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Social media is even influencing our travel ideas and spending

Published 2 months ago1 minute read

Tea Leaves

The clock is ticking for TikTok as tourists' behavior deteriorates

tiktok train street.jpg

Hanoi's "train street" is a popular destination for social media-savvy tourists. (Photo by Tomoya Onishi)

January 22, 2025 08:00 JST

On a recent trip to Hanoi, I saw my Gen Z sister constantly scrolling through TikTok to find cafes, museums and thrift stores, including tips on how to visit the "train street" in the city's Old Quarter -- one of two streets in the capital where trains travel along narrow tracks between shops and cafes.

In Bangkok, she walked through the aisles of 7-Eleven stores, picking up items she had seen on TikTok. My sister is not alone. During a trip to Japan, TikTok sent me to Don Quijote, a discount store that sells everything from cheap T-shirts to hundreds of brands of skincare, luggage and hair dryers.

Origin:
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Nikkei Asia
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