The Shift of Travel and The Digital Marketing Landscape

For those of us working in the travel and digital marketing industries, it’s a daily—sometimes hourly—conversation with clients, colleagues, and like minded experts about just how much things have changed in the last five years, or even the last year. And with good reason.

The landscapes we work in are (dare we say it), constantly evolving, and we’re sure you already know just how important it is to stay ahead of the curve and ensure your strategies are aligned with this. That’s all well and good, and we totally agree that it’s incredibly important to always be moving forward, but as data analysts, it’s paramount that we make the most of the historic data and information available to us, to analyse current trends to determine the key factors impacting our target users and consumers, to accurately craft unique and expert digital marketing strategies that convert.

How is Travel Marketing Evolving?

From the Covid-19 pandemic that affected the year of 2020 (and all subsequent years since) like no other, to the ongoing challenges of the cost of living, and all of the digital advancements (advancements perhaps being a controversial word… do we dare mention Consent Mode?) in between, you may, like ourselves, often consider the various impacts of these aforementioned paradigms on our digital campaigns and performance, and the travel marketing industry as a whole. And if you don’t, you absolutely should be.

It’s not just the seasonality of your product or service that the brand (or brands) that you represent offer that you should be considering. Sure, January and September are typically peaks for the travel industry, and your travel and digital marketing strategy and annual calendar should use this kind of vital knowledge in your planning accordingly, but this isn’t the sole seasonality or factor you should be considering.

If you’ve stumbled across us here, feeling a bit mystified about travel marketing in the digital era – you’re in the right place. In the midst of the pandemic, as we were opening our metaphorical doors to the future of digital and travel post pandemic, our extended team at Talking Stick Global created a thought-provoking piece around the future of digital, noting the importance of market research, remaining agile and looking holistically at our approaches and stressing the need to remain authentic.

Fast-forward to 2025, our expert team has had time to navigate these challenges, adaptations and evolutions, and through our varied client and personal experience, our Paid Account Director, Emma, and Senior Account Manager, Beth, have narrowed these factors down to the key pillars that will be impacting how your target base is behaving. But more importantly, as a result, how we as marketeers and travel professionals should be pivoting to suit. In a time when brand loyalty is down and the need to be present in a breadth of spaces to reinforce consumer confidence is higher than ever, it’s never been more important to not just be reactive, but proactive too, and maximising brand awareness is key.

#1: Artificial Intelligence (AI)

We think that by now, we can all agree Artificial Intelligence (AI) is far from a flash in the pan, one-hit-wonder feature. Far from it, actually… love it or hate it, it’s here to stay.

Whilst AI as a concept was initially first introduced back in 1956 as an established research field, the AI we’re talking about that is having a huge influence on the development of performance marketing (such as image recognition and language processing), really started to hit headlines in the 2010s. A revolutionary time for AI development, this huge shift in societal interest came following the birth of AI robotics such as Sophia; a development of leaps and bounds that shocked the world over, demonstrating a very real example of the lengths that these softwares could take humanity.

With Sophia came the evolution of human language modelling, uses in manufacturing and development, and even medicine, so it’s no shock that now we’re in the next decade, these advancements are showing no sign of slowing down.

Since then, the models, namely Gemini and Chat GPT, have well and truly found themselves as an integral element of day-to-day life.  With dynamic features that are updating by the day, these large language models are incredibly powerful, malleable and progressive.

That is to say, if you’re not already integrating AI into your digital marketing strategy, your business operations, or your day-to-day admin and operations, you are quickly falling behind your peer set. Before you overhaul your operations, we’re here to caveat that as with all areas of marketing innovation, you shouldn’t jump on every single trend as soon as it appears. Here, we’d like to urge you to approach with caution and strategy. Think about gaps in your current approaches; whether that be in areas of admin, reporting, projections or otherwise, and start there.

AI’s Impact On Travel Marketing and The Digital Landscape

An excellent real-world example of the proliferation of AI-generated content and its impact on UX and search quality is the huge shift in the last 12 months seen in Google’s attitude towards content of this nature. Whilst initially spammy content was described as something that “breaks guidelines”, recently the attitude is described more as a “focus of quality content, rather than how content is produced”.

Let’s not forget Google’s algorithm update, which explicitly states that it prioritises “human” written content, highlighting the importance of creating high quality, engaging content that is not “spammy”. Not a hugely technical term, “spammy content” has been described by Google themselves as “text generated through automated processes without regard for quality or user experience”, and this has arguably had the most notable implications for user experience within travel marketing when it comes to content.

A huge shift we’ve also seen within the travel marketing landscape is that people now, more than ever, are asking AI to help plan and map out their upcoming trips. Looking for your perfect seven-day itinerary for your upcoming coastal trip around the South of France?

