Adventure tourism is on a meteoric rise, with the global market set to grow from $406.12 billion in 2024 to a staggering $1 trillion by 2030. But here’s the thing: the way people choose their adventures has radically changed.
Gone are the days of dusty brochures and glossy ads—today, 71% of European travelers are booking their next getaway based on inspiration from TikTok. Yes, TikTok. The platform isn't just for viral dances—it's now a travel agent.
What’s fueling this shift? It’s simple: authenticity. Audiences are tired of polished, cookie-cutter ads. They crave the raw, relatable experiences that come with real people sharing their stories. Add in the magic of influencer partnerships and interactive features like TikTok's Countdown Stickers and Instagram Q&A, and you’ve got the recipe for a winning campaign.
Hideout Festival nailed this with their TikTok strategy, achieving 13 million views, 62% of ticket sales, and a 33% lower CPA than other platforms. Intrigued?
Keep reading to discover the secrets behind this campaign and how you can leverage TikTok and Instagram for your own adventure tourism brand!
- 1. Harnessing FOMO and TikTok’s Power to Drive Event Ticket Sales
- 2. Targeting Custom Audiences with Fun, Shareable Content to Drive Engagement
- 3. Use Influencer Partnerships to Showcase Real Adventure Experiences
- 4. Promoting Ecotourism Through Influencer-Led Campaigns Focused on Slow Travel
- 5. Building Global Brand Awareness for Wellness Retreats with Targeted Social Media Campaigns
- Elevate Your Adventure & Experience Tourism Marketing Strategy
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Harnessing FOMO and TikTok’s Power to Drive Event Ticket Sales
When it comes to adventure tourism and festivals, FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is your best friend. You don’t just want people to attend your event—you want them to feel like they can’t live without it. And there’s no better platform for creating FOMO than TikTok. The platform is built for viral content, engagement, and real-time buzz, making it the perfect space to showcase your event in a way that grabs attention and encourages action.
The key to success lies in the way you create and share content. Forget overly polished, corporate videos. TikTok thrives on authentic content that feels real, relatable, and native to the platform.
Your audience wants to feel like they’re getting an insider look—the raw excitement, the buzz of the crowd, the behind-the-scenes moments they can’t get anywhere else. Use this to your advantage by capturing the authentic atmosphere of your event and showcasing it in a way that makes your followers long for the experience.
Another key aspect? Creator partnerships. Partnering with the right influencers, especially those who are known for their adventure-filled lifestyles, can help amplify your reach and increase trust in your brand. Influencers aren’t just promoting your event—they’re living it. They’re the ones who make their audience feel like they’re part of the action, not just spectators.
Take Hideout Festival as an example. They took TikTok by storm with their FOMO-driven content for their marketing campaign. Partnering with Mustard Media, they shifted from traditional marketing strategies and fully embraced TikTok’s short-form video format to show the excitement and energy of the festival. Their approach wasn’t about selling tickets directly; it was about showing the experience—the fun, the music, the vibrant festival life.
By using Spark Ads to boost content, Hideout Festival strategically tapped into TikTok’s viral trends and used them to showcase the festival from the moment you convince your mates to go all the way to the build-up to the big event. The use of Countdown Stickers, Lead Generation Forms, and creator partnerships created a sense of urgency and excitement. FOMO was in full swing, and it was impossible to resist.
@hideoutfestivalHideout 2025 Boat parties are out! Link in bio ⚓️♬ original sound - Hideout Festival
Results & Analysis
The results? 13 million views, 120,000 clicks, and an impressive 33% lower CPA than other platforms. TikTok was not just another channel for them; it was where they achieved 62% of their ticket sales.
Key Takeaway
Want to sell more tickets for your event? Leverage TikTok’s power of FOMO by sharing authentic, behind-the-scenes content. Use creator partnerships and engagement tools like Countdown Stickers to amplify your reach and encourage immediate action. When your audience feels like they’re missing out on something incredible, they’ll be lining up to buy tickets.
2. Targeting Custom Audiences with Fun, Shareable Content to Drive Engagement
In adventure tourism, reaching the right audience is everything. Sure, you can create great content, but it’s useless if it doesn’t reach the people who are actually interested in your experiences. That’s where Spark Ads on TikTok come into play. This tool allows you to amplify native content and target specific audiences in ways that feel natural and engaging, rather than forced or promotional.
The goal isn’t just visibility; it’s about creating connections that inspire action.
Here’s the strategy: start with fun, trendy videos that your audience wants to engage with. The best way to do this? Focus on shareable content that showcases the adventure experience in a way that gets people excited and makes them want to be part of it. Show them immersive experiences—the type of content that gives them a taste of what it’s like to live out their own adventure.
Once you have your engaging, fun content, use Spark Ads to increase your reach and target the right audience. Custom audience targeting allows you to zero in on people who are most likely to convert, making every dollar you spend on ads count.
Vee Sightseeing did exactly this to promote their app and drive conversions for adventure seekers in Spain. By using Spark Ads to amplify their authentic, in-house created content, Vee Sightseeing captured the attention of young adventurers looking for something fun and new to do.