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• The Bannerflow Blog

Travel Marketing Campaigns: The 7 Best of All Time

The fallout from the COVID pandemic led to an understanding that travel marketing was going to have to work harder and smarter than it ever has before.

The industry had been ravaged by the pandemic. Restrictions prevented travel, holidaymakers were confined to their homes and, even as society began to unlock, consumers were wary of returning to post-pandemic travel behaviour.

That’s why it’s time for travel marketing and travel advertising to level up.

The best travel marketing campaigns and travel ads delight, entertain and entice consumers to step out the door and have an experience like no other. Now these campaigns are going to have to do all this and more.

But what makes a great travel marketing campaign? What are the best examples out there? And what can we learn from them?

In this article, we’ll look at the best travel marketing campaigns of all time, including:

• Inspired by Iceland – The Iceland Academy
• Doors of Thrones
• Fill Your Heart With Ireland
• The Oregon Tourism Commission
• Yodel Ay Hee Hoo
• Meliá Hotels International
• The worst travel marketing campaigns
• Essential strategies

The current state of travel marketing campaigns

The stats paint a bleak picture for the travel and tourism industry. Airlines alone lost in excess of $250 billion in 2020 , and experts predict it could take years for hotels to return to pre-COVID levels of business. While tourism spending is also set to take until this year to recover.

The good news is the green shoots of recovery are already appearing. After spending the best part of a year stuck in their homes, people want to travel again, even if it’s only domestically, to begin with.

There’s no escaping the fact that travel in a post-pandemic world is now a harder sell. It’s why the need for travel marketing campaigns with powerful, emotive storytelling that tugs on the heartstrings, captures a sense of adventure and creates a compelling experience has never been greater.

Right now, travel marketing campaigns and ads need to go further than they have previously. Marketers need to get even more savvy in terms of delivering the right message to the right people at the right time – and they need to do it at speed and scale.

Let’s take a look at what we think are some of the best travel marketing campaigns of all time and see what we can learn from them:

1. Inspired by Iceland

This won’t be the first time the travel industry has had to bounce back from a disaster. In 2010, the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökul closed the skies across Europe and led to many misconceptions about travel to the awe-inspiring country.

In response, the Icelandic government joined forces with the City of Reykjavík, airlines Icelandair and Iceland Express, Promote Iceland and about 80 other tourism-related companies to create the campaign Inspired by Iceland.

The campaign, which is still running, takes on different themes each year and has won numerous awards such as the Cannes Lion and ICCA.

The campaign blends humour (see the series of Iceland Academy videos and The Hardest Karaoke Song In The World – which has been viewed nearly 14 million times on YouTube) with the best of what Iceland has to offer. It strikes a tone that’s warm, engaging and often hilarious. It makes people smile and makes visiting Iceland seem like something everyone should do at least once in their life.

2. Doors of Thrones

Despite its stunning natural beauty and world-famous landmarks like the Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland has never been the easiest destination to sell. Due to Northern Ireland’s turbulent past, its travel marketing has had to work harder than most.

Thankfully, the result is some spectacular campaigns. None more so than the stunning Doors of Thrones.

In 2016, Storm Gertrude destroyed some of the trees that make up the iconic Dark Hedges, where the scenes on the Kingsroad were filmed for HBO’s smash hit, Game of Thrones.

Quick to find hope in the midst of a disaster, the fallen trees were carved into ten doors, each one to represent an episode from Season 6 of the show. These doors were then shipped across the country to different locations. They now make up a new experience called The Journey of the Doors.

It’s another example of turning a negative into a positive alongside combining real experiences with marketing mastery.

3. Fill Your Heart With Ireland

Sticking with the Emerald Isle, 2018 saw Tourism Ireland unveil an industry-first campaign. If great marketing and advertising centres around talking the hearts of the audience, then it doesn’t come more literal than the Fill Your Heart With Ireland campaign.

A married couple from Sweden, who had never visited Ireland before, wore custom-made tech to track their physiological responses on their trip around the country. Heart monitors were linked to head cams and the data from the heart rate monitors was used to determine what footage would feature in the advertising.

Here’s the result:

4. Travel Oregon

Travel Oregon has gained a reputation for creating some of the best campaigns going. From a tour guide in the shape of a robot fish through to satirical articles , Travel Oregon frequently combines print, sponsored post, social media, banner ads and video to profound effect.

Perhaps the icing on their incredibly impressive marketing cake is the Studio Ghibli-like video that re-imagines the US State as an ‘adventure dreamland.’

Their marketing consistently pushes boundaries, is fun and performs to perfection.

5. Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

From #Lookup the billboard campaign from British Airways to wonderful Europe, It’s Just Next Door campaign from SNCF , interactivity is playing an increasingly important role in travel marketing.

Pick of the bunch, however, is the Yodel Ay Hee Hoo gem from Graubünden Tourism in Switzerland. The highlight of the campaign was a live video stream from a mountain village into a train station which encouraged passers-by to engage in conversation with a man from the village.

It’s fun, quirky, and uses the best of modern technology to engage and surprise audiences.

6. Meliá Hotels International

Meliá Hotels International have pioneered the approach to digital display advertising , combining technical excellence with powerful messaging. Designed using Bannerflow Creative Studio , the Meliá Hotels International display ad features a range of unique interactive elements. What’s more each design element works together perfectly to drive the viewer to engage and drive a click to a specific landing page.

Asking audiences the question ‘Where do you want to go?’. The call to action button turns into a dropdown list when the user interacts with it – ensuring maximum engagement, and adding a personalised touch.

7. #LifeInHel

Yet another multi-award-winner, this integrated social and digital campaign was billed as the ‘world’s longest layover.’ The campaign, by Finnish airport operator Finavia, sought to demonstrate the best of Helsinki Airport – boosting its profile among travellers journeying between Europe and Asia.

Chinese influencer Ryan Zhu lived at Helsinki Airport for 30 days, uploading content to multiple channels on a daily basis. The total media coverage exceeded 2.2 billion in 2017 , the year the campaign was run.

The worst travel marketing campaigns of all time

For every travel marketing ‘win’ there’s been some spectacular losses too. Take a bow the tourism boards of Lithuania and Girona , both of whom fell foul of eagle eyed viewers when they used pictures from other places to promote their destination.

The Real is Beautiful campaign saw the country’s tourism chief resign. Why you ask? Images from Slovakia and Finland were used to promote Lithuania across social channels.  While, the Girona Tourism Board found themselves in hot water too. Get ready…for using a picture of a beach in the Bahamas to promote the Costa Brava. And their excuse?! They didn’t have photos of sufficient quality for the local area! Seriously, it’s lovely.

Top of the list of worst travel marketing campaigns of all time is the ill-fated collaboration between Hoover and JSI Travel in the early ‘90s. They ran a promotion where, if you bought a vacuum cleaner or washing machine worth at least £100, you’d get two free plane tickets to Europe or America (yes, you read that right).

Unsurprisingly, the campaign backfired spectacularly and nearly sent Hoover out of business. The campaign generated £30 million in additional sales but cost Hoover £50 million in flights.

Essential strategies: production automation and campaign management for travel marketing campaigns

When looking at the best travel marketing campaigns, there was one common factor that tied all of them together; storytelling . The best campaigns have a strong story and powerful narrative.

In today’s world, that story needs to be everywhere, all the time. This means control and consistency across all channels. Furthermore, display campaigns often need to change on-on-fly to remain customer-centric. And travel businesses face the added challenge of reducing costs, using data effectively, and being agile in changing legislation.

Production automation and campaign management are critical products to achieving this. Thanks to the technology behind industry-leading Creative Management Platform platforms (CMPs) , creative production can now easily be automated and scaled. It’s now possible to go from a single creative to an entire campaign spanning all formats and channels in minutes.

How, you ask? A CMP enables you to optimise, test and tailor ads at high speed – without the need for coding. This gives you the power and control to replace generic ads with many more personalised variations. Or you can use the time to experiment more!

This is global advertising with a personal touch. Giving your brand power to always keep messaging relevant to your target audiences and thus boost both click-through rates and ROI.

These stand-out campaigns combine technical excellence and execution with creativity and outside-the-box thinking. They put stories, emotion and connection first. They speak to the heart and engage the mind.

A Creative Management Platform like Bannerflow can help you do all of this at scale and at speed. With it, you’ll be able to consistently create campaigns that wow your audience and get the wanderlust flowing.

If you want to learn more about how Bannerflow can help power your digital advertising, get in touch for a demo and let us open the door to a new world of possibilities.

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The Travel Vertical

Weekly stories curated exclusively for digital tourism marketers

9 Brilliant Tourism Campaigns That Got the Most Views in Our Newsletter

October 29, 2019 by Laurie Jo Miller Farr Leave a Comment

Creative travel marketing campaigns that have stood out for readers of The Travel Vertical since we started publishing nearly four years ago.

Visit Seattle Breaks the Mold

How would an out-of-town artist describe this destination as a flavor of ice cream, a wallpaper design or an original song?  

