The surge in demand for personalized advertising experiences is on the rise. Consumers don’t just want personalization; they clamor for it. Relevance matters. The impact of delivering individualization in digital advertising for travel and tourism is really taking flight.

The World Travel & Tourism Council shared that US travel and tourism is set to reach nearly $2 trillion and exceed pre-pandemic levels by 6.2% in 2022.

The benefits of personalization for a travel and tourism brand go far beyond that of revenue alone. Here are five reasons why personalization matters in today’s travel and tourism climate.

#1. Personalization provides a better advertising experience for the consumer 

Travel marketers are storytellers. We all want our vacations to feel like that dynamic travel brochure. The lure of secret beaches, unique taverns, and off-trail excursions are all in the planning. Maybe a young urban couple wants a vacation that centers around local art or wineries. Or a family is looking for a nature trek that highlights ecological sustainability and nature. By understanding the motivations of each customer persona, travel and tourism marketers can reach them with the most meaningful message and ultimately create more engagement in the planning process.

#2. Customized video capture attention spans

People don’t typically voluntarily watch advertisements. Not unless there’s a payoff – or it’s the Super Bowl. In the digital space, marketers only have a couple of seconds to convince the viewer that their ads and products are worth more of their time. A viewer’s attention can be captured by optimizing to a customer’s preferences. A marketer’s odds of sustaining the consumer’s focus on their message increase dramatically. We need both share-of-mind and share-of-wallet.

#3. There are opportunities to drive yield. 

Responsible tourism includes the pursuit of your highest spending customer. Planning and shopping for a trip involves more than just booking tickets. Whether the customer is drawn to a roadside attraction or resort island, there is always an opportunity to showcase extra services.  And let’s not forget the add-on shopping, dining, activities and memorable souvenirs! The tourism industry is about creating memories. Personalization increases relevancy and allows brands to provide more value at every step of the customer’s journey.

#4. Customers can be reached across different channels.

Whether it’s on mobile, desktop, Connected TV or a Digital Out of Home screen, reaching customers with personalized advertisements across various screens results in increased performance. Utilize contextual signals to create an evolving message based on factors like day, time, region, weather, and demographics. For example, a family stuck inside during a blizzard on a Saturday afternoon, crowded around the TV could be motivated to respond to a CTV advertisement that promotes sun, sand and escape. Technology now allows us to efficiently combat ad fatigue in CTV with refreshed messaging that drives this motivation.

#5. Personalization is a scalable solution

Travel and tourism brands have the potential to ascend to new heights. With the industry growing by the day, there is a need to build on great work and make it even better. It’s more important now than ever to implement a scalable solution to drive conversions, loyalty and consideration – and personalization is the key. Cruise lines, airlines, destinations, hotels, and attractions can all discover tangible results by accessing personalization technology. If you’d like to chat about more trends within the travel and tourism category, feel free to reach out to me directly at vivian.mur@a.ki or click here to learn about Aki’s Travel and Tourism solution.

Vivian Mur, Director of Travel and Tourism at Aki