Sojern’s Celine Chaussegros and European Travel Commission’s Miguel Gallego believe now is the time for travel marketers to rethink traditional methods in favour of innovative solutions
The world is becoming increasingly unpredictable due to extreme weather conditions and natural disasters. This summer alone witnessed Greece’s largest-ever evacuation during July’s wildfires, a year’s worth of rainfall in Greece leading to massive flooding, forest fires in Tenerife, storms sweeping through the Balearics, and Morocco’s devastating earthquake. These events in Europe, along with other global incidents, have significantly impacted tourism, prompting questions about the travel industry’s resilience amidst such unpredictability.
According to the European Travel Commission’s (ETC) survey from this spring, travellers’ interest in visiting the Mediterranean region from June to November has fallen by 10% compared to 2022. Besides, 7.6% of European travellers mentioned “extreme weather events” as their top concern. However, Sojern’s data reveals high booking trends in Europe during the summer months, with global flight bookings to European destinations up by 15% as of April. Notably, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom (UK), France, and Greece, remain the most sought-after destinations, representing around 60% of travel demand across the top ten European destinations. Amidst mixed messages and the ongoing threat of climate change, marketers face significant challenges in campaign planning. So, how can the travel industry maintain resilience during times of uncertainty? The answer lies in sustainable solutions.
In honour of World Tourism Day 2023, on September 27th, the World Tourism Organisation has identified ‘investments’ as a key priority for tourism’s recovery, future growth, and development. However, these investments must be both strategic and sustainable. By making innovative and often unconventional investments that address both short- and long-term needs and goals, digital marketers can navigate the unpredictable environmental landscape and lay the foundation for a sustainable future.
Finding short-term Success
If the COVID-19 pandemic taught the travel industry anything, it was the crucial lesson of adaptability. When an emergency strikes, destination marketing organisations (DMOs) and hotels must quickly adapt their short-term marketing strategies. Investments in digital marketing offer this flexibility compared to more traditional approaches. By deploying data-driven, always-on marketing campaigns that help them understand traveller behaviour in real time, DMOs and hotels can reach travellers at the right moment, through the right channel, and with the right message. Relevant communication speaks to what customers want and need right now, significantly increasing the chances of driving direct bookings despite market uncertainty.
It goes without saying that recent environmental challenges and climate-related crises pose significant threats to the region’s recovering travel industry. Europe’s rate of warming surpasses that of many other regions, casting uncertainty over the future. Moreover, a new European Commission JRC study indicates that global warming could lead to a decline in tourists visiting southern European coastal regions during the summer, while northern coastal regions may experience increased tourism demand. In response to these evolving conditions and shifting consumer preferences, marketers can proactively adapt their planned campaigns. This adaptability hinges on leveraging first-party data, real-time insights from partners, and staying attuned to emerging trends. For instance, they can strategically promote bookings during the off-season when temperatures are likely cooler, reduce marketing spend during crises, or even promote alternative destinations. Spreading travel flows to less busy months and locations can also have a positive impact on many European destinations that experience seasonality and overcrowding during the peak summer season.
Seeking sustainable, long-term solutions
The key to attracting long-term travellers lies in crafting an authentic sustainability strategy. Today’s travellers are increasingly inclined to support brands that align with their values, with sustainability ranking high among their priorities. Research indicates that 90% of consumers actively seek sustainable options when travelling, making it crucial to share sustainability messages to mass audiences. However, travel marketers must strike a balance between boosting visitation and fostering relationships with local communities to garner buy-in while minimising negative environmental impacts. Travellers can see through inauthentic green efforts, so it’s extremely important that their experiences match what is advertised.
A great sustainability strategy starts with education. Involving local communities is crucial as it builds a social licence and supports social, cultural, environmental, and economic aspects of the community. Marketing plans should focus on giving back, amplifying local voices, incorporating learnings into marketing content, and hiring diverse groups to be the voice of the community. From there, marketers can, in turn, educate and engage with travellers to increase their awareness about sustainability and position it as the most attractive, easiest, or even only option to combat climate change.
Once the right messaging is in place, marketers can establish goals and KPIs to measure success. These metrics include clicks, engagement, and understanding traveller behaviour upon arrival. DMOs and hotels can utilise such data and insights to track metrics, monitor campaign effectiveness, and implement necessary adjustments to reach the appropriate audience. Diversifying targeting strategies, rather than exclusively focusing on specific demographics, broadens the audience and facilitates engagement with individuals inclined to extend their stays or travel responsibly. AI technologies, including machine learning, enhance marketing strategies by leveraging contextual parameters and automated algorithms to better identify, engage, and scale sustainability messaging to intended audiences. This approach ensures that marketing budgets are spent effectively while driving personalised messages based on users’ behaviours and intent.
Rethink traditional solutions
On World Tourism Day, and with natural disasters and extreme environmental conditions commonplace worldwide, now more than ever is the time for travel marketers to rethink traditional solutions in favour of innovative, sustainable investments. By taking a short- and long-term approach, marketers can not only tackle ever-changing conditions but also adopt a comprehensive, sustainable-first approach that balances social, cultural, environmental, and economic factors to pave the path toward a sustainable future.
- Céline Chaussegros is managing director, Europe, at Sojern
- Miguel Gallego is head of marketing at the European Travel Commission