Nebraska Tourism Shakes it Up with Hilarious New Campaign

Adopting a cheeky, self-deprecating point of view, with the attention-grabbing tagline, “Nebraska: Honestly, it’s not for everyone,” is the clever positioning for this “least likely to be visited state.” 

Tennessee Totally Crushes it with ‘Snap Your Way in’ Free Garth Brooks Concert

When the State of Tennessee launched its own Snapchat channel to engage Millennials, the destination needed a reason for them to want to follow, and a free Garth Brooks concert sent to smartphones via the platform was just the ticket.

Tennessee Department of Tourist Development: “The Colorblind Viewer “

The beauty of Tennessee fall foliage literally brought people to tears in emotional videos filmed in state parks. They were seeing color for the first time. Here’s how it worked and gained national attention, gaining hundreds of millions of views.

VisitLEX: A Horse Walks Into a Bar

Lexington, Kentucky is the Horse Capital of the World in the heart of bourbon country, so watch what happens when a horse wants a drink at the bar. The only thing that wasn’t big about this spring campaign idea was the 10K production budget.

You’ve Never Seen a Tourism Video Like This: Travel Oregon

Animated characters, fantastical sea creatures, mystical cloud people, and sky whales, accompanied by symphonic melodies in this 1:45–minute visual narrative for “Oregon. Only Slightly Exaggerated.”

Destination Pride Reimagines Rainbow Flag as Digital Dynamic

Canadian-based “Destination Pride” interprets the colored stripes on a rainbow flag as a bar graph to display the LGBTQ-related safety of a destination based on its equality laws.

‘I Am Not Wisconsin’ Says Michigan’s Upper Peninsula

Find out why @UpperPeninsula took to Twitter to challenge @MountainDew to customize a can for the region and the giant beverage company accepted the challenge.

“Come, But Please Don’t Tag Us,” Says Jackson Hole

Slowing the flow of Instagram hikers going off-trail and geo-tagging remote, fragile eco-locations at Delta Lake was the objective of #staywild and “Keep This Spot ‘Grammable.”

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• Success Cases

Top 10 Travel Marketing Campaigns & Innovations

Traveling is more than just a leisure activity; it's a massive global industry that contributes over $9 trillion to the world's economy. The competition among travel companies, airlines, and destinations is fierce, and standing out in the crowded market requires innovation and creativity. In this landscape, marketing campaigns have become vital tools for capturing attention and driving consumer behavior. From social media strategies to television commercials, successful campaigns have not only influenced travel decisions but also shaped travel trends and culture.

According to a recent study by the World Travel & Tourism Council, the right marketing campaign can increase destination visits by up to 20%. This has led to a surge in investment in creative and engaging campaigns that resonate with potential travelers. Some of the most iconic campaigns have transcended traditional marketing, turning into cultural phenomena, and inspiring a new wave of wanderlust. This article highlights the top 10 travel marketing campaigns that have done just that, analyzing the strategies and impact that put them ahead of the pack.

Top 10 Travel Marketing Campaigns

Campaign 10: "get out there" - kayak.

Kayak's "Get Out There" campaign aimed to inspire wanderlust among its audience. Through vibrant visuals, the ads showcased breathtaking destinations, from serene beaches to bustling cityscapes. Each advertisement carried a clear message – the world is vast, and every place holds a new experience waiting to be uncovered. The digital-first campaign was embedded with interactive tools: a user could click on an ad and immediately be led to flight and hotel options for the showcased destination.

Kayak's "Get Out There" campaign was a bold statement in the increasingly digital world of travel planning. By implementing an aggressive multi-channel strategy that reached over 20 million users, Kayak achieved a 12% increase in app downloads within the first quarter of the campaign's launch.

• Social Media Blitz: With targeted ads across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, they reached the millennial demographic, seeing a 30% growth in social media engagement.
• Influencer Partnerships: Collaboration with travel influencers provided authentic voices that resonated with potential travelers, resulting in a 15% increase in user-generated content tagged with their campaign hashtag.
• Interactive Website Features: A special landing page offered personalized travel suggestions, driving an 18% increase in site visits.

Campaign 9: "Travel Yourself Interesting" - Expedia

Expedia’s campaign took a playful and humorous angle. The core message was simple: Traveling makes you a more interesting person. Ads featured individuals recounting bland, everyday experiences, juxtaposed with their far more intriguing travel tales. One memorable ad showed a man boring his friends with tales of his lawn maintenance, only to later captivate them with stories of his trek in the Amazon Rainforest.

Expedia's "Travel Yourself Interesting" campaign became a sensation for its humorous take on self-improvement, leading to a 10% growth in global bookings during the campaign period.

• Television Commercials: The humorous ads were broadcasted in key markets, reaching an estimated audience of 50 million, with a 20% increase in brand recall.
• Digital Engagement: Interactive online quizzes and social media challenges contributed to a 25% spike in website traffic.
• Partnership with Travel Bloggers: Engaging bloggers added credibility and a personal touch, resulting in a wider reach and deeper connection with the target audience.

Campaign 8: "The Airbnb Concerts" - Airbnb

Airbnb wanted to emphasize that travel isn’t just about where you stay, but what you experience. This campaign married unique Airbnb accommodations with intimate live music performances. Think of a jazz concert in a historic New Orleans mansion or an indie rock performance in a sleek Tokyo loft. The campaign was about moments and memories, providing travelers not just a place to sleep but an experience to cherish.

Airbnb's "The Airbnb Concerts" was a revolutionary campaign that bridged the gap between travel, music, and community. Over 100 unique concerts were held in various Airbnb locations around the world, leading to a 40% increase in bookings among the participating properties.

• Live Concert Experiences: Hosting concerts in unusual Airbnb venues, such as treehouses and lofts, created unforgettable experiences, selling out 95% of the events.
• Social Media Engagement: Videos and photos from the concerts were shared widely, generating over 5 million views on YouTube and trending hashtags on Twitter.
• Influencer Participation: Collaboration with famous musicians and influencers added prestige and drew substantial media attention, reaching an estimated 60 million people through various channels.  

Campaign 7: "Do it for Denmark" - Spies Travels

With Denmark experiencing a declining birth rate, Spies Travels crafted a cheeky and bold campaign suggesting that Danes should travel more to romantic destinations to boost their chances of conceiving. The campaign videos humorously implied that being in a relaxed vacation mode away from the daily grind might lead to increased intimacy among couples, and thus, increase the country's birth rate.

Spies Travels' bold and unconventional "Do it for Denmark" campaign focused on Denmark's low birth rate, cleverly encouraging couples to travel and procreate. This campaign's success was reflected in:

• Media Coverage: Featured in over 300 international media outlets, generating buzz worth millions in free advertising.
• Sales Growth: A 10% increase in holiday bookings within the campaign period, especially in romantic travel packages.
• Viral Video: The campaign video was viewed over 10 million times on YouTube in the first month alone.
• Awards and Recognition: The campaign won several marketing awards, establishing Spies Travels as a creative leader in the industry.

Campaign 6: "Unborder" - Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)

The "Unborder" campaign showcased the power of travel to transcend boundaries, be they physical, cultural, or psychological. Using visually stunning videos and images, SAS celebrated the global citizen's mindset. Scenes showcased diverse landscapes and cultures, intertwined with travelers from various backgrounds meeting, sharing moments, and understanding one another's worlds.  

SAS's "Unborder" campaign celebrated cultural diversity and connectivity, aiming to break down borders in both a literal and metaphorical sense.

• Emotional Resonance: Surveys showed a 25% increase in positive brand perception among those exposed to the campaign.
• Global Reach: Multi-language content ensured an international reach, connecting with audiences in over 30 countries.
• Influence on Travel Patterns: The campaign contributed to a 7% growth in international flight bookings through SAS.
• Social Media Engagement: User-generated content and shared stories reached over 5 million social media users, strengthening community engagement.

Campaign 5: "Spend Your Days Off" - Project: Time Off

Addressing the widespread issue of burnout and the tendency of many individuals, especially in high-pressure jobs, to skip vacations, this campaign was a clarion call to prioritize well-being. Using a mix of stark statistics about unused vacation days and heartwarming content showing families and individuals rejuvenating through travel, the campaign's central message was clear: Time off is essential, not just a luxury.

The "Spend Your Days Off" campaign from Project: Time Off tackled a significant societal issue, encouraging people to value their vacation time and prioritize well-being.

• Impact on Public Opinion: The campaign reached over 100 million people, contributing to a shift in public opinion about the importance of taking time off.
• Partnerships with Major Brands: Collaboration with several travel and lifestyle brands increased the campaign’s visibility, contributing to a 15% increase in associated travel package sales.
• Social Media Activism: Through hashtags and viral challenges, the campaign mobilized social media users, generating over 1 million shares and comments.
• Research Integration: By incorporating research data on work-life balance, the campaign positioned itself as an authoritative voice, leading to numerous mentions in major media outlets.

Campaign 4: "You’re Not You When You're Hungry" - Snickers Australia

A delightful twist on Snickers' global campaign message, the Australian edition juxtaposed the idea of being 'hungry and irritable' with the fatigue of long travels. Strategically placed in airports and travel hubs, ads humorously showcased how hunger could transform a calm traveler into a frantic, disoriented mess, suggesting that a Snickers bar could save the day.

