Nearly two thirds of Americans will take at least one trip between Thanksgiving and the New Year — and many say they’re willing to spend more to do so, according to the results of a survey conducted recently by online travel booking site Orbitz.
That means marketers trying to reach customers during this time will need to develop a cross-device strategy, a popular theme and challenge discussed at Adweek this year.
Highlights from the travel booking survey:
- Two thirds of travelers who said they are planning a trip will take at least one flight this holiday season.
- Christmas will be the most traveled holiday, with 68% of travelers planning a trip.
- Average airfares to the top 10 destinations are up 3% year-over-year.
- The average cost of a hotel room is projected to rise 3% compared with last year.
- Almost one third of travelers are willing to spend more than last year, while only 11% say they plan to spend less.
The survey also found that more Americans are using the winter holidays, traditionally a time for family, as a time to getaway from it all, including the large family gatherings of years past – good news for hospitality and lodging advertisers looking to boost end of the year sales.
Last year, AAA predicted that 94.5 million Americans would travel during the year-end holiday season, a slight uptick from 2012, indicating that economic concerns were being outweighed by the need to get away.
Many of those travelers are in search of the best deals available, making it important for marketers to reach them as they book their trips. Those who are flexible in their plans will likely see the greatest savings, according to Travelocity, giving marketers another angle for attracting customers.
As we pointed out in June, younger travelers are increasingly booking travel on their mobile devices, making it critical for marketers to reach across platforms. Because social media is playing a larger role in picking destinations, firms need to find a way to use these channels to target the next generation of travelers.
But understanding that mobile booking and social media are playing an increasing role isn’t enough. Savvy marketers are finding ways to track and monitor their campaigns, which can help them hone in on the strategies that work best and cut through the advertising clutter.
Applying what you’ve learned from past data and behavior analysis can help you better target your holiday ad spend. And with millions of travel dollars on the line, you can’t afford not to be successful.