Holiday comparison website icelolly.com has partnered with social media specialist Trending Travel to create an ‘Inspire and Compare’ booking funnel.
It provides a new way for travel companies to acquire customers, connecting the content from Trending Travel with the holiday comparison tool of icelolly.com.
Launched amid the pandemic, Trending Travel now claims to have an average monthly reach of 21 million people through collaborations with social media influencers, celebrities and content creators to produce travel content for partner destinations, hotels and tour operators.
Customers inspired by certain destinations will be transferred directly to icelolly.com to explore holiday deals. When the preferred option is chosen, the platform leads customers to book on the sites of key tour operators and online travel agencies.
Richard Singer, Ice Travel Group chief executive, said the collaboration will introduce a “wider audience” to icelolly.com.
“This will allow us to continue to grow booking volumes via social media for our Atol-bonded travel partners,” he said.
“We believe this new ‘Inspire and Compare’ model will become a desired booking path for many holidaymakers as it provides a fast and simple route to the best package holiday deals to beach and city destinations they are inspired to visit.”
Steve Endacott, Trending Travel investor and board consultant, added: “By using engaging content and influencer-led marketing, Trending Travel have proved they can create a huge response to the current demand in the sector.
“By entering this partnership with Ice Travel Group, the response can be directly converted into bookings, making them an even more attractive partner for tourist boards, hotel partners and operators looking to generate both awareness and bookings.”
Keith Herman, Trending Travel chief executive, said: “Research shows that over 50% of Gen Z and millennials follow at least one travel influencer and 84% turn to influencers for travel recommendations. We are the ‘FOMO generator’ for travel.”
More: Ice Travel Group sees 2023 building but summer 2022 still dominates
Steve Endacott invests in Trending Travel influencer platform