Chat GPT can help you there.

Whilst AI can’t offer the same benefits that going through a traditional travel agent can, and won’t offer the ATOL Protection and security that these providers can give, it’s certainly hard to deny the benefits of the planning aspect of the platforms.

The outcome of this for travel marketing strategies and marketers on the ground? Content is still King, and quality content will always come out on top, and user’s interactions with content on the SERPs is and always will be the #1 determiner in how Google views a “good” piece of content vs a “bad” one.

#2 Post-Pandemic

Whilst AI as above is one of the key determiners in how we market to our target consumers at this time, one of the largest impacts in why we have had to shift our travel marketing strategies, is our existence in a post-pandemic world.

A multitude of factors that had never been considered before came into play when it came to travel, and with that, the manner in which travel marketing had to operate pivoted overnight. The impacts of these changes only really plateaued within the last 12 months, with travel demand finally making a strong, pre-pandemic recovery.

With fear of travel rife, increased costs having a huge impact on trip frequency and duration, and even the necessity of an  “NHS COVID Pass” even up until as recently as March 2024, the travel industry had truly never encountered a problem quite so complex at any point in history.

The Pandemic’s Impact on the Travel Marketing Landscape

Naturally, such an event impacted every industry, but travel marketers had to adapt to not only stay afloat during the pandemic but react to rapidly changing consumer behaviours post-pandemic when the world started opening back up again – queue the shift from inspirational “we wish we were here too” ads to “staycations”, “green list gang” and “ATOL protected” ad copy. There was a real change in tone from sales messaging to confidence assurance, with mentions of policies and protections to instill trust in the consumer over just being price competitive (we’ll expand on this further on).

Luckily for us digital marketers, the demand for digital and performance marketing shot up. Traditional advertising such as billboards and print became less effective and with every penny counting, advertisers prioritised the high levels of tracking capabilities available with digital advertising that weren’t as readily available with traditional methods. Consideration and booking cycles have become longer post-pandemic, with travellers taking longer to research and book trips due to uncertainty. Retargeting and nurturing campaigns became essential to keep potential customers engaged.

Sustainability and purpose-driven travel really took off after lockdowns were lifted, with the need for eco-conscious travel experiences becoming a high priority when choosing packages/hotels/travel options. This led to ethical and responsible tourism references in ad copy with a whole host of users considering their impact on the environment after a big shake-up to the world as we know it.

Finally, personalisation and niche targeting became a fundamental way to engage and reach the right users at the right time. Consumers wanted tailor-made, private and exclusive experiences to avoid crowds. Off the back of this, marketers shifted to hyper-personalisation through CRM, first-party data and AI-driven recommendations, strengthening the relationship-building side of a consumer purchase journey.

#3 Cost of Living

Whilst COVID-19 is of course having a lasting impact on consumer behaviour, and as a result, our marketing campaigns and efforts, it is absolutely undeniable that the cost of living crisis is one of – if not the most – influential factors impacting the way that people interact and engage with brands and companies in 2025.

According to The Good Marketer, “a minimum of 26% of Britons have declared they’ve spent less online since the beginning of the cost of living crisis”. Whether your client is in the luxury or budget space, or perhaps somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, the impact of this shift has been seen across industries globally The same research piece suggests that “the 35-44 and 55-64 age groups have been affected the most, seeing the biggest drop in spending”.

The Cost-of-Living Impact on the Travel Marketing Landscape

For travel brands, there are several key things to consider as a result of the cost-of-living crisis when planning and executing a sophisticated and successful marketing strategy. With up to 88% of consumers claiming that brand authenticity is one of the most important elements of consideration when deciding which brands to support, when evaluating your travel marketing and brand positioning, it’s more important than ever to offer substance and integrity as a central focal point for your brand.

The shift towards value-based travel is perhaps one of the most obvious changes occurring from the cost-of-living crisis in the UK. Consumers are more price-sensitive, prioritising deals, discounts and added value in the form of ‘free upgrades’, ‘flexible cancellations’ and more. Off the back of this need for “skimming off the top” demand for budget airlines, 3-4 star hotels and alternative accommodations such as hostels and Airbnbs have seen a surge in popularity in recent years – this can be seen in Airbnbs stock prices rising by 14.5% in February 2025 after the company reported strong financial results for the fourth quarter of 2024 including a 12% increase in nights and experiences booked.

With people’s wallets stretched, more and more Brits are turning to payment plans and credit options when booking travel experiences. Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) became a key conversion driver in ad and website copy, along with highlighting features such as low deposits and 0% APR. Similarly, travel agents and tour operators have reportedly seen a rise in shorter trip bookings and more holidaymakers opting for off-peak periods to save where possible.