Travelers, already familiar with the global "You're Not You When You're Hungry" slogan, appreciated the localized twist and situational humor. The relatability of being hungry and irritable during travels struck a chord. 

• Location-specific Advertising: By targeting travelers at airports, Snickers saw a 15% increase in sales within these locations during the campaign.
• Social Media Impact: Shareable content reached 2 million online engagements within the first two weeks.
• Brand Alignment: Maintained Snickers' global campaign message, resulting in a 10% rise in brand recognition among the travel audience.

Campaign 3: "Live There" - Airbnb

Instead of being a mere tourist, Airbnb's "Live There" campaign invited travelers to live like locals. It showcased real Airbnb hosts sharing genuine experiences with guests — from cooking together to exploring hidden neighborhood gems. The campaign was a departure from cliched travel ads, focusing on authentic local interactions over touristy hotspots.

Airbnb's "Live There" encouraged travelers to immerse in local cultures, shifting focus from accommodations to experiences.

• User Engagement: The campaign’s app features increased user interaction by 20%, enabling travelers to customize their experiences.
• Global Reach: Spanned 18 different markets, contributing to a 12% increase in international bookings.
• Media Partnerships: Collaborations with travel magazines and influencers created a 25% uplift in media coverage and online discussions about Airbnb's experiential travel offerings.

Campaign 2: "Shot on iPhone 6" - Apple

Apple showcased the powerful camera of its iPhone 6, not through technical jargon, but by spotlighting stunning user-generated travel photos taken on the device. Billboards, print ads, and digital campaigns proudly displayed these images with the caption "Shot on iPhone 6," turning everyday users into celebrated photographers.

Apple's "Shot on iPhone 6" brilliantly transformed travel photography, showcasing breathtaking landscapes captured on the iPhone.

• User-generated Content: Over 10,000 user submissions in the first month, creating a vast community of iPhone photographers.
• Sales Impact: A 9% increase in iPhone 6 sales was attributed directly to the campaign during its running period.
• Awards and Recognition: Several accolades for marketing excellence affirm Apple's position as an innovator in both technology and marketing.
• Influence on Industry: The campaign set a trend in mobile photography, with other brands following suit.

Campaign 1: "It's More Fun in the Philippines" - Department of Tourism Philippines

This vibrant campaign used catchy slogans, colorful visuals, and infectious local music to promote the Philippines as a top travel destination. It showcased everything from the country's pristine beaches and natural wonders to its rich cultural festivities and the warmth of its people.

The slogan "It's More Fun in the Philippines" became an anthem for both locals and travelers. It captured the heart of what the Philippines offers — an unparalleled blend of beauty, culture, and hospitality. The country saw a significant surge in tourist arrivals, rejuvenating local businesses and attractions. The slogan found its way onto merchandise, social media trends, and even local parlance, truly marking the campaign's success in engraining itself into the global traveler's psyche.

• Tourism Growth: A staggering 20% increase in international tourist arrivals in the year following the campaign's launch.
• Economic Impact: An estimated $1 billion boost to the local economy, benefiting various sectors tied to tourism.
• Social Media Virality: The hashtag #ItsMoreFunInThePhilippines trended worldwide, with over 5 million uses on various platforms.
• Cultural Promotion: The campaign promoted local culture and natural beauty, creating a sustainable and responsible tourism model.

Break away from the common marketing tactics: Try Stories

One look at the top travel campaigns we've explored showcases a truth that cannot be ignored: individuality is a cornerstone of successful marketing. From Airbnb emphasizing local experiences to the vibrant charm of Philippine adventures, brands that present a unique, authentic message are the ones that resonate most powerfully with audiences.

As a brand, how do you craft a message that stands out in a saturated market? It's about making it personal. And in the digital age, personalization comes from interactive, engaging, and relatable content.

Try Mobile App Stories from InAppStories!   We take your user engagement and essential mobile metrics under control with our digital toolkit. But why does this matter for travel marketing?

• Immersive Experiences : Showcase your destinations with full-screen visuals and engaging narratives. Let your potential travelers experience a 'sneak peek' of their journey right from their mobile devices.
• Real-Time Engagement : With features like polls, sliders, and quizzes, you can gauge traveler preferences instantly. Want to know if they prefer beach holidays over mountain trekking? Just ask!
• Tailored Recommendations : Using the engagement data, offer personalized travel packages or deals that cater to individual preferences. If a user frequently interacts with beach holiday stories, send them a special offer on a seaside resort package!
• User-Generated Content : Encourage travelers to share their experiences through Stories within your app. There’s nothing more convincing than real travelers sharing authentic experiences.
• Stay Updated : Travel advisories, new destination launches, or special discounts – share time-sensitive information instantly through Stories.

InAppStory doesn’t just allow you to share content; it empowers you to create a dialogue, making your marketing efforts a two-way street. By leveraging this powerful tool, your travel brand can achieve a unique voice, one that listens as much as it speaks. Try them now and see how your mobile or web app will change.

10 Apr 15 BEST TRAVEL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS

The human spirit craves exploration. From the earliest voyages to uncharted territories to the modern-day weekend getaway, travel has woven itself into the fabric of our existence. But in a world saturated with stunning destinations and endless travel options, how do travel companies capture attention and convert that yearning for adventure into actual bookings? Enter the captivating world of travel marketing.

15 Best Travel Marketing Campaigns

Yodel Ay Hee Hoo – Switzerland Tourism (2017)

100% Pure New Zealand – New Zealand Tourism (1999 – Present)

Inspired by Iceland – Visit Iceland (2010)

Hello World, It’s Me, Tomorrow – Portugal Tourism (2017)

Live There – Airbnb (2017)

The Swedish Number – Sweden The Swedish Tourist Association (2016)

Best Job in the World – Queensland Tourism (2009)

Your Singapore – Singapore Tourism Board (2013)

Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering – Emirates (2016 – Present)

 Alaska – Built for Adventure – Alaska Travel Industry Association (2018)

  Malaysia – Truly Asia – Tourism Malaysia (2008 – Present)

Wilderness Safaris – &Beyond – AndBeyond (Ongoing)

Icelandair – Stopover in Iceland

#BeautifulDestinations – Booking.com (2016 – Present)

G Adventures – Make Travel Matter

What is Travel Marketing?

Travel marketing encompasses a broad range of activities aimed at promoting travel experiences and igniting the spark of wanderlust within potential travelers. It’s a multi-faceted strategy that can be broken down into three key areas:

• Destination Marketing:

This focuses on highlighting the unique appeal of a specific location, be it a bustling city, a secluded island paradise, or some country rich in history and culture. It’s about showcasing what makes that destination special and why it should be on a traveler’s bucket list.

• Product Marketing:

Here, the focus shifts to specific travel offerings provided by a company. This could include tours and activities, curated travel packages, unique accommodation options (like luxury cruises or boutique hotels), or even transportation services like airlines. The goal is to paint a picture of the incredible experiences a traveler can have by choosing a particular product.

• Brand Marketing:

This broader approach aims to build brand awareness and establish a positive image for a travel company. It’s about creating a feeling of trust, reliability, and excitement associated with the brand, making it the go-to choice for potential travelers planning their next adventure.

What is a Travel Marketing Campaign?

A travel marketing campaign is a focused, multi-channel effort designed to achieve specific marketing goals. It’s more than just throwing out a catchy slogan or a beautiful travel photo. Successful campaigns are meticulously planned and executed, utilizing a strategic mix of channels to reach the target audience and deliver a compelling message.

Here are some of the key goals travel marketing campaigns aim to achieve:

• Increasing Brand Awareness:

Sometimes, a company needs to get its name out there and establish itself within the travel industry. Campaigns aimed at brand awareness focus on making potential travelers aware of a specific destination or travel company, piquing their interest and keeping them top-of-mind for future travel plans.

• Generating Leads:

Not every person who sees a travel ad is ready to book a trip immediately. Lead generation campaigns aim to capture the interest of potential travelers, collecting their contact information (like email addresses) so that further marketing efforts can be directed towards them, nurturing their travel dreams and guiding them towards booking a trip.

• Driving Sales:

The ultimate goal of most travel marketing campaigns is to convert interest into bookings. This might involve promoting a limited-time offer on a specific travel package, highlighting seasonal travel deals, or offering exclusive discounts to incentivize immediate booking decisions.

A successful travel marketing campaign will possess three key characteristics:

Gone are the days of generic travel marketing messages. Modern campaigns are laser-focused, speaking directly to the interests, needs, and travel preferences of a specific demographic. This targeted approach allows for more relevant and impactful messaging, resonating deeply with the intended audience.

The travel industry is a visually stunning one. Standing out requires creativity in both visuals and messaging. Eye-catching imagery, engaging video content, and clever storytelling can capture attention, spark wanderlust, and differentiate a campaign from the rest.

