Travellers are saying au revoir, auf wiedersehen, and sayōnara to big cities and tourist traps, and gravitating towards smaller locations.
Think Pisa instead of Rome, Compiegne instead of Paris, Brighton instead of London. They want authentic, unique experiences, and more social currency for it. Experiences and ‘local secret’ style travelling is becoming increasingly important, with tourist attractions no longer holding the allure they used to.
Basically, an Instagram shot of the Eiffel Tower won’t stop thumbs anymore, but a shot of the Old Town in Nice just might.
Come fly with me.
How do you go from emails in an inbox to bums in plane seats? Whilst cheap flight deals always help, giving people a reason to travel is what gets those tickets purchased. Provide a narrative with your content, either about the destination or who travellers can BE at that destination. What story does the location tell? Why should someone take the risk of getting on the plane? Is the destination worth spending 12 hours in economy wearing a mask?
Let them know and see them fly.
Influencers and the influenced.
Two years of digging deep into their throwback library, travel influencers are bouncing back.
They were some of the first people on planes and in partially-comped Air BnBs when the world reopened, and have been a driving force in inspiring people for their first big trip in two years. Despite not being able to travel freely, travel influencers rose in popularity during the pandemic, with 63% of people saying they engaged more heavily with travel influencers, and 84% indicating they turn to travel influencers for travel recommendations now.
From established creators to up-and-coming TikTokkers with accidentally viral travel videos, influencers and content creators are flexible, adaptable, and more authentic than the glossy studio shots of travel-marketing past.
Sailing away from a bad rep.
Of all travel types, cruises have required some serious rebranding post-lockdown. It was, after all, a cruise ship that first showed us the potential impact of the pandemic, with one Covid-positive passenger on a luxury cruise leading to 700 people onboard becoming infected. But cruises are leading the way on how to chart a path to recovery. Embracing the pre-pandemic nostalgia, they promise the experience of a 2019 cruise ship, thanks to vaccine mandates and passengers requiring negative test results before stepping foot on the ship.
This emphasis on improved safety and an experience we thought we’d never have again has brought travellers back to the high seas, and to windowless below-deck cabins. Willingly.
As the world reopens and passports are dusted off, travel has never been an easier – or a harder – sell. If you need a one-way ticket to getting consumers ready to jet, sail, and ride again, we can help with that.
Need to navigate travel branding? Let’s chat.
Need a travel buddy? We’re open to that too.