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Kiwi Experience is turning to social-first storytelling for its biggest annual sale, launching a TikTok and Instagram-led campaign designed to reflect how younger travellers increasingly discover and book travel.
The campaign, titled The Heist, will run from June 23-25, 2026 and offers 30 per cent off all Kiwi Experience tours for 72 hours.
The promotion is built around a fictional takeover of the business while general manager Lucy Haslam is away, with Kiwi Experience’s marketing team “putting the company on sale” before she returns. The campaign will play out across Instagram and TikTok through mock news reports, behind-the-scenes footage and CCTV-style clips.
Kiwi Experience marketing manager Shelly Reilly says the concept was shaped by the changing way youth travellers engage with brands.
“When Kiwi Experience first began taking travellers around New Zealand in 1989, marketing to the youth travel market looked very different,” Shelly says.
“Today, social media is playing an increasingly influential role in the travel booking journey. We’re seeing young travellers discover destinations, experiences and brands through Instagram Reels, TikTok videos and creator content, often long before they visit a website or speak to a travel agent.”
Kiwi Experience says the campaign reflects a broader shift towards short-form video and platform-native storytelling as travel brands compete for the attention of younger audiences.
Citing Skyscanner research, the company says 59 per cent of Gen Z travellers in the UK use TikTok for travel inspiration, while 51 per cent use Instagram.
Shelly says the core motivations behind youth travel have remained consistent, even as the channels used to reach those travellers have changed.
“Young travellers have always wanted adventure, connection and memorable experiences. What’s changed is how they discover those experiences and the types of content that inspire them to take action,” Shelly says.
