Revenge travel: what does it mean for your digital marketing?

Eighteen months ago we could only dream of a different view from our windows.

With Covid all but taking away our passports, we couldn’t go on holiday, we couldn’t visit loved ones abroad, we couldn’t have exciting experiences. And now? 

After a painful couple of years, the travel industry is experiencing a major boom – so much so that when travel bans were lifted in 2021, the term ‘revenge travel' became a buzz phrase. So what does it mean for your digital and social marketing strategy? It might seem clear cut: more travelling = easier to captivate your audience. But it’s not that simple.

The truth is that competition is fierce – and customers have never been more savvy or more determined to get exactly what they want. Where does that leave you? Let’s take a look…

Looking for digital marketing solutions? Find them at our Virtual Digital Travel & Tourism Masterclass. Click here to find out more.

What is revenge travel?

Revenge travel describes the phenomenon of people being desperate to travel, of making up for lost opportunities. The feeling is that Covid stole the most precious commodity of all: time. So now, people are travelling – with a vengeance.

In the US, holiday bookings are up 19% compared to this time last year. In the UK, 6 million Brits travelled overseas in May 2022, compared to just 287,000 in 2021, and the prediction is that UK outbound travel will reach 86.9 million by 2024, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

This is all good news, right?

The short answer is yes. As long as you understand what customers want.

While there’s no denying the collective wanderlust, there’s also no denying the change in expectations. Post-pandemic, people want more.

From authenticity to offering magical experiences that will make up for their travel hiatus, it’s never been more crucial to get your marketing right.

On top of this, the looming recession means people want to make sure that their money is being well spent. So how can you make sure your digital and social marketing is hitting the mark?

Ditch traditional advertising for UGC

In a post-Covid world, authenticity is everything. That’s why UGC (User Generated Content) is more powerful than traditional ads or perfectly curated posts.

In fact, 70% of consumers are more ready to trust UGC than branded content – and this is particularly relevant in travel and tourism. A Stackla report found that 60% of consumers were influenced by UGC before making travel plans.

Travellers don’t just look in one or two places when they’re researching a trip; they take a multi-touch approach to make sure they’re getting what you’ve promised. And ultimately, nothing beats another real person showing them what they can expect.

You can also use UGC to boost your brand credentials and raise your profile. A great example of this was Air New Zealand’s 2014 #AirNZPacked campaign, which asked travellers to upload pictures of their packed suitcases so that people could guess where they were going. The incentive? A $1000 Air New Zealand voucher for the best photo.

Think micro instead of macro

In 2023, the trend for travel micro-influencers is only going to get bigger.

Big influencers might have huge followings, but micro-influencers can help you build authenticity into your social offering by honing in on something specific or unique.

For example, if you want to focus on the food scene at your destination, you could partner with a food micro-influencer who’s an expert in local cuisine. Or if you’re trying to promote a family-friendly aspect, you could work with a ‘mumfluencer’ to showcase why your destination is perfect for families.

Remember: fewer followers doesn’t mean less influence. The more targeted nature of micro-influencers means that their followers are likely to trust them and be highly invested in what they say.

Forget TikTok at your peril

TikTok is much more than a social media channel. With an audience of two billion people that spend an average of 91 minutes a day on the app (50% higher than Instagram or Facebook), its reach cannot be underestimated.

For travel brands it’s the perfect platform for branded content, UGC, and creator content – and if you think you’ll only reach Gen Z, think again. 25% of Millennials and 23% of Gen X use TikTok, making it the ideal channel for reaching multiple demographics.

The bottom line? If you’re not creating content for TikTok, make it a priority for 2023.

Gamification works

Whether we’re aware of it or not, we all use gamification when we travel. From travel apps and Tripadvisor (you get a badge for leaving a review) to Airmiles and other loyalty programmes, gamification is intrinsic to our travel experience. But what about using gamification in your marketing strategy?

Gamification marketing boosts engagement, creates a positive user experience, and can help encourage customers to opt-in to other forms of marketing, like newsletters and emails. From reward programmes to league tables and competitions to win prizes (think spin the wheel, digital scratch cards and quizzes), gamification will keep your audience interested and coming back for more.

Who tells your story?

What does travel mean to people right now? More than ever before, travelling is about experiencing something ‘other’. It’s not just about going to a faraway place in literal terms, it’s about figuratively entering a new narrative.

If you want people to choose your story, you need one that’s compelling enough to spark their imagination and make them feel something. How do you do it?

Video is the perfect medium for travel brands to tell their story; it’s impactful and easy to engage with. But your content needs to go way beyond a list of highlights or must-sees. What mood or feeling are you trying to evoke? What’s your USP? How is it different from your competitors?

To tell a captivating story, your viewer needs to feel an emotional connection with what they’re seeing, so make sure your content is as authentic and unique as possible.

Whether you call it revenge travel or wanderlust, in a post-pandemic landscape one thing is clear: the growing appetite for travelling is only part of the picture. Perhaps the more significant change is customer expectation. The travel brands that can leverage digital touchpoints and create authentic, story-focussed content, will be the ones that succeed at giving people what they want.

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