Whilst we note that price is important in a cost-of-living crisis, research shows that loyalty programs and a focus on retention will be safe bets for travel marketers as we navigate this economic slump. Consumers are more likely to stay loyal to brands that offer tangible financial perks or that they are familiar with and trust – brand recognition and recall are of utmost importance and therefore investing in your top-of-funnel marketing is a wise move. Some well-known travel brands have pivoted to promote programmes such as exclusive member discounts, points-based rewards and referral schemes to ensure that loyalty and retention are secured.

What about the destinations people are opting for, we hear you say?

Unsurprisingly, locations with a strong exchange rate or lower living costs are gaining traction, such as Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America. Luxury brands have been switching to strategies such as “luxury for less”, showcasing high-end experiences at affordable rates. Multi-destination and package deals are a good bridge between strong margins for OTAs and tour operators whilst providing that added value to a long-haul flight for consumers. Travel marketers will do well to replicate such messaging in their collateral moving forward – it’s not a trend we see dying off anytime soon.

Our final point touches on the importance of digital marketing strategies due to the extended research phase and the consensus that travellers are becoming more selective.

Consumers research extensively before booking, making SEO, content marketing and social proof more crucial than ever before – we don’t need to mention the integral place remarketing has in the mix… what we will say is, marketing needs to emphasise real value and transparency to build brand trust, loyalty and finally advocacy – after all your best asset are your customers and a referral/earned media as we all know is far more effective than any paid for media coverage.

And this takes us on really quite nicely to our next point, around the digital evolution we’re seeing unfold in front of our eyes every single day and with every new update rolled out by the tech giants.

#4 Digital Evolution 

From Google’s changing algorithms to Meta’s AI-powered ad targeting, staying ahead requires embracing innovation while continuously adapting strategies to remain ahead of the competition during this digital evolution. Research has found that up to 71% of all consumers expect companies to deliver personalised interactions, which makes using artificial intelligence and automation such as flows even more important than ever.

All of this to say, when outlining your strategy and optimising your campaign mix, it’s more important than ever to consider how you can continue to evolve.

The Google Ads Shift Within The Travel Marketing Landscape

Google Ads has undergone a major transformation, with Performance Max campaigns using AI to optimise across multiple placements including Search, Display, YouTube, and Discovery, alongside some more practical introductions for the campaign type, such as the introduction of asset testing in more recent times.

For travel brands, this means greater automation, but also the need for stronger audience segmentation and creative variation to maximise results. With the prioritisation of value, a shift to more cost effective campaign types is looking rather attractive for many advertisers in every sector, not just travel – such campaigns to consider are Performance Max and Demand Generation in tandem, with cheaper CPCs and the adaptability of showing across almost everywhere online. Consider shifting budgets from high-costing search campaigns to more wide-spread conversion-driven automated versions.

Meanwhile, GA4 has changed the way marketers track user behaviour, replacing traditional session-based models with event-based tracking. This shift enables travel businesses to gain a deeper understanding of cross-device journeys, but also requires a more strategic approach to analytics, custom events, and attribution modelling. We can practically hear the sighs when we mention consent mode – we are sighing with you, but having done our research and implemented it on over 40 clients we can safely say there is a light at the end of the tunnel – the only snicket being if you have a low opt in rate or have less than 1000 users to your site per day – but we will save that for another article.

Key takeaways for travel marketers using pay-per-click strategies:

• Use Performance Max for broad targeting but refine audience signals with first-party data.
• Set up GA4 custom event tracking to monitor key actions like itinerary views and enquiry form submissions.
• Leverage Google’s AI-driven recommendations, while maintaining human oversight to ensure relevance.

Meta’s advertising capabilities are becoming increasingly AI-driven, with features like Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns and AI-generated creative variations. These tools help optimise ad delivery, but with privacy changes (such as Apple’s ATT updates), the importance of first-party data and engaging creative has never been greater.

For travel brands, the key is blending automation with storytelling—using AI for performance optimisation while crafting content that resonates emotionally with travellers. Video-first formats, immersive Reels, and dynamic ad creatives remain crucial for engaging audiences in the inspiration phase.

Key takeaways for travel marketers using paid social strategies:

• Test Advantage+ campaigns to automate placements but ensure brand consistency in creatives.
• Prioritise short-form video content to align with engagement trends on Instagram & Facebook.
• Strengthen first-party data collection via lead forms, email lists, and CRM integration for retargeting.

If you get in touch with our expert and passionate team here at Talking Stick Digital. We offer sound advice, a free technical audit of your accounts and websites, or a non-committal and informal chat with one of our expert team to determine which of our services could be a great fit for you.