- Travel decisions are high-consideration and non-linear, often spanning weeks of research, comparison, and multiple touchpoints.
- Timing, personalisation, and intent-based messaging outperform broad reach in influencing traveller decisions.
- Retargeting and smart sequencing help travel brands stay relevant, build loyalty, and convert travellers when they are ready to book.
The Digital Customer Journey in Travel: Why Travel Marketing Is More About Timing Than Reach
Travellers move through a complex, multi‑touch digital journey that can take weeks or even months. In this environment, success in travel marketing isn’t just about how many people you reach and more about when you show up.
Understanding timing across the digital customer journey is now a competitive advantage. Brands that align their messaging with traveller intent at each stage are the ones that win bookings, loyalty, and long‑term value. For this purpose, retargeting has become an essential tool to drive stronger conversions and build long-term loyalty.
The Non‑Linear Nature of the Travel Customer Journey
Digital consumers now take longer to convert, as we operate in a clear compare-and-wait era. While impulse purchases of products or services still occur, travel sits at the high-consideration end of the decision spectrum.
Planning a trip rarely involves a single decision. Instead, it often requires multiple interconnected choices, involving research across destinations, timing, transportation, accommodation, experiences, and budget, as well as device switching and often multiple decision‑makers. As a result, travellers repeatedly move back and forth across the journey to ensure they are making the most informed and valuable decision.
Research from Expedia Group in 2023 revealed that travellers consume an average of 141 pages of travel content in the 45 days prior to booking a trip online as they seek to refine their options, with a maximum of 277 pages for travellers in the U.S.. In the early stages of planning, research is more spread out with about 2.5 page views per day.
Additionally, travel has become more accessible than ever. With more destinations, providers, deals, and content available, travellers are surrounded by more tips, opinions, reviews, and recommendations. This abundance has made decision-making more complex, often extending the time it takes to commit.
The Expedia Group research also uncovered that 59% of travellers did not have a specific destination in mind when they first decided to take a trip, 77% of them used social media for inspiration, and 19% confirmed advertising influenced their decision to book a trip.
A traveller might first see a destination video on social media, then weeks later read some blog reviews, compare flights, abandon a booking, and finally convert after receiving a timely reminder or offer. This journey is rarely linear or short.
Why Reach Alone No Longer Wins
Traditional marketing thinking prioritises reach: more impressions and more exposure. And while reach still matters, it’s no longer sufficient in travel marketing. High reach without relevance or intent often results in wasted media spend and efforts, low engagement, and missed conversion opportunities. Reaching a traveller too early can be just as ineffective as reaching them too late. Timing determines whether your message feels inspiring or irrelevant.
Why Retargeting Is Essential in Travel Marketing
We have already established that travel decisions take time and why, meaning most travellers won’t convert on their first visit. This is exactly where retargeting becomes critical within the digital travel market. Retargeting allows travel brands to:
- Re‑engage users who showed intent but didn’t book
- Stay visible throughout long consideration cycles
- Deliver timely reminders, offers, or reassurance
- Match messaging to the traveller’s current stage
In a category where timing outweighs impulse, retargeting ensures your brand is present when the traveller is ready, not just when they first discover you.
In travel marketing, success isn’t defined by how loudly you speak or how widely you broadcast, but how well you listen to intent and respond in the right moment.
By focusing on timing, journey‑based messaging, and smart retargeting, travel brands can turn fleeting inspiration into meaningful, measurable bookings.
Timing the Journey: Key Moments That Matter
Effective travel marketing aligns with intent. Each stage of the journey requires a different message, format, and call to action.
1. Inspiration stage: At this point, travellers are dreaming, not booking. Visual storytelling works best: Destination videos, social media content, influencer partnerships. The goal isn’t conversion, it’s planting the seed.
2. Research & consideration stage: Travellers are now actively comparing options. They want information and reassurance: Blog content and guides, reviews and testimonials, price transparency and value messaging. This is the time for companies to build trust and preference.
3. Intent & booking stage: Timing is critical at this stage. Travellers may hesitate, abandon carts, or wait for the “right moment.” A well‑timed nudge can be the difference between booking now or walking away. Limited‑time offers, fare alerts, or clear value propositions are some strategies that usually help.
4. Post‑booking & loyalty stage: The journey doesn’t end at purchase. Pre‑trip communication, upsells and add‑ons, or post‑trip engagement are opportunities where companies can make the difference. These moments can drive repeat bookings and lifetime value.
Personalisation and Smart Sequencing, pillars of modern travel marketing
Modern travel marketing relies on behavioural signals rather than assumptions. Search activity, site visits, content engagement, and previous interactions provide clear indicators of where a traveller is in their decision-making journey.
Brands that use this data to sequence messages will deliver the right content at the right time, and therefore will see higher engagement and stronger ROI than those relying on broad, one‑size‑fits‑all campaigns. Research from the Data & Marketing Association indicates that segmented campaigns can lead to a 760% increase in revenue, which is also applicable for the travel industry.
In today’s digital landscape, personalisation isn’t just a nice‑to‑have, it’s a core driver of traveller engagement and loyalty. The Next in Personalisation 2021 Report by McKinsey, exposed that 71% of consumers now expect companies to deliver personalised interactions, and 76% say they get frustrated when it doesn’t happen.
These preferences show that consumers expect brands to understand their needs and deliver relevant suggestions, not generic messages. As per results from a Qualtrics XM Institute report in 2024, despite the generalised concern over data privacy, consumers still want personalisation: almost two-thirds (64%) globally strongly agree or agree that they prefer to buy from companies that tailor their experience to their wants and needs.
A study by Deloitte in 2024 also found that 80% of consumers surveyed prefer brands that offer personalised experiences, and reported spending 50% more with such brands, including the travel sector. Understanding individual needs and preferences is a key driver of consumers’ loyalty. In fact, a survey carried out by Mews revealed that 83% of travellers noted that personalised service boosts loyalty.
