Will Consumers Fly South for the Winer?
Another industry that sees a huge spike during the holiday season is travel. Whether it was traveling to visit family or hitting up one of the top holiday destinations like Disneyland or Hawaii, 115.6 million Americans packed up their sleigh and headed somewhere new for the holidays in 2019. For those that opted to fly, the average ticket price was about $600, with peak travel on December 21, 22, and 23.
This industry has already faced tremendous challenges throughout the year, so what will the usually busy and bustling airports look like over the next few months?
Again, this is one of those areas where experts have varying opinions about what the travel industry will face in the coming holiday season. Some predict that this season will actually have an uptick in holiday traveling because consumers have been saving their vacation days throughout the year and will be looking for an end-of-year getaway. Others predict that more consumers will opt for drivable destinations and stick with road trips rather than flying. The safe bet is that holiday travel will look different, but it won’t stop. So, as an advertiser, it’s important that you keep up with important trends and shift your media to best swoop those consumers’ budgets who are opting for a getaway.
The Early Bird Gets the Worm
According to Guesty, a short-term rental property management platform, Thanksgiving bookings are up 30% and winter holidays are seeing a 40% increase. It’s customary to see travel websites suggest booking a trip 4-6 weeks before you plan to leave, however as consumers who are opting for travel are taking advantage of lower year-on-year prices, Expedia is recommending a longer window: 60-90 days before Thanksgiving and 30-60 days before Christmas.
About half of consumers spend about a week researching before deciding to book a trip which means peak research time is in full swing. Not knowing what the holiday season will bring for travel brands makes it even more essential to get your brand out in front of consumers as they’re researching places to visit, accommodations, and transportation options. We’ve outlined a few key tactics travel advertisers should take advantage of this holiday season.
Expedia
As consumers are researching possible destinations, build brand awareness amongst this engaged travel shopping audience on premium e-commerce travel sites. Private exchanges on premium travel sites draw a desirable spectrum of audience segments including family travelers, leisure travelers, business travelers, luxury travelers, and more.
Location Targeting
As mentioned above, a driving-distance destination might be the travel option of choice this holiday season. Create custom geo-fences by setting a specific radius around cities that are driving distance from your location to attract potential customers both with mobile and desktop ads. You can also utilize mobile location data to target consumers who had been to certain locations in the last few months.
Transactional Data
Utilize 3rd party CC data to reach consumers in an array of different areas of travel such as have booked a hotel, but not a flight, have stayed at “x” hotel in “x” months.
Consumers who usually head out of town for the holidays might be toggling back and forth with the idea. Showcasing your offerings might be the differentiator to push them over the edge and book their getaway. Implemented strategic tactics across your digital advertising strategy to get your brand in front of the right eyes is more important this holiday season than ever before.