Travel Marketing Trends for 2020: By the Numbers

There’s a lot of merit in the adage “numbers don’t lie”. Examining marketing data and statistics can be a valuable way to work out which trends to incorporate into your marketing strategy.

With a new year approaching, it’s time for travel marketers to discover the top five trends we believe travel brands should focus on in 2020, backed by the numbers.

1. Mobile-First

“66% of millennials book their trip using a smartphone. 74% use it to research.” - Condor Ferries

With smartphones so deeply ingrained in our lives, it’s no surprise they are fast-becoming the top tool used in the holiday research and booking phases of the customer journey.

To exceed customer expectations, travel brands must ensure their websites are mobile-friendly, as well as considering and enhancing the customer experience provided by their mobile app offerings.

2. Personalisation

“92% of leisure travellers are “overwhelmed” by the options presented during the trip booking process, to the point where more than half say they would pay extra for a personalised itinerary.“- American Express Travel

As technology allows for more customer data to be collected, analysed and used by businesses to better connect with their customers, this is fast becoming the norm.

Creating personalised offerings is essential to add value and differentiate. Furthermore, a recent study has shown how it can increase the value of bookings for travel companies.

3. Enhanced Reality

“13% of people who experience a VR holiday go on to book a trip or get in touch with lodging or transportation companies.” - YouVisit

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality have captured the imagination of armchair travellers and travel enthusiasts over the last few years. In 2020, these technologies are poised to become more mainstream.

To enhance the in-store experience, savvy travel agencies are already offering virtual experiences to entice people to jet away to specific destinations and resorts.

4. Social Travellers

“On a global scale, both Facebook (30%) and Instagram (28%) are seen by travel marketers as most effective for targeting new audiences.” - Sojern

Social media has been one of travel’s key marketing channels for some time now, and this is set to continue in 2020 thanks to the increasing sophistication of the marketing tools provided by these platforms.

Travel marketers already view social channels such as Facebook and Instagram as key to targeting new audiences and, coupled with the growing demand for personalisation, we expect to see more personalised ads surface on these platforms in the coming months.

5. Voice Search

“69% of travellers said they have used voice search while planning a trip.” - Travelport

The rise of in-home assistants like Google Home Hub and Amazon Echo has opened up a new channel for travel marketers.

With over half of travellers now using voice search in the research phase of booking, brands must optimise their content for how people ask questions both via speech and type.

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Which travel marketing trends will you prioritise in 2020? Get in touch with Philip Martin to discover how DMA Partners can help you implement these trends into your marketing strategy and stay ahead of the curve: philip.martin@dma-partners.com.