August 22, 2024
Each quarter we share unique insights from our exclusive first-party data to help you stay competitive and leverage the latest traveler trends as part of your marketing strategy.
Q2 2024 data shows steady traveler enthusiasm, a shift toward shorter search windows, and growing interest in city getaways and beach destinations. We look at search behaviors, top destinations, and what’s driving travel around the world to provide you with data you can use in your marketing campaigns.
Searches remain steady globally
During the second quarter of 2024, global search volume held steady, with the Asia Pacific (APAC) region seeing the largest search increase quarter over quarter (QoQ).
At the start of Q2, travel searches increased nearly 10% week over week (WoW) in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and North America (NORAM), likely due to travelers planning summer trips while on break for the Easter holiday. And, during the week of May 6, there was a 10% increase in WoW travel searches, driven by NORAM travelers who were planning last-minute trips ahead of Mother’s Day and Memorial Day weekend.
How to act on this trend
There are sustained opportunities to promote your brand to travelers actively searching and booking. Here’s how some of our solutions can help you stand out and grab their attention:
- Hotels can use TravelAds Sponsored Listings to boost visibility in search results and target travelers who are ready to book a trip.
- For destinations and other travel brands, our bespoke Travel Spotlights encourage travelers to explore and engage with your brand through impactful premium landing page experiences like suggested itineraries, engaging quizzes, or articles that tell your unique story.
Shorter-term searches on the rise
While we saw travelers planning further ahead in the first quarter of this year, they are now shifting their focus to shorter search windows, specifically for trips in the next 60 days. Globally, search volume for the 0-30-day window increased 15% QoQ, and WoW data showed that throughout the quarter, travelers increasingly searched for trips in the near future.
How to act on this trend
Update your advertising and marketing strategies to connect with travelers looking for last-minute trips.
- Hotels and vacation rental hosts should consider offering last-minute deals and discounts to incentivize travelers to book.
- Travel brands should also plan for upcoming busy travel periods like Labor Day in the U.S. and Canada, and the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in APAC countries, including China and Korea.
- Set up a targeting strategy to reach travelers searching within a specific travel window or for a competitive destination or region.
Our display advertising can help you engage travelers throughout the purchase journey and spotlight special deals and promotions to further drive consideration.
While travelers were planning for the short term in Q2, seasonal trends from Q3 2023 — specifically a 20% QoQ increase in searches for the 180+ day window — suggest they will soon begin planning end-of-year holidays, so now is the time to prepare to attract travelers.
- Offering early booking holiday promotions can help you build awareness and ensure your brand stays top of mind to capture demand from travelers who are beginning to plan holiday travel.
- Participating in our Black Friday, Cyber Monday campaign can elevate your hotel brand and maximize opportunities for driving bookings. Joining this campaign can help increase your property’s net room nights by over 30% and booking value by over 25%.*
Travelers flock to beach towns and destinations throughout Türkiye
Now that we understand how traveler search behaviors have evolved, what were the top searched destinations in Q2 2024? Looking at destination trends for Q2, beach towns and destinations near the water rose in popularity with travelers around the world. For the top searched destinations by region, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, jumped up five spots on the list for EMEA travelers, while resort city Antalya, Türkiye, joined the list. Cancun, Mexico, moved to the top of the list for Latin American (LATAM) travelers, and San Diego, California, joined the rankings for NORAM travelers.
Multiple destinations in Türkiye rose in the rankings during the quarter and year over year (YoY), including Manavgat, Çeşme, Fethiye, and Ayvalik. And EMEA travelers drove an almost 20% YoY increase in searches to Türkiye for July and August, indicating they may be planning summer trips in the region.
How to act on this trend
Travel brands in these trending destinations should ensure they are targeting visitors from different regions searching for their destinations and use compelling imagery to catch their attention.
- For example, hotels located by the water can incorporate visuals of their beachside property and nearby beach attractions in display ads to entice travelers planning their next beach vacation.
- Partner with hotels and attractions in your destination to amplify your marketing efforts and achieve shared goals through a co-op campaign.
- Social media is another great platform to engage travelers browsing on those channels, and tapping into influencer marketing can help bring your destination to life and add a unique perspective to your content.
Event travel continues to drive tourism opportunities
As we’ve seen in previous quarters, major events like sports tournaments and music festivals inspire travelers to take trips. In Q2, several popular events sparked traveler interest to various regions and cities, including triple-digit search increases for destinations hosting Coachella (Indio, California), Lollapalooza (Chicago), Austin City Limits (Austin, Texas), and the second leg of Taylor Swift’s North American tour (Toronto and Vancouver, Canada). Additionally, Germany saw a 60% increase in travel searches for the days leading up to the first game of the EuroCup tournament.
How to act on this trend
Make sure you’re aware of upcoming events to prepare your advertising and targeting strategies accordingly and align content with these tourism drivers.
- Promoting your business and travel offerings in the context of the event, such as your property’s proximity to the venue, related event activities and experiences, or available transportation options, can further entice travelers and drive incremental demand. Co-op campaigns or Travel Spotlights are great solutions for this type of content marketing.
- Work with Media Studio, our award-winning in-house creative team, to tell your brand’s unique story through bespoke video content, interactive digital platforms, and more. Rich video content is an impactful option for destinations that host major events annually and you can repurpose and build out new content when you need it.
Travelers seek out adventure and outdoor activities
With summer in full swing in the Northern Hemisphere, travelers are looking for adventure and outdoor activities even more than in previous years, as indicated by our search data showing YoY increases for these types of activities. Even more interesting is that activities that fall into the adventure or outdoor category and the history and culture category saw the largest YoY increase in searches at almost 70%.
How to act on this trend
With travelers looking for more adventurous and outdoor activities, there’s an opportunity for destinations to promote these types of activities in their display advertising or through other content-rich solutions like video content. Hotels and vacation rental hosts can highlight their proximity to nearby outdoor attractions or activities, such as popular hiking trails or swimming holes, and recommend local providers that offer these excursions to recommend to guests.
To learn more about Q3 2024 travel trends and get guidance on how to apply these insights to your advertising strategies, contact us today.
*Expedia Group, Internal Data, BFCM 2023
