Tourists’ Perceptions of Using TikTok as a Source of Information When Choosing Culinary Tourism Experiences in Bandung

This study explores tourists’ perceptions of TikTok as an information source when choosing culinary destinations in Bandung. Ten purposively selected participants completed semi-structured interviews, analyzed thematically with NVivo 15. Participants associated visuals and trends with initial interest, while practical details, creator credibility, and user feedback informed destination evaluation. Participants varied in how they compared venues and verified information; virality alone did not consistently determine choices. These context-specific accounts suggest that accurate culinary details and balanced reviews support informed evaluation, without establishing causal effects or a universal sequence of tourist decision making.