• Measurable:

In today’s data-driven world, measuring the success of a marketing campaign is crucial. Metrics like website traffic, engagement rates, lead generation, and ultimately, conversion rates (bookings) help marketers understand how well their campaign is performing and whether it’s achieving its goals. This allows for adjustments to be made mid-campaign, ensuring optimal performance.

By focusing on these core principles, travel companies can craft compelling campaigns that not only grab attention but also translate into real-world results – more people booking dream vacations and exploring the wonders of our world.

15 Examples of Best Travel Marketing Campaigns: Case Studies in Inspiration

Travel marketing is a dynamic field, constantly evolving with new trends and technologies. To illustrate the effectiveness of various approaches, let’s delve into 15 of the most inspiring travel marketing campaigns in recent years:

1. Yodel Ay Hee Hoo – Switzerland Tourism (2017):

The “ Yodel Ay Hee Hoo ” campaign by Switzerland Tourism in 2017 is a prime example of how a travel marketing campaign can be successful by going beyond traditional advertising and creating a unique, interactive experience. Here’s a deeper look at why this campaign was so effective:

• The Element of Surprise:

Imagine your daily commute being unexpectedly interrupted by a man yodeling a catchy tune and inviting you on a day trip to the breathtaking Swiss Alps. This element of surprise is what made the Yodel Ay Hee Hoo campaign so memorable. It broke through the monotony of daily life and sparked curiosity, making people stop and pay attention.

• Highlighting the Ease and Beauty of Travel:

The campaign didn’t just showcase stunning scenery; it demonstrated how easy and accessible a trip to Switzerland could be. By whisking participants away on a whim, it emphasized the spontaneity and potential for adventure that Switzerland offers.

• Experiential Marketing:

This campaign transcended traditional advertising. It wasn’t just about showing beautiful pictures; it was about creating a real-life experience that allowed people to feel the beauty and excitement of Switzerland firsthand. Participants got to experience the yodeling culture, breathtaking scenery, and traditional Swiss activities, creating a lasting impression that a simple commercial could not.

• Social Media Buzz:

The campaign was filmed and shared online, creating a viral sensation. People were captivated by the unexpected adventure and the stunning visuals of Switzerland. This social media buzz generated significant earned media, further amplifying the campaign’s reach and impact.

• Targeting the Right Demographic:

While the surprising nature of the campaign could appeal to a broad audience, it likely resonated most with younger travelers and those seeking active, adventurous experiences. The focus on escaping the daily routine and immersing oneself in a new culture aligned perfectly with this target demographic.

The success of the Yodel Ay Hee Hoo campaign lies in its ability to move beyond static advertising and create a truly engaging experience. It captured the essence of Switzerland – a place of adventure, natural beauty, and a touch of surprise – in a way that resonated with potential travelers worldwide. This case study serves as a reminder of the power of surprise, experiential marketing, and social media in crafting truly impactful travel marketing campaigns.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Switzerland Tourism (@myswitzerland)

  2.  100% Pure New Zealand – New Zealand Tourism (1999 – Present):

The “ 100% Pure New Zealand ” campaign, launched in 1999 and still ongoing, is a masterclass in destination marketing. It’s a testament to the power of a consistent, well-defined brand message that resonates with travelers seeking adventure and connection with nature. Here’s a deeper dive into why this campaign has been so successful for over two decades:

• Simple Yet Powerful Messaging:

“100% Pure” is a clear, concise tagline that effectively captures the essence of New Zealand. It conveys a sense of clean, unspoiled nature, an ideal for travelers seeking an escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

• Stunning Visuals:

The campaign is heavily reliant on breathtaking visuals that showcase New Zealand’s diverse landscapes. From snow-capped mountains and pristine beaches to lush rainforests and geothermal wonders, the visuals paint a picture of a country offering something for every adventure seeker.

• Emotional Storytelling:

Beyond just showcasing scenery, the campaign weaves emotional storytelling into the visuals. It shows people enjoying activities like kayaking through crystal-clear waters, bungee jumping over dramatic canyons, or simply soaking in the serenity of a geothermal hot spring. This emotional connection taps into viewers’ desires for adventure, relaxation, and connection with nature.

• Focus on Activities:

The campaign doesn’t just depict idyllic landscapes; it highlights the activities travelers can experience in New Zealand. This caters to the modern traveler seeking an immersive experience beyond just sightseeing.

• Consistency and Longevity:

One of the key strengths of this campaign is its consistency. For over two decades, “100% Pure” has remained the central message, creating brand recognition and building trust with potential travelers. This consistency has allowed New Zealand to establish itself as a top destination for nature lovers worldwide.

• Adaptability:

While the core message remains consistent, the campaign has adapted over time to incorporate new trends and target audiences. The rise of social media has seen the inclusion of user-generated content, further enhancing the campaign’s authenticity and reach.

The “100% Pure New Zealand” campaign is a shining example of how travel marketing can be both simple and effective. By focusing on a clear brand message, stunning visuals, and emotional storytelling, the campaign has successfully positioned New Zealand as a must-visit destination for adventure travelers for over two decades. This case study highlights the importance of consistency, adaptability, and a deep understanding of the target audience in crafting a successful long-term travel marketing strategy.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Travel New Zealand With Me (@travelnewzealandwithme)

3.   Inspired by Iceland – Visit Iceland (2010):

The “ Inspired by Iceland ” campaign by Visit Iceland in 2010 is a prime example of how travel marketing can leverage the power of user-generated content (UGC) to achieve remarkable results. Here’s a closer look at why this campaign was so successful:

In April 2010, the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland erupted, causing significant travel disruptions and negative media coverage. Tourism to Iceland plummeted, leaving the travel industry facing a significant challenge.

Campaign Strategy:

To combat the negative perception and reignite interest in Iceland, Visit Iceland launched the “Inspired by Iceland” campaign. This innovative approach focused on empowering travelers to become brand ambassadors for Iceland.

• Call to Action:

The campaign encouraged travelers to share their photos, stories, and videos inspired by their Icelandic adventures. Visit Iceland provided a dedicated website and social media channels for sharing this content.

• Harnessing the Power of Authenticity:

By using UGC, the campaign showcased Iceland through the eyes of real travelers. This approach fostered a sense of authenticity and credibility that resonated more deeply with potential travelers than traditional advertising.

• Building Community:

The campaign fostered a sense of community among travelers who shared their love for Iceland. This online community engagement helped keep Iceland top-of-mind and create a positive buzz.

• Turning Negatives into Positives:

The campaign cleverly used the volcanic eruption as a starting point. They encouraged people to share photos not just of Iceland’s beauty but also of the ash plume, highlighting its natural wonders even during challenging times. This approach helped turn a negative event into a conversation starter and ultimately, a positive marketing opportunity.

The “Inspired by Iceland” campaign was a resounding success. The website received over 3 million visits, and user-generated content flooded social media platforms. This positive online buzz helped restore Iceland’s image and reignite interest in travel to the island nation.

This case study highlights the power of user-generated content in travel marketing. By empowering travelers to share their stories and experiences, the “Inspired by Iceland” campaign created a sense of authenticity and community that resonated deeply with potential travelers, ultimately leading to a successful recovery of the Icelandic tourism industry.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Inspired by Iceland (@inspiredbyiceland)

4.   Hello World, It’s Me, Tomorrow – Portugal Tourism (2017):

The “ Hello World, It’s Me, Tomorrow – Portugal Tourism ” campaign, launched in 2017, showcased Portugal’s unique appeal to a specific and growing demographic – digital nomads. Here’s a deeper look at why this targeted approach was so effective:

Campaign Goal:

Portugal Tourism aimed to attract digital nomads, location-independent professionals who work remotely while traveling the world. The campaign focused on highlighting features that cater to this specific travel style.

Creative Concept:

The campaign took a creative approach with a video showcasing Portugal as an ideal haven for remote workers.

•   Visual Storytelling:

The video featured stunning visuals of Portugal’s diverse landscapes, from charming coastal towns and historic cities to breathtaking countryside and vibrant co-working spaces.

• Focus on Practicalities:

Beyond showcasing beauty, the video emphasized the practicalities of working remotely in Portugal. It highlighted reliable internet connectivity, affordable living costs, and a relaxed lifestyle, all essential for digital nomads.

• Emotional Connection:

The video fostered an emotional connection by portraying a sense of community and productivity in Portugal. It depicted digital nomads enjoying a healthy work-life balance, exploring the country, and connecting with other remote workers.

Targeted Message:

The campaign’s tagline, “Hello World, It’s Me, Tomorrow,” cleverly addressed both the digital communication aspect of remote work and the idea of Portugal being a place for a fresh start and a productive work environment.

Campaign Impact:

While specific data on the campaign’s impact on attracting digital nomads is limited, it received positive industry recognition and media coverage. It successfully positioned Portugal as a viable option for remote workers, potentially influencing a segment of the travel market experiencing significant growth.

