What Is It?
In August 2025, TikTok launched its new affiliate program called TikTok Go in partnership with Booking.com. The idea is simple but powerful: creators with at least 1,000 followers can tag hotels, restaurants, or local experiences in their TikTok videos. When viewers engage with or book through those tags, the creator earns commissions or vouchers.
For hospitality brands, TikTok Go opens up a performance-based marketing channel. Rather than paying upfront for influencer campaigns, hotels can reach audiences through creator content and pay only when actions happen. Users in the U.S., Japan, and Indonesia already have access to in-app hotel booking via Booking.com, meaning the platform is turning discovery into real reservations.
In practice, a creator posts a stay or experience at a hotel, adds the hotel tag, and perhaps a booking link. A viewer watches, taps the property page inside TikTok, picks dates, and pays without leaving the app. The hotel, creator, and TikTok each play a role in this new funnel.
Why Is It Cool?
- Turns content into measurable bookings
Every tagged video has real potential; not just likes and comments, but actual stays. That means hotels can directly trace social media content back to revenue.
- Reaches experience-driven generations
With TikTok’s user base skewing younger (Gen Z and Millennials), hotels can tap into travelers who consume visually, seek authenticity and book spontaneously.
- Lets micro-influencers drive real value
Creators with smaller followings gain access to campaigns with clear rewards. For hotels it opens the floodgates to many voices rather than just a few big names.
- Blurs the line between inspiration and conversion
Rather than seeing a travel video and later researching, users can act in the moment. TikTok Go condenses the guest journey into one platform.
Why Does It Have Future Growth Potential?
- Performance marketing over branding alone
Hotels only pay when bookings happen, so the value proposition is strong. This shifts marketing from guesswork to data-driven strategy.
- Scalable creator ecosystem
Because you don’t need mega-influencers to participate, the model can scale across destinations, brands and niches.
- New loyalty loops
Creators drive bookings, guests share their stays, and content inspires more travelers. A loop of visibility, trust, and conversion begins to form.
- Aligned with travel decision trends
Travel inspiration increasingly happens on social platforms. With TikTok Go, the discovery-to-booking gap shrinks significantly.
Resourced Links:
https://www.tiktok.com/en/trending/detail/tiktok-go-program-reaction
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-launches-affiliate-marketing-program-tiktok-go/757266
Carl Rohde