ISLAMABAD: Travel, food, and fitness dominated TikTok searches in 2025, highlighting its growing use as a discovery tool, according to the social media platform.

Searches linked to #TravelTok increased by 53 per cent, while #FoodTok rose by 52pc, #StudyTok searches were up 60pc and #FitnessTok recorded the largest jump, growing 66pc compared to 2024, the company said in its annual report.

“TikTok Search has become an essential part of daily life in Pakistan,” said Umais Naveed, TikTok South Asia content operations lead, in a statement. The platform has said that travel queries from Islamabad to Altit Fort Hunza show a growing trend for exploring Pakistan’s landscapes and landmarks.

In a statement, TikTok said people searched the social media application to explore destinations, to catch up on moments as they happen, and to find quick, relatable guidance through creators who speak their language and understand local contexts. Notable search trends on TikTok by Pakistanis in 2025 included product reviews, software, mehndi designs and AI prompts.

The top searched words on TikTok in Pakistan in 2025, in terms of places, were: Islamabad, Altit Fort Hunza, Chenab River, Lahore and Karachi. The most searched news and moments were: Babar Azam 100 century, Pakistan v South Africa, Pakistan v India, ‘Nadia Meri Soni Sawani’, and floods.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025