Expenditure on programmatic advertising campaigns targeting Australian travel audiences grew by a massive 140 per cent year on year in 2017, according to new analysis by Eyeota.
Eyeota’s new Eye On: Travel report details consumer insights and trends for travel, as well as overall audience data expenditure growth.
The report shows that advertisers have evolved their data strategies in 2017, with 50 per cent of campaigns using niche audience segments to reach targeted customers.
Segmented into four different travel audiences, Eye On: Travel highlights the top interests and lifestyles that factor into consumer purchase motivations: family, budget, business and luxury.
Family travel planners prefer destinations where families can spend time exploring or unwinding together, preferring places like theme parks or nature parks, according to the report.
They are heavily influenced by seasonal events, such as summer or national holidays, and typically book their travels within three months of departure.
When researching getaways, they are 1.4 times more likely than the average traveller to look at ethical factors, such as fair trade, animal welfare, and environmental impact. They are also 1.2 times more likely to be driven by price, while also considering the convenience of travel.
The report also found that budget travellers are 77 per cent more likely than average to consider personal recommendations and online reviews important when planning holiday trips.
With price as a big factor in deciding when and where they go, they plan vacations around deals or sales, and don’t mind travelling during off-peak seasons.
They tend to lean towards more beach-oriented vacations or exotic destinations and are 1.2 times more likely than average to seek adventurous experiences.
Business travellers are 98 per cent more likely than average to consider frequent flyer or loyalty programs important when choosing an airline, the report found.
As frequent travellers, they prioritise convenience and experience, while also putting emphasis on value and quality when making a purchase. Business travellers tend to book their flights and accommodations within seven days of their departure.
Meanwhile, luxury travellers are 40 per cent more likely than average to be driven by ethical considerations, and prefer outdoor vacations on the beach, in nature or in the mountains.
They are creatures of habit, preferring to stick to routines and visit the same destinations. They are very brand loyal and make an effort to purchase flights from airlines with which they have loyalty programs.
In Australia, budget and business travellers are the most targeted audiences, with budget travellers making up 79 per cent of overall travel audience demand.
Further, the demand for business travel segments grew 2.4 times YOY. Travel agents, in particular, spent the most targeting travel audiences, increasing their demand 40 per cent YOY.
Globally, the report found that lifestyle targeting is accelerating. Travel brands looking to reach consumers are focusing more on lifestyle-based interest segments, although investment in general interest segments remain the highest.
Hotel brands and travel agents target a mix of demographic and lifestyle, aiming to influence travellers early in their planning phases.
They spend heavily on audience data for spring campaigns that target early summer planners, but tend to spend the most in mid-late autumn to reach end of year/holiday travellers.
Airlines have a similar data spending cycle as hotel brands and travel agents, but peak spending around last minute summer bookings. They highly prefer targeting based on intent and spending power segments, ranging from budget to business travellers.
Tourism boards engage the masses with targeting based on general travel interest. They are subject to more than seasonal events, including socio-political factors and, hence, target all year round.