This case study highlights the importance of targeted marketing in the travel industry. By focusing on a specific demographic and their needs, the “Hello World, It’s Me, Tomorrow” campaign effectively resonated with digital nomads, showcasing Portugal as a destination that caters to their unique lifestyle and work requirements.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Visit Portugal (@visitportugal)

5. Live There – Airbnb (2017):

The “ Live There ” campaign by Airbnb in 2017 exemplifies the power of experiential travel marketing. It went beyond showcasing rentals and instead focused on the immersive experience of living like a local while traveling. Here’s a breakdown of the campaign’s success:

Airbnb aimed to differentiate itself from traditional hotels by highlighting the unique experience of staying in unique rentals and immersing oneself in local culture.

• Focus on Storytelling:

The campaign relied heavily on visual storytelling through videos and photos.

• Authentic Experiences:

The content showcased travelers staying in various Airbnb rentals, from charming apartments in bustling cities to rustic cabins nestled in nature. This emphasis on unique accommodations fostered a sense of authenticity and connection to the local environment.

• Activities and Culture:

The stories went beyond just the rentals. They depicted travelers participating in local activities, indulging in authentic cuisine, and interacting with local residents. This approach highlighted the opportunity to experience a destination like a local, not just a tourist.

The campaign aimed to evoke an emotional response in potential travelers. The visuals and stories captured the feeling of belonging, immersing oneself in a new community, and having a more meaningful travel experience.

Targeted Messaging:

The “Live There” tagline succinctly conveyed the campaign’s essence – experiencing a destination from the perspective of a resident, not just a visitor.

Impact on Airbnb:

The “Live There” campaign is considered one of Airbnb’s most successful marketing initiatives. It is credited with significantly boosting brand awareness and highlighting the unique value proposition of Airbnb rentals compared to traditional hotels.

This case study showcases the power of experiential travel marketing. By focusing on authentic experiences, local interaction, and a deeper connection to the destination, the “Live There” campaign resonated with travelers seeking more than just a sightseeing vacation. It successfully positioned Airbnb as a platform that facilitates an immersive and enriching travel experience.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Airbnb (@airbnb)

6. The Swedish Number – Sweden The Swedish Tourist Association (2016)

The “ Swedish Number ” campaign launched by the Swedish Tourist Association (STA) in 2016 is a unique example of how travel marketing can leverage human connection to spark interest in a destination. Here’s a closer look at what made this campaign so innovative and successful:

• The Core Concept:

The campaign offered a phone number that, when called from abroad, connected people to a random Swede. This unexpected human connection aimed to create a more personal and engaging experience compared to traditional advertising.

• Breaking Down Barriers:

The campaign bypassed traditional tourist information centers and guidebooks. It allowed potential travelers to ask questions, get recommendations, and hear firsthand stories about Swedish life and culture directly from a resident.

• Authenticity and Transparency:

By connecting with a real person, travelers gained a more authentic perspective on Sweden. This approach fostered trust and a sense of genuine connection, potentially surpassing information found in brochures or online.

•         Spark Curiosity:

The unexpected nature of the campaign undoubtedly sparked curiosity. People were intrigued by the opportunity to talk to a random Swede and uniquely learn about their country. This sense of novelty helped the campaign gain significant media attention.

•   Building Emotional Connection:

The human element played a crucial role. Hearing personal stories and recommendations from a resident could evoke a stronger emotional connection to Sweden compared to traditional marketing materials.

Campaign Results:

The “Swedish Number” campaign garnered international recognition and media coverage, generating significant earned media value. While the exact impact on tourist arrivals is difficult to measure, the campaign undoubtedly boosted Sweden’s profile as a tourist destination and highlighted the warmth and hospitality of its people.

Limitations:

It’s important to acknowledge the campaign’s limitations. The reliance on volunteers meant limited call center hours and potential language barriers. Additionally, the campaign’s effectiveness depended on the enthusiasm and communication skills of the participating Swedes.

Overall Impact:

Despite these limitations, the “Swedish Number” campaign remains a groundbreaking example of human-centric travel marketing. It successfully leveraged the power of personal connection and authentic storytelling to create a memorable experience for potential travelers, sparking their interest in visiting Sweden. This case study highlights the potential of innovative approaches that go beyond traditional advertising to create a more engaging and emotionally resonant connection with target audiences.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sweden (@toursweden)

7. Best Job in the World – Queensland Tourism (2009):

The “ Best Job in the World ” campaign launched by Queensland Tourism in 2009 is a prime example of a travel marketing campaign that captured global attention and achieved remarkable success. Here’s a deeper dive into what made this campaign so groundbreaking:

• Unique Job Offer:

The campaign offered a seemingly idyllic job – caretaker of a tropical island in Australia (Hamilton Island) for six months. This unique opportunity resonated with people’s desire for escape, adventure, and a beautiful work environment.

• Viral Marketing Potential:

The campaign cleverly leveraged the power of social media and online applications. The job listing attracted widespread online attention, generating significant buzz and media coverage.

• Global Reach:

By offering the job to applicants worldwide, the campaign transcended geographical boundaries and captured the imagination of people from all corners of the globe.

• Positive Brand Image:

The campaign associated Queensland with paradise, relaxation, and a laid-back lifestyle. It showcased the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef and the appeal of island living, boosting Queensland’s image as a dream vacation destination.

• Public Relations Success:

With over 34,000 applicants from around the world, the campaign generated significant earned media value. The global media frenzy surrounding the job selection process further amplified the campaign’s reach and impact.

Impact on Tourism:

While it’s difficult to isolate the exact impact on tourist arrivals, the campaign undoubtedly boosted awareness of Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef. It successfully positioned Queensland as a top travel destination for those seeking adventure, relaxation, and stunning natural beauty.

Legacy of the Campaign:

The “Best Job in the World” campaign remains a landmark example of creative and effective travel marketing. It showcased the power of a unique concept, social media engagement, and global reach to generate excitement and significantly increase brand awareness for a travel destination.

The Winner:

The lucky winner of the “Best Job in the World” was Ben Southall from the United Kingdom. His experiences as a caretaker were documented and shared online, further fueling the campaign’s success.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Queensland Tourism Industry Council (@theqtic)

8. Your Singapore – Singapore Tourism Board (2013):

The “ Your Singapore ” campaign launched by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in 2013 focused on personalization and catering to diverse traveler preferences. Here’s a breakdown of the campaign’s approach:

• Shift from Mass Marketing:

This campaign marked a shift from traditional mass marketing strategies. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, “Your Singapore” aimed to provide potential travelers with personalized recommendations and itineraries based on their interests.

• Interactive Platform:

The campaign utilized an interactive online platform where visitors could answer questions about their travel preferences. This information was then used to suggest personalized itineraries, attractions, and experiences aligned with their interests.

• Focus on Diversity:

Singapore’s diverse cultural tapestry and range of attractions were central to the campaign. The platform highlighted options for history buffs, foodies, nature lovers, adventure seekers, and families, catering to a broad range of traveler types.

• Content Marketing:

The campaign went beyond just recommendations. It offered rich content like blog posts, videos, and interactive maps showcasing the various facets of Singapore. This content provided valuable information to potential travelers and helped them plan their personalized Singapore experience.

• Social Media Integration:

The campaign leveraged social media platforms to encourage user-generated content and foster a sense of community. Travelers were encouraged to share their “Your Singapore” experiences using a designated hashtag, further amplifying the campaign’s reach.

Impact of the Campaign:

While specific data on the direct impact on tourist arrivals for 2013 might be limited, the “Your Singapore” campaign was well-received within the travel marketing industry.

• Increased User Engagement:

The interactive platform reportedly saw significant user engagement, suggesting a growing interest in personalized travel experiences.

• Positive Industry Recognition:

The campaign earned recognition for its innovative approach and its focus on catering to diverse traveler needs.

The “Your Singapore” campaign serves as an example of how travel marketing can adapt to the evolving needs of travelers. By prioritizing personalization, user interaction, and rich content, the campaign aimed to empower travelers to create their own unique Singapore experience. This approach remains relevant in today’s travel landscape, where travelers increasingly seek customized and authentic experiences.

Voir cette publication sur Instagram Une publication partagée par Singapore Tourism Board (@stb_sg)

9. Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering – Emirates (2016 – Present):

The “ Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering ” campaign, launched in 2016 and still ongoing, is a successful example of an airline marketing strategy that goes beyond simply selling flights. It focuses on inspiring wanderlust and positioning the Emirates as the gateway to exploring the world in style.

Campaign Pillars:

• Luxury Travel Experience:

The campaign emphasizes the luxurious travel experience offered by Emirates. This includes showcasing their spacious cabins, award-winning in-flight entertainment systems, and impeccable service.

• Global Network and Destinations:

Emirates boasts an extensive global network, connecting travelers to a wide range of exciting destinations. The campaign highlights this vast network, showcasing the diverse cultures and experiences awaiting travelers at their chosen Emirates flight’s end.

• Experiential Focus:

While luxurious travel is a key theme, the campaign doesn’t stop at onboard comfort. It also focuses on the experiences travelers can have at their destinations. This can include showcasing iconic landmarks, cultural activities, and breathtaking landscapes, all accessible through Emirates flights.

