The recent popularity of the Friedrich August mountain refuge in the Dolomites, located at an altitude of 2300 meters above sea level in northeastern Italy, was driven by viral videos of homemade krapfen. Tourists lined up for this donut-like pastry, with some arriving early to guarantee they would get it before it ran out.
However, the viral pastry is only part of a broader trend in travel. What people see while scrolling through feeds on TikTok and Instagram is increasingly reflected in their travel plans—be it hotels, restaurants, cafes, or entire countries.
For some travelers, the decision to travel is made solely because of a place's viral popularity. For example, UAE citizen Sally Al Nuaimi decided to visit Vienna after seeing the city's atmosphere and winter events on TikTok. She told Khaleej Times that the winter activities and atmosphere shown in the video prompted her trip.
Upon arrival, Sally Al Nuaimi found the place even better than online, although she encountered a surprise: 'I was only shocked by the number of people. I didn't expect that at all,' she shared. Instead of dismissing social media recommendations, this experience made her more selective about whom she trusts. Now, she searches for destinations on TikTok before traveling and follows specific travel influencers whose advice is useful to her.
Content creator Maita spent a long time considering one hotel she found online. In 2024, she first learned about the resort in Bali and was attracted by its concept: the hotel rescued horses and other animals, and each room was named after one of them. She told Khaleej Times that she planned her entire trip to Bali around visiting this place.
Nevertheless, the experience exceeded the online images. Maita noted: 'Social media can show you what a place looks like, but it doesn't always convey what it's actually like there.' After speaking with the owner and hearing the hotel's story, she rated it even higher, emphasizing that 'the energy, the people, and the history of the place are things that cannot truly be captured through a screen.'
When Khaleej Times asked social media users whether they were willing to travel to a country just because it became viral, opinions on LinkedIn, X, and TikTok were mixed. Some have already made such trips: TikTok users shared stories of traveling to Poland after seeing many of their friends visit the country. Others chose Thailand for its prices and shopping opportunities, while a third went to Spain for a specific place they saw online.
However, others stated that viral popularity might make them postpone a trip. One X user said they would only go if they liked the place, but they would wait until the trend passed due to crowds of tourists. A similar comment on LinkedIn advised waiting for the hype to subside before visiting. For some people, social media can influence destination choice but not dictate the entire vacation. As one LinkedIn user noted: 'Trends can inspire the choice of a destination, but they don't necessarily have to decide the whole trip.'
From a €4 dessert in the Dolomites to a hotel in Bali that occupied a traveler's thoughts for two years, just a few seconds on screen can introduce people to places they might never have considered.