The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday voted to uphold a federal law that will ban TikTok beginning Sunday unless Chinese parent company ByteDance sells the social media app.
A ban would be a blow for travel advisors who have credited TikTok for kickstarting their businesses. Even well-established tour companies like Intrepid Travel and G Adventures use the platform to showcase their product and connect with potential clients. More than one-third of respondents to Travel Weekly’s 2024 Travel Industry Survey who are 45 years old or younger said they use the app to communicate with clients.
Countdown Travels owner Susie Flores, known as Cruisin’ Susie on TikTok, used the platform to launch her business after she became a travel advisor in 2020. She credits her business success to the app, which has led to an estimated 85% of her leads.
“It’s the new Yellow Pages,” she said. “I wouldn’t be where I am without TikTok.”
Speaking with Travel Weekly on Friday after the Supreme Court ruling, Flores tearfully shared her fears. Her 8,100 Instagram followers pale in comparison to her 97,2000 TikTok followers. As a single mother of three, Flores said failing is not an option.
“I don’t want to be TikTok famous. I want to make a living,” she said, adding that she will continue to post on TikTok until the app is no longer functional.
TikTok will still be accessible for the estimated 150 million Americans who use the platform and have it downloaded.
Come Sunday, the ban would prevent new users from downloading the app and would not allow updates to the platform.
Flores, who is Mexican-American, said she plans to pursue more Latin American clients and hire someone bilingual to best serve them. Three independent contractors already work for her agency, and she shares leads with them. Flores worries how the change to her business model will impact them.
While TikTok is an important source for new clients, Flores said she has reached a point where much of her business comes from repeat clients and referrals. Still, she worries the app’s ban could hurt her business.
Walter Biscardi Jr. launched Where’s Walter Travel in 2022 and said he has compiled $4.7 million in sales since then. He estimates that 75% to 80% of the total was sourced through his TikTok channel, which has 24,600 followers.
Biscardi’s background is in television, film and marketing, and becoming an advisor was a new chapter in his professional life. His approach to sharing content on the platform is to create videos with useful information rather than trying to sell trips.
Flores also credits that approach for her success.
Biscardi said he plans to shift to YouTube. Flores said she will focus on other social media apps, like Instagram.
“Change happens,” Biscardi said. “It’s out of our control. … It’s a dumb decision, but there’s nothing we can do. So what’s your next move? That’s what everyone should be thinking about. … This really should be a wakeup call to everybody to know that nothing is permanent.”
@cruisinsusie This doesn’t seem real, but in case it does happen, please go follow me on I G. I need this to continue in order to continue providing for my kids and of course for the love of cruise travel. 🙏🏼❤️ Link is in my bio.
Ahead of the Supreme Court decision, Flores posted a heartfelt video to her 97,200 followers about the way TikTok transformed her life and encouraged her followers to engage with her Instagram page.
“This app has changed my life. It has provided me with a source of income because I’m able to share my love for cruise travel through TikTok and now it’s going away,” she said in the video. “How can we continue this? I don’t want to stop.”
The app has been transformational for large companies, as well. Intrepid Travel, which has 124,500 followers on TikTok, said the app has given the company a platform to elevate “raw, authentic travel stories.”
Intrepid said about 40% of the company’s total engagement rate on social media comes from TikTok.
“TikTok isn’t just another marketing tool — it’s where authentic stories meet real travelers,” Leigh Barnes, Intrepid’s president for the Americas, said in a statement. “For Intrepid, it’s helped us reach a new audience that cares about sustainability, local communities and getting off the beaten path.”
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