The campaign aims to evoke an emotional response in potential travelers. Vivid visuals and captivating storytelling inspire viewers to dream about exploring new destinations and create lasting travel memories.

• Slogan – “Keep Discovering”:

The campaign’s tagline, “Keep Discovering,” encourages a sense of exploration and the joy of uncovering new places. It positions Emirates as the travel partner that facilitates this continuous exploration of the world.

 While measuring the campaign’s direct impact on bookings can be challenging, it has undoubtedly achieved positive results for Emirates.

• Brand Awareness:

The long-running campaign has helped maintain Emirates’ brand recognition as a premium airline globally.

The focus on luxury, diverse destinations, and enriching experiences fosters a positive brand image for Emirates, appealing to travelers seeking a sophisticated and enriching travel experience.

• Social Media Engagement:

The campaign is likely integrated with Emirates’ social media channels, potentially encouraging user-generated content and fostering a community of passionate travelers who choose Emirates for their journeys.

Overall, the “Fly Emirates. Keep Discovering” campaign demonstrates the effectiveness of airline marketing strategies that go beyond selling flights. By appealing to travelers’ desire for luxurious experiences, diverse destinations, and the joy of exploration, Emirates positions itself as the preferred choice for globetrotters seeking unforgettable adventures.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Emirates (@emirates)

10. Alaska – Built for Adventure – Alaska Travel Industry Association (2018)

The “ Alaska – Built for Adventure ” campaign launched by the Alaska Travel Industry Association (ATIA) in 2018 aimed to position Alaska as the ultimate destination for adventure travelers. Here’s a breakdown of the campaign’s strategy:

• Target Audience:

This campaign targets thrill-seekers and adventurous tourists. The tagline “Built for Adventure” and the focus on outdoor activities leave no room for doubt.

• Highlighting Alaska’s Unique Landscape:

Alaska boasts stunning natural beauty with mountains, glaciers, forests, and diverse wildlife. The campaign likely showcased these breathtaking landscapes to entice potential travelers seeking adventure amidst untouched wilderness.

• Focus on Outdoor Activities:

Alaska offers a plethora of adventure activities like hiking, kayaking, fishing, glacier climbing, and wildlife viewing. The campaign presumably highlighted these activities, appealing to travelers who enjoy an active vacation.

• Action-Oriented Messaging:

The campaign’s title itself is action-oriented, using verbs like “built” to suggest that Alaska is specifically designed for adventure. This messaging likely resonated with travelers seeking a physically and mentally stimulating vacation.

• Potential Marketing Channels:

The campaign details from 2018 are limited, but it likely utilized a combination of marketing channels to reach its target audience. This could have included online advertising, travel brochures, social media marketing, and partnerships with adventure travel companies.

Campaign Effectiveness:

While specific data on the campaign’s impact on tourist arrivals might be difficult to find, it likely resonated with adventure travelers seeking an active and adrenaline-filled vacation.

• Positioning Alaska:

The campaign likely helped solidify Alaska’s image as a premier adventure travel destination.

• Appeal to a Specific Niche:

By focusing on adventure, the campaign effectively targeted a specific audience segment within the broader travel market.

Overall, the “Alaska – Built for Adventure” campaign serves as an example of a travel marketing campaign that caters to a specific niche. By highlighting Alaska’s unique natural beauty and its abundance of adventure activities, the campaign effectively targeted thrill-seekers and positioned Alaska as a must-visit destination for those seeking an active and unforgettable vacation.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Allen Marine Tours (@allenmarinetoursak)

11. Malaysia – Truly Asia – Tourism Malaysia (2008 – Present)

The “ Malaysia – Truly Asia ” campaign, launched in 2008 and still ongoing, is a successful example of a travel marketing campaign that captures the essence of a destination’s rich cultural tapestry. Here’s a deeper look at why this campaign has resonated with travelers for over a decade:

• Celebrating Diversity:

Malaysia is a multicultural nation with a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and indigenous influences. The “Truly Asia” tagline effectively conveys this diversity, highlighting the unique cultural experiences awaiting travelers in Malaysia.

• Appeal to a Broad Audience:

By celebrating its multicultural heritage, the campaign appeals to a broad range of travelers interested in exploring different cultures, cuisines, and traditions. This inclusivity allows Malaysia to attract visitors seeking experiences beyond just beautiful beaches and rainforests.

• Authentic Cultural Experiences:

The campaign likely goes beyond just slogans and showcases authentic cultural experiences in Malaysia. This could involve traditional festivals, performances, cuisine, and historical landmarks, allowing travelers to immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of Malaysian culture.

• Visual Storytelling:

Vivid visuals showcasing Malaysia’s diverse landscapes, cultural celebrations, and friendly people likely play a key role in the campaign. These visuals can spark curiosity and entice potential travelers to experience the beauty and vibrancy of Malaysia firsthand.

• Long-Term Consistency:

One of the key strengths of this campaign is its consistency. For over 15 years, “Truly Asia” has remained the central message, creating brand recognition and establishing Malaysia as a destination offering a true Asian experience.

Attributing a specific number of tourists to the campaign is difficult. However, “Truly Asia” has undoubtedly played a significant role in boosting Malaysia’s tourism industry:

• Increased Tourist Arrivals:

Malaysia has seen a steady increase in tourist arrivals since the campaign’s launch, solidifying its position as a top tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

The campaign has fostered a positive brand image for Malaysia, highlighting its cultural richness, hospitality, and diverse offerings for travelers.

Overall, the “Malaysia – Truly Asia” campaign serves as a successful example of destination marketing that celebrates diversity. By effectively capturing the essence of Malaysia’s multicultural heritage, the campaign has resonated with travelers worldwide, positioning Malaysia as a must-visit destination for those seeking a truly Asian experience.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tourism Malaysia (@malaysia.truly.asia)

12. Wilderness Safaris – AndBeyond (Ongoing):  

Wilderness Safaris is leading provider of luxury safaris in southern Africa, known for its commitment to conservation and responsible tourism.  &Beyond was launched to offer  unique travel experiences in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America.

Here’s a breakdown of their marketing approaches:

Wilderness Safaris:

• Focus on Sustainability and Conservation:

Wilderness Safaris prioritizes responsible tourism practices and actively contributes to conservation efforts in Africa. This might be reflected in campaigns that showcase their commitment to protecting wildlife and their habitats.

• Luxury Safari Experiences:

They offer high-end safari experiences in pristine wilderness locations. Their marketing might emphasize the exclusivity, personalized service, and luxurious accommodations offered on their safaris.

• Unique Destinations and Activities:

Wilderness Safaris operates in various African countries, offering diverse safari experiences. Their marketing could highlight specific destinations, wildlife viewing opportunities, and unique activities like walking safaris or cultural encounters.

&Beyond might utilize storytelling to connect with potential travelers. This could involve sharing stories from guests, guides, and local communities, fostering an emotional connection with the destinations and experiences offered.

While there might not be a specific joint campaign between Wilderness Safaris and &Beyond, both companies are leaders in luxury travel and responsible tourism. Their marketing strategies likely focus on similar themes of luxury, adventure, and a deep connection with nature.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marion Payr | Austria | ladyvenom (@marionpayr)

13. Icelandair – Stopover in Iceland:

Icelandair’s “Stopover in Iceland” program is a brilliant marketing strategy that capitalizes on the airline’s geographical location to offer travelers a unique travel opportunity. Here’s a breakdown of why this program is so successful:

• Turning Layovers into Adventures:

For many travelers flying between Europe and North America, Icelandair offers the chance to extend their journey and explore Iceland for up to seven days at no additional airfare. This transforms a layover into a potential vacation destination.

• Showcasing Iceland’s Beauty:

Icelandair likely leverages marketing campaigns to showcase the stunning natural beauty of Iceland, from glaciers and waterfalls to geothermal wonders and the Northern Lights. This entices travelers to break up their journey and experience Iceland’s unique landscapes.

• Appealing to Diverse Interests:

Iceland offers a variety of activities for travelers, from hiking and glacier walks to exploring historical sites and soaking in geothermal pools. The marketing might highlight these diverse offerings to cater to a broad range of interests.

• Cost-Effective Option:

The fact that travelers can explore Iceland at no additional airfare makes this program a highly cost-effective way to add another destination to their trip. This is a significant advantage, especially for budget-conscious travelers.

• Convenience and Flexibility:

The program’s flexibility allows travelers to customize their Iceland stopover to fit their schedule and interests. They can choose the duration of their stay and potentially book tours or activities directly through Icelandair.

• Increased Revenue:

While offering a stopover at no extra flight cost might seem counterintuitive, Icelandair benefits by potentially selling additional services like checked baggage, seat upgrades, or in-flight meals. Additionally, travelers exploring Iceland might spend money on accommodation, tours, and activities, boosting the local economy.

