations that communicate consistently, creatively and credibly can gain attention and encourage future tourism demand worldwide.

The cause is clear: travellers now encounter travel ideas through social platforms throughout their daily lives, making digital discovery an important part of the tourism decision-making process. The answer is for destinations to create credible, useful and visually engaging content with creators, communities and tourism businesses rather than relying solely on conventional advertising. The reason is equally practical: authentic stories can demonstrate what a destination actually feels like, while market-specific platforms can reach audiences in environments they already understand and trust. Countries such as Thailand, Greece, Nepal and Maldives are showing how tourism organisations can connect social discovery with destination experiences, giving travel brands new ways to attract attention, build interest and encourage future visits.

Social media has become a central part of modern travel and tourism promotion, with countries using creators, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, livestreaming and specialist platforms to influence destination discovery. Thailand is bringing hundreds of creators into real tourism experiences, Greece is using creator content to promote wider destination choices, Nepal is training its tourism community, and Maldives is building a dedicated creator marketplace. These examples show that tourism marketing is moving towards participation, authenticity and audience-specific storytelling. The strongest campaigns do not simply tell travellers where to go; they show what travel can feel like, who they can meet, what they can experience and why a destination deserves a place on their next journey.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are countries using social media for tourism promotion?

Countries use social media because travellers increasingly discover destinations through videos, creators, recommendations and online communities. It allows tourism organisations to communicate experiences quickly and directly while reaching specific audiences.

Which social platforms are most important for tourism?

Instagram, TikTok and YouTube are major global channels, while platforms such as RedNote, Douyin and Weibo can be especially important for Chinese audiences. The best platform depends on the target travel market and the type of content being promoted.

Why are tourism boards working with creators?

Creators already have established audiences and personal credibility. Their travel stories can make a destination feel more accessible and practical than a conventional advertisement.

Is influencer marketing replacing traditional tourism advertising?

Not completely. The strongest tourism strategies combine destination branding, paid advertising, public relations, social media, creators, official websites and travel trade activity rather than depending on one channel.

Which countries are leading creator-based tourism promotion?

Thailand, Greece, Nepal and Maldives currently provide particularly strong examples, although many other countries across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas are adopting similar methods.

What does this mean for the future of tourism?

Tourism promotion is likely to become increasingly creator-led, platform-specific and interactive. Destinations that can combine authentic storytelling with reliable travel information will be better positioned to turn social-media attention into real-world travel demand.