4 Travel Marketing Trends To Know For 2024 And Beyond

Right after the pandemic, travel patterns were more erratic than ever before, but today, we’re seeing a return to normalcy. The good news is that the patterns are more predictable, which can make it easier to speak to your target base. 

But that same predictability also drives more competition within the travel and hospitality sector. 

Now that the dust has settled, travel marketing trends have shifted to touch on everything from privacy concerns to changing traveler expectations. We’ll look at how these trends can help your brand pivot its marketing strategies to stay on top of your revenue goals.

1. Digital marketers stop relying on cookies 

Google has been trying to phase out third-party cookies for a while, and even though the progress is slow, the ship is still moving in that direction. Regardless of when the changes officially go through, the elimination will make it harder to track and retarget customers based on their online habits. 

There’s even been speculation on how the ad industry might subvert the latest regulations — mostly because 75% of marketers still rely heavily on third-party cookies. 

But if you’re thinking of skirting the rules, you may want to think again. The reality is that you’re better off cultivating better customer relationships. When you build a more devoted customer base, it’s easier to obtain their explicit consent without the use of cookies. This way, you can send them more personalized offers and increase lifelong brand loyalty. 

What this trend means for travel marketers 

The biggest takeaway is that it may be more difficult to interact with the right customers. Brands will have trouble tracking customer data to target the correct audience. Without that data, it will be riskier to spend money on an ad that may not reach your target consumers, reducing marketing ROI. 

The best way to pivot from third-party cookies is to compile your most important insights from cookies, such as which travel blogs your customers favor, and proactively replace cookies with more customer-friendly digital assets. For example, you might shift toward user-generated content marketing to create a repository of content that resonates with certain audience demographics.  

2. AI, AR, and VR gain traction in the travel industry

Across industries, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and virtual reality are on the rise. In the travel markets, people can scope out London streets from their Oculus, ask Chat GPT to plan their Hawaiian itineraries, or overlay virtual guides on their phones while traversing a new city. 

This has opened a world of possibilities for travel marketers. For example, a resort might print an AR-compatible paper brochure where customers can use their phones to see the amenities spring to life. Qatar Airlines integrated AI and VR via its QVerse, a VR platform complete with a MetaHuman cabin crew member to answer questions. 

AI, AR, and VR provide several benefits for travel marketers, including:

• Accessibility: AR and VR make travel more accessible. If travelers have special needs or disabilities, they can use these programs to strategize on how they’ll get around in different cities and whether they’ll need extra assistance. 

• Convenience: Technology is as affordable and intuitive as it's ever been. People can master AI, AR, and VR with just a few clicks and explore multiple resorts, destination marketing, and travel excursions — all without leaving their couch. 

• Purchase inspiration: Many travelers love the travel planning stages as much as they love getting to their destination. AI, VR, and AR jolts people out of their daily routines, inspiring them to visit a sunny beach or have dinner atop the Eiffel Tower. 

What this trend means for travel marketers 

Travel marketers should ideally diversify and integrate at least one of these technologies. For example, you might post a typical hotel experience in the metaverse or host a virtual tour of your city’s downtown square on your website. 

You can use these digital assets to enhance and improve your advertisements, social media feed, or email content. Plus, there’s less technical know-how needed than ever before to create, edit, and update your tourism marketing content. 

3. User-generated content inspires wanderlust in travelers 

User-generated content (UGC) refers to brand mentions made by your customers. UGC creators may receive small incentives from the brands they work with, though many do it just to display their creativity or help their followers solve problems. These often unfiltered travel experiences are seen as more authentic than in-house marketing campaigns. 

UGC is powerful because it’s: 

• Visual: Video walkthroughs, vivid hotel photos, and smiling faces are both instructional and inspirational. This evocative content helps the user’s followers picture themselves on a trip.  

• Relatable: UGC features real people discovering accessible locations. While there is often an artful element to their posts, the content is usually less aspirational and more inspirational. 

• Exciting: Traveling is as much about seeing a new place as about discovering a new side of yourself. UGC takes people into the heart of the trip, setting off their followers’ imaginations about who they could be in a new place. 

The results of UGC on social media have been extraordinary, and by 2026, Gartner predicts that 60% of CMOs will rely on brand-endorsed UCG (in part to shield their brands from fake reviews or content). 

What this trend means for travel marketers 

If your competitors feature UGC and your brand doesn’t, it’s harder to make an impact in the saturated travel markets. If you’re unsure how to get started, the best UGC campaigns are usually ones that feature your most loyal customers. 

For example, you might offer a small incentive for customers to write an online review or to use the brand’s hashtag on their Instagram photos or TikTok videos. As you amass high-quality video content and photos, you also amass social proof that your brand offers real value for prospective customers. The more people see that “everyone is doing it,” the more they want to check it out for themselves. 

Whether you’re marketing to Gen Z bachelorettes or business travelers, UGC is an effective short- and long-term strategy. For example, if a friend posts about a hotel on Instagram, a potential customer might save that information for when they’re ready to take the same trip. Whether that’s in a week or three years, the content will be there. 

4. Travel micro influencers dominate social media marketing

The reason micro-influencers have become so popular is all about relevancy and how consumers are making decisions. Millennial women have an outsized influence on our economy, making 85% of purchasing decisions, and this group typically spends around 2–3 hours per day on social media. If you want to reach the people making the most buying decisions, it makes sense to meet them where they are — on social media. 

But this is a tricky business for marketers. Today, customers and social media users are savvier than ever about spotting sponsored content. That’s why smaller influencers are more relatable, and thus have more authority than mega or celebrity influencers. (Consider how relatable it is when a Kardashian visits her own private island.)

UGC creators and micro-influencers often both have similarly modest follower counts, but they are fundamentally different. With UGC, the brand can’t always control what the creator says. For example, you can ask customers for Yelp reviews, but you cannot demand that the review be positive. 

When you choose micro-influencers in the travel sector, you tap into their target audiences. With nearly a half-billion #travel Instagram posts, the demand for this type of content is undeniable. 

What this trend means for travel marketers 

For many travel marketers, the trend means pivoting from current influencer strategies to embrace micro-influencers. Before you strike a partnership, though, you’ll need to take a deep dive into the micro influencer’s background and followers. Vet each person closely to make sure that their followers match your target audience and that the influencer is free of controversy to avoid negative reactions from existing or would-be customers.

For example, does the influencer have a lot of followers in their area? If so, are there convenient and accessible flights or highway routes to your getaways? Do customers book trips because of the influencer, or is the content largely a vicarious escape? It’s not always easy to tie conversion rates to influencers, but you can get a sense of follower interest from the comments, questions, and general reactions. 

Micro-influencers create demand and interest for travel brands. Their content sparks curiosity and excitement, which drives new audiences to book. If you make it your core strategy, you can choose channels that reinforce the micro-influencer’s messaging. Whether it’s retargeted content, listicles, or testimonials, this tactic improves your omnichannel strategy and strengthens your brand presence. 

Build a community of travelers with creative partners 

To nail your brand messaging on the most popular platforms, you have to prioritize authentic, relevant content. Influencer content may feel transactional, but when done well, it’s authentic, engaging, and benefits your brand and the influencer.

But building those relationships can be challenging, especially if your resources are limited. This is where Hummingbirds can help! Hummingbirds is a platform that matches brands with social media personalities. Partnering with influencers who have small, loyal communities of followers helps you target the right audience and improve your engagement levels. 

If you’re interested in learning more influencer marketing strategies, check out more guidance and advice from the experts at Hummingbird!