Overall, Icelandair’s “Stopover in Iceland” program is a win-win situation for both travelers and the airline. Travelers get the chance to explore a breathtaking destination at a minimal cost, while Icelandair benefits from increased revenue and potentially attracting new customers to fly with them.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Icelandair (@icelandair)

14. #BeautifulDestinations – Booking.com (2016 – Present)

Booking.com’s “ #BeautifulDestinations ” campaign, launched in 2016 and still ongoing, is a prime example of leveraging user-generated content (UGC) for successful travel marketing. Here’s a breakdown of the campaign’s strategy:

• Platform for User-Generated Content:

The campaign encourages travelers to share photos and videos of their travel experiences on social media platforms using the hashtag #BeautifulDestinations. This user-generated content becomes a valuable marketing tool for Booking.com.

• Showcasing Diverse Destinations:

By relying on user-generated content, Booking.com showcases a vast array of beautiful destinations worldwide. This allows them to cater to a broad audience with diverse travel interests.

• Authenticity and Trust:

User-generated content is often perceived as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional advertising. Seeing real travelers enjoying themselves in various locations can be more convincing than staged promotional photos.

• Engaging with Travelers:

The campaign encourages user participation and fosters a sense of community among travelers. Booking.com might curate and repost user-generated content, creating an engaging social media presence.

• Increased Brand Awareness:

A steady stream of user-generated content with the #BeautifulDestinations hashtag increases Booking.com’s brand awareness and social media reach. This can potentially attract new users to their platform.

• Data Collection and Targeting:

Booking.com might leverage the user-generated content and hashtags to collect valuable data on travel trends and user preferences. This data can then be used for targeted marketing campaigns, suggesting destinations and accommodations likely to appeal to specific user segments.

Quantifying the campaign’s direct impact on bookings is difficult. However, it has likely yielded positive results for Booking.com:

• Enhanced Social Media Presence:

The campaign has likely contributed to a more active and engaging social media presence for Booking.com.

• Valuable User-Generated Content:

The user-generated content provides Booking.com with a vast library of authentic visuals and potentially valuable customer insights.

The campaign fosters a positive brand image for Booking.com, portraying them as a platform that connects travelers with beautiful destinations worldwide.

Overall, Booking.com’s “#BeautifulDestinations” campaign demonstrates the power of user-generated content in travel marketing. By encouraging user participation and leveraging the beauty and diversity captured by travelers themselves, Booking.com has created an engaging and effective marketing strategy for the digital age.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Booking.com (@bookingcom)

15. G Adventures – Make Travel Matter

G Adventures’ “ Make Travel Matter ” campaign isn’t just a catchy tagline; it’s a core philosophy that underpins their approach to travel. Here’s a breakdown of what makes this approach unique:

• Focus on Community Tourism:

G Adventures prioritizes experiences that benefit local communities. They partner with local businesses for tours and accommodations, ensuring a larger portion of tourist dollars stays within the destination.

• Sustainable Practices:

The company is committed to minimizing its environmental impact. This might involve using local transportation, supporting eco-lodges, and promoting responsible waste management practices.

• Cultural Sensitivity:

G Adventures aims to foster genuine cultural exchange. They educate travelers about local customs and traditions, encouraging respectful interactions with local communities.

• Giving Back:

The company supports various social and environmental initiatives in the destinations they operate in. This could involve partnering with local NGOs, supporting conservation efforts, or contributing to community development projects.

• Small Group Tours:

G Adventures is known for its small group tours, which allow for more personalized experiences and minimize environmental impact compared to larger tour groups.

• Appeal to the Modern Traveler:

Many modern travelers are increasingly conscious of the impact of tourism. G Adventures’ focus on responsible travel resonates with this segment, offering a way to explore the world while giving back.

Benefits of G Adventures’ Approach:

Travelers gain a deeper understanding of local cultures and connect with local communities in a meaningful way.

• Positive Impact:

Tourism dollars directly benefit local economies and support initiatives for a more sustainable future.

• Memorable Travel Experiences:

G Adventures aims to deliver unique and enriching experiences that go beyond typical sightseeing tours.

• Brand Differentiation:

Their commitment to responsible tourism sets G Adventures apart from traditional travel companies and appeals to a specific niche of eco-conscious travelers.

Overall, G Adventures’ “Make Travel Matter” campaign is more than just marketing. It’s a philosophy that creates a win-win situation for travelers, local communities, and the environment. By offering responsible travel experiences that give back, G Adventures caters to the growing demand for sustainable and meaningful travel experiences.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by G Adventures (@gadventures)

What is the importance of a Travel Marketing Campaign?

In a world overflowing with stunning destinations and endless travel options, travel marketing campaigns play a vital role in the success of the travel industry. Here’s why they’re so important:

• Igniting Wanderlust and Inspiring Travel:

Effective travel marketing campaigns go beyond just showcasing locations. They use creative storytelling, captivating visuals, and targeted messaging to spark the spark of wanderlust in potential travelers. They paint a picture of unforgettable experiences, igniting a desire to explore and discover new places.

• Standing Out in a Crowded Marketplace:

The travel industry is fiercely competitive. Travel marketing campaigns help companies differentiate themselves from the crowd. By highlighting unique offerings, focusing on specific niches, and utilizing creative approaches, campaigns can grab attention and make a lasting impression on potential travelers.

• Driving Sales and Bookings:

Ultimately, the goal of most travel marketing campaigns is to convert interest into bookings. Campaigns can achieve this by promoting special offers, highlighting seasonal travel deals, or offering exclusive discounts that incentivize immediate action

• Building Brand Awareness:

Travel marketing campaigns aren’t just about immediate bookings. They also play a crucial role in building brand awareness for travel companies and destinations. Consistent, well-executed campaigns keep a company or location top-of-mind for potential travelers, influencing their travel decisions down the line.

• Understanding Target Audiences:

Travel marketing campaigns allow companies to gain valuable insights into their target audience. By analyzing user engagement with campaigns, travel companies can learn about traveler preferences, interests, and booking behaviors. This data can then be used to refine campaigns and ensure they resonate more effectively with the right people.

• Creating a Community:

Travel marketing campaigns can foster a sense of community around travel. Utilizing social media and encouraging user-generated content creates a platform for travelers to connect, share experiences, and inspire one another. This fosters a sense of belonging and excitement around travel, further fueling the desire to explore.

In conclusion, travel marketing campaigns are the engine that drives the travel industry. They play a crucial role in inspiring travel dreams, promoting destinations and companies, and ultimately, turning those dreams into reality. As travel continues to evolve, marketing campaigns will undoubtedly continue to adapt and innovate, ensuring a future filled with exploration, discovery, and unforgettable travel experiences.

These 15 travel marketing campaigns showcase the creativity and innovation employed to capture attention and inspire wanderlust. They demonstrate the importance of understanding your target audience, crafting a compelling message, and utilizing the right channels to reach potential travelers. By following these principles and staying abreast of the evolving marketing landscape, travel companies can craft campaigns that not only win awards but also achieve their ultimate goal – inspiring people to explore the world and create unforgettable travel experiences.

In today’s interconnected world, travel marketing plays a crucial role in fueling our collective desire to explore. As technology continues to evolve and consumer preferences shift, travel marketing campaigns will undoubtedly continue to adapt and innovate, inspiring us to dream, discover, and embark on life-changing journeys.

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10 best travel ads that will make you book your next vacation in seconds

July 9, 2024

As the world recovers from the pandemic, travelers are keener than ever to find their next vacation spot. And the companies’ and countries’ tourist offices are wasting no time trying to attract as many visitors as possible to their destinations. 

To show you some of the true gems in travel advertising, we’ve put together a list of the 10 best travel marketing campaigns that will make you want to book your next holiday ASAP. Plus, a little background on tourism marketing.

So let’s dig in!

What is tourism marketing?

Tourism marketing refers to strategically promoting travel destinations, attractions, and services to potential visitors.

As part of tourism marketing, companies from the various aspects of the tourism industry develop targeted marketing campaigns on various channels to spread compelling messages to attract tourists.

Whether it’s a travel brochure or a video ad each tourism campaign aims to increase awareness, generate interest, and ultimately drive visits from local and international visitors.

10 best tourism marketing campaigns

Here are the ten best tourism campaigns and ads:

1. Switzerland – Yodel Ay Hee Hoo

Is there a better way to promote the countryside than by inviting various people from a train station to spontaneously take a day off from work and enjoy the beautiful and peaceful Alps?

That’s exactly what the Switzerland tourist office did in one of their endearing tourism campaigns and sent the important message of how often we forget to take a step back to relax from our busy daily schedules. 

The creators made the travel ad even more authentic by live streaming from the Alps, with an elderly man inviting everyone from the Zurich train station to come join him. 

Intending to inspire travelers, this innovative approach caught daily commuters off guard and made them question whether to take a free daily ticket to the Alps or to continue their regular trip to work. 

2. Travel Oregon – Only Slightly Exaggerated 

Whether you’re watching an ad for the latest toothpaste or a fantastic new trip destination, they all have one thing in common – they exaggerate how great they are. 

Travel Oregon used this common motive in their “Only Slightly Exaggerated” tourism campaign to paint Oregon as a unique, dreamy, cartoon-like destination. 

The ad shows that Oregon mountains are more magical than anywhere else, rivers hide secrets never seen, and the streets offer entertainment like nowhere else. Just like in your childhood dreams! 

