3 Key Takeaways from FADMO: Destinations Florida Marketing Summit – 2022 Consumer Travel Trends
This past May, GroundTruth had the pleasure of attending the annual 2022 Destinations Florida Destination Marketing Summit — the largest gathering of Florida destination marketing organization executives and industry suppliers.
Now that summer travel is up and running again, it’s never been more important for travel and tourism business leaders to invest in new and innovative ways to promote the localities they work in. Consumer needs are shifting, so it’s imperative that travel and tourism brands and agencies stay tuned into how to best retain and attract new customers.
Here are 3 key takeaways we learned about 2022 Consumer Travel Trends gathered by attending the Florida Destination Marketing Summit:
Re-Imagined Travel: Consumers are Back in Control
Travel Industry Insight:
Now that many travel restrictions have lifted, friends and families are hitting vacation locations in record numbers.
According to UStravel.org, “Hotel and resort occupancies are reaching new highs – adjusting to almost pre-pandemic levels. For the first time since the start of the pandemic, travel spending ($100 billion) was 3% ABOVE 2019 levels in April 2022.” In addition to that, more than one-quarter (28%) of travelers plan to spend significantly more this summer over their 2019 travel budgets for marquee trips, due to higher prices as well as accumulated savings.
To learn more about marketing during a recession, listen to our Webinar.
Travel Industry Marketing Strategies:
Generate Awareness
Consumers are back in control of the travel market and are hungry for more. So what does that mean for travel and tourism companies? Gain consumer interest by generating awareness and demand at every level of the consumer journey. Start by building a comprehensive marketing plan: research your target customer, attract awareness, uplevel conversion, and then secure brand loyalty.
Be In-Market with Location-Based Marketing
If you’re not front and center with your key audiences, they’ll forget you. The consumer journey starts at the impression level​​. It’s important to get in front of the customer BEFORE they begin planning. Here are some location-based marketing strategies to get you started:
- Reach the right audience by using location, audience, and contextual targeting capabilities in real-time by activating mobile ads.
- Reach customers at home to influence future planning behaviors: Reinforce your brand messaging with CTV ads to reach customers at home.
- Leverage weather triggering targeting capabilities to entice and influence travelers to take actions.
Turn Insights Into Outcomes
Gather consumer insights and take action. Build custom insights using tools such as GroundTruth’s Blueprints technology to tell you where your audiences are coming from and their interests based on the places they visit and more.
Immersive Content is the Future
Travel Industry Insight:
According to Statista, “Over the past two decades, digitalization has been seen increasingly across most industries worldwide.The travel and tourism industry is no exception, with the emergence of the online travel market and increasing consumer demand for digital travel services.”
To learn more about marketing during a recession, listen to our Webinar.
Travel Industry Marketing Strategies:
Discover AR/VR Technologies
Immersive content is a new marketing format that relies on two technologies: virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). It gives travelers a unique way to experience and learn about places they are interested in visiting. Marketers who use immersive content can create virtual environments to build brand awareness as well as “call to actions” (CTA’s) that move consumers through the marketing funnel.
What’s transformative about AR/VR technology is that you can be transported to another world by experiencing simulations. Travel customers are now embracing this type of alternative reality technology. Different types of VR technologies seen across the market include VR products, immersive drone footage, augmented reality simulations, and more.
Leverage QR Codes
Over the last couple of years, QR codes have proven that they can be an effective engagement tool. And, well, they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. Remember: no one scans a QR code by accident, which means it can capture true engagement. Leverage QR Code overlays for CTV ads and live streaming promotions. Alternatively, supplement CTV spots with engaging ads to influence a decision to travel to your destination.
From a Cost-Conscious Consumer to a Value-Driven Consumer
Travel Industry Insight:
Consumers in 2022 are traveling and spending money, but also focusing on what travel experiences they are spending their money on and why. That’s why we present you with an updated concept of consumer personas: the value-driven consumer.
Before, cost-conscious consumers were controlling the market, fearing pandemic-related recessions, lockdowns and travel restrictions. Value-driven consumers are rethinking their priorities, perhaps rethinking career choices along with other life stage decisions. Now that summer is in full swing, and despite murmurs of a different recession, consumers are traveling and enjoying themselves, but they are also picking and choosing which experiences they participate in.
To learn more about marketing during a recession, listen to our Webinar.
Travel Industry Marketing Strategies:
Differentiate Yourself
Since travelers are interested in spending money now, all travel and tourism companies need to step up and differentiate themselves amongst the crowd of competitors. Whether going far or spending within their local communities, travelers are really taking the time to enjoy local community life, appreciating sustainability efforts, seeking out opportunities to give back, and more.
Consider providing experiences that support social impact efforts and relate to what your customers care about: use sustainable materials when possible, give back to communities, support local economies, and more.
There you have it! Three of the consumer travel trends for 2022 and the best marketing strategies to capitalize on these trends. If you ever need a location partner to help power your advertising campaigns, look no further. GroundTruth is one of the most trusted and effective ad platforms to work with to gain travel and tourism consumer insights, identify the right customers, and engage with them in a multitude of ways. Contact us today to find out how we can help you drive meaningful marketing results for your business.
