Travel booking platform Klook has launched its Klook Kreator program, a fresh approach to influencer marketing that leverages the collective power of micro and nano influencers with niche audiences.

The brand described the program as an industry-first influencer affiliate program with social media at its core, aiming to reshape the influencer marketing landscape in the travel industry, traditionally dominated by mega influencers.

According to a recent Klook Travel Pulse survey, social media is the top inspiration tool for Gen Z travellers, Klook's Director of Oceania Marketing, Diana Vidovic, noted.

"Today, Gen Z travellers instinctively look to social media for authentic, informative, bite-sized content. A recent Klook Travel Pulse survey revealed that social media is the top inspiration tool for Gen Z travellers, with more than half using social platforms to discover new destinations and experiences instead of using search engines and traditional travel guides," she said.

The Klook Kreator program is a community of niche content makers who earn money while they travel by sharing their Klook experiences with their followers. To be eligible to join the program, creators are required to have a minimum of 1,000 followers on their social media channels. Each Klook Kreator is issued with a unique code which their followers can use to unlock a discount on the experiences they share, while the Klook Kreators themselves receive a commission for each sale using the code.

Per Vidovic: "The program helps to democratise the influencer marketing landscape in the travel industry, which has long been skewed toward mega influencers. While mega influencers have a high following, they often have lower engagement among less targeted audiences, which can sometimes prove challenging when seeking ROI for marketing investment."

Andrew Levins, a Klook Kreator, said his audience doesn't engage as well with sponsored posts as they do regular content. "But using my Klook Kreator code allows me to make a video that appeals to my audience first and foremost, that also allows me to make a little money from said video," he said.

"I can make a video about a place that hasn't been focused on before and provide a place to buy a ticket, as well as a Kreator Code that both my audience and I can benefit from."

Klook, founded in 2014 by Ethan Lin, Eric Gnock Fah, and Bernie Xiong, is a global travel and experiences company dedicated to improving how travellers book their trips. With the launch of the Klook Kreator program, the company aims to grow its network of Klook Kreators and reach more relevant audiences with experiences that interest them.