You can now use TikTok to book hotels — and creators could score a payday
TikTok has launched an integration with Booking.com that lets users enter check-in and check-out dates and book available rooms at specific hotels. Each hotel has a dedicated landing page with information about prices, amenities, reviews, things to do nearby, and related TikTok videos about the property. Users can also tag the hotel in videos, according to several posts viewed by Business Insider.
The company is separately rolling out a creator monetization program in the US called TikTok Go that lets local merchants like hotels pay creators a commission or offer vouchers for promoting their business. Influencers must have at least 1,000 followers, be at least 18 years old, and have an account in good standing to qualify.
A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the company is testing a new feature that lets some US travelers book hotel accommodations through the app, and that its TikTok Go program recently expanded to the country. A spokesperson for Booking.com declined to comment.
Creators in the TikTok Go program who want to receive commissions or voucher offers can set their location and view a list of tasks, like posting a video, from hotels or other venues like restaurants. They can then earn a commission if they drive a sale. The company last year filed a US trademark application for "TikTok Go" with a potential use case of "promoting restaurants, retail businesses, the travel industry, and other online and offline businesses," Semafor earlier reported.
The arrival of hotel bookings on TikTok taps into the company's broader push to drive e-commerce activity in its app. TikTok has invested heavily in its shopping tool, TikTok Shop, and it's built a variety of Yelp-style products for local businesses. The company leans heavily on influencers to help promote products in videos in exchange for a commission on sales.
TikTok Go could open a new revenue stream for travel influencers on the app, though commissions for expensive purchases like a hotel stay may come up less often compared to cheaper TikTok Shop items like hairbrushes, t-shirts, and candy.
"I think the program's cool," travel creator Amanda Dishman, who runs a family blog called Salty Vagabonds and gained access to TikTok Go this week, told Business Insider. "The barrier to entry into being able to make commission, they just slashed that in half and really made it accessible to a lot more people," she said.
As TikTok has emerged as a popular search tool among Gen Z users, the company has built out a "Places" tab for users to discover new destinations and activities. Users can also leave reviews and earn badges for being a "local explorer."
The company earlier set up features to help users book concert and movie tickets from videos via Ticketmaster, Fandango, and other providers.
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