3. Iceland – OutHorse Your Emails

Being able to disconnect from work when on vacation is something that many of us struggle with these days. Luckily, Iceland found a perfect solution for the problem – outsourcing your emails to Icelandic horses. All you have to do for that is come to Iceland, and the rest will be taken care of.

This quirky ad is an amazing example of how creative and funny countries can get in attracting new tourists. 

4. Sweden – Spellbound

Have you heard of Dark Tourism? If you’re a fan of horror stories and mystic movies, then you certainly did! And you’ll absolutely love what Visit Sweden released this year as an attempt to attract a specific target audience with their unique tourist marketing campaign.

Their Spellbound campaign invites mystique lovers to Sweden to explore beautiful nature while enjoying the unique experience of listening to a chilling audio story. The campaign was set up so that a Spotify playlist would only become available to visitors once they came to a specific location. 

This way, they had to visit the location to get the unforgettable and scary experience. Who would’ve thought that horror stories could be such a great way to advertise a country?

5. Tourism Ireland – What Fills Your Heart?

You can never go wrong with a heartwarming tourist marketing campaign that celebrates good spirits, brings nostalgia, and connects people to the nature and the culture of one place. Tourism Ireland managed to do all that in one of their recent campaigns titled “What Fills Your Heart?”

In a series of ads with famous Irish actresses in the main roles, including Derry Girls and Sharon Horgan , the Irish tourist board told the story of Irish history, culture, and customs. 

Source: youtube.com

6. Vienna – What Does A Belly Do In Vienna?

There is no better place for a hungry and heartbroken belly to indulge in life’s beauties than Vienna. That’s the story Vienna’s tourist board told in their highly creative and surrealistic short film. 

As the belly walks through the streets of Vienna, trying to forget his dear human who didn’t treat him well, we get a glimpse of what tourists can see and enjoy during their next visit to the city. 

The creator’s unique approach to promoting Austria’s capital wins the creativity award and is an excellent magnet for new tourists. 

7. Only in Scotland – Why Scotland Needs You

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries struggled to attract tourists. People were concerned about their safety and if the location could provide memorable experiences despite numerous restrictions. 

At that time, Scotland released a beautiful ad showing why Scotland needs people while showing tourists why they’re the ones who actually need a holiday in this astonishing place. The ad is in the spirit of hope, serenity, and relaxation – everything people needed during the pandemic. 

8. KLM – Live Hologram Bar

Imagine spending hours at the airport talking to almost anyone in the world. You could learn about different cultures, what to visit in your next destination, or chat to make the time go by faster. 

In their 2019 marketing campaign, KLM placed hologram bars in airports around the world and allowed travelers from different parts of the world to connect and exchange their stories. Not a bad way to spend your time waiting for your next plane. 

9. Croatia Full of Life – Ode To Joy

What is a summer vacation in Croatia other than your own yearly ode to joy? 

This famous symbolic motif is what Croatian Tourist Board chose for the promotional campaign in 2012, and earned a prestigious travel industry ‘Oscars’ award, ‘Das Goldene Stadttor,’ at the International Tourism Film Festival. 

Beethoven’s inspiring music narrative, led by cellist Ana Rucner carries the video highlighting the rich cultural, historical, and natural heritage of Croatia as well as many Croatian beauties. 

10. Chicago Not in Chicago

In 2022, Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced the launch of the “Chicago Not in Chicago” campaign to show how Chicago has inspired many other iconic cities worldwide. 

This creative campaign featured city tour buses across major US cities where people got a tour of Chicago instead of the city they were visiting. And by first confusing and then entertaining the visitors, the campaign sent a powerful message that every city has a story – a Chicago story. 

Final thoughts

When it comes to travel marketing campaigns, the sky’s the limit. Countries and companies can use many different sources of inspiration to tell unique stories about a location or a travel service. 

And these travel marketing campaigns are a great example of how creativity combined with emotional appeal is a recipe for success. The only question remains: “In which of these locations did you book your next vacation?”

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Home » News » The best travel marketing campaigns ever

The best travel marketing campaigns ever

In this guest post, managing director of Seven Communications and travel expert, Heather Mollins (pictured below) reveals her all-time favourite travel marketing campaigns…

It’s hard not to be passionate about travel, right? At Seven  Communications we love new adventures but we also love working in the industry and representing some of Australia’s leading travel brands.

Whilst the subject matter of the sector is easy to get excited  about, it’s also big business. Travel and tourism’s direct contribution to global GDP is valued at $2.3 trillion and employs more people than mining and financial services globally.

It is then with little doubt so many travel brands invest  in clever marketing. Here I roundup our favourite travel marketing campaigns of all time.

KLM Surprise Surprise

KLM has produced some memorable social media and PR campaigns  – none less so than their Surprise  campaign.  After listening to social media  conversations where people had mentioned they were taking a KLM flight, they used the information from personal profiles to purchase thoughtful gifts that were then presented to passengers.

  One woman, who was going hiking in Rome, was given a watch  that tracks distances and walking speed; a man traveling to Mexico to build houses for the homeless was given a care package of muscle ointment and adhesive bandages; an elderly woman traveling alone was upgraded to first class seating.

  The reaction from just 40 gifts drew over 1 million views  to the KLM Twitter feed and content was widely viewed on YouTube and through media coverage.

Tourism Queensland Best Jobs in the World

You can’t round up the best travel campaigns of all time,  and not mention Tourism Queensland’s Best Jobs in the World campaign.

When the campaign launched in January 2009, I was living through  a particularly cold London winter and will never forget the picture perfect image of the Great Barrier Reef on the front page of free commuter newspaper The Metro .  Nothing made me want to visit Australia more!

The campaign received 35,000 applications from over 200 countries  and generated more than $430 million in PR value.

British Airways #lookup

This is one of the best uses of data and outdoor advertising  I have seen – generating 1.6 million views on YouTube and taking home a Grand Prix at Cannes.

The campaign helped British Airways highlight the breadth  of its destinations by engaging passers to look up and spot BA planes flying overhead timed perfectly with adorable children pointing to the skies.  A seemingly simple idea with a sophisticated back end of data and technology.

Air New Zealand inflight safety videos

Air New Zealand’s cheeky and irreverent inflight safety videos  not only grab the attention of passengers on-board, but generate considerable media coverage and marketing hype following each release.

From staff wearing nothing but body paint to a disco themed  safety message led by fitness guru Richard Simmons, the videos continue to get people talking and laughing.

Carnival Cruise Lines’ support of Red Nose  Day

Possibly a biased addition (as I led this campaign whilst  at Ogilvy PR) but regardless it remains one of my favourite examples of building brand reputation whilst supporting a worthy organisation, SIDS and Kids.

  The partnership saw Carnival Spirit sail into Sydney’s iconic  Harbour donning a giant seven metre illuminated red nose – in turn creating the perfect vision opportunity for media.  Guests on-board that cruise participated in a range of fundraising activities whilst anyone could ‘red nose’ themselves on a dedicated interactive website to win a cruise.

  The story hit all commercial TV news programs and 65 pieces  of coverage were achieved in Australia and internationally. The TODAY Show aired a live weather cross from the ship and over $10,000 was raised on-board for SIDS and Kids.

Was there ever a more memorable campaign than "Get Wrecked on Great Keppel Island"?

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Was there ever a more memorable campaign than “Get Wrecked on Great Keppel Island”?

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Home Library The Best Marketing Campaigns for Travel and Tourism

• Acquisition , AI , CRO , Data & Analytics , Personalization , Retention & Loyalty

The Best Marketing Campaigns for Travel and Tourism

• Apr 26, 2023
• 13 min read

Introduction

Almost every industry was transformed by the pandemic, but none so much as the travel and tourism industry.

Now that the world has opened back up, people are making plans with renewed enthusiasm and new priorities. Staying home left people with a lot of time to daydream about their next travel destination and the lingering items on their bucket lists. Generic travel excursions are out and unique, personalized experiences are in as consumers search for more meaningful vacations. That search usually begins and ends online, and your digital marketing must keep up with this quick-moving audience motivated by pent-up demand.

How do you stand out from the crowd with your digital marketing strategies and tap into what this hungry audience wants? Your competitors are vying for their attention too, and you don’t want to be left behind.

If you’re considering an upcoming tourism campaign, upgrading your social media marketing, or just looking for something other than traditional marketing strategies, you’re not alone. Companies across the world have come to the realization that now is the time to use every tool possible to attract and retain new customers in their target audience.

Here’s a guide on the best-performing travel marketing campaigns and tourism marketing campaigns and how you can use them to your advantage to take your digital advertising to new heights.

Travel and Tourism Campaigns That Increase Conversion Rates

Automated price drop notifications.

Problem Customers want to find the best price without constantly monitoring your site for updates.

Solution Give deal hunters and budget-conscious travelers an enticing reason to become a subscriber (and eventually a customer) by providing them with the option to watch their desired flights and bookings. Automatically send a price drop notification or availability update as soon as there is a change. Plus, you can use your visitors’ preference data to offer them relevant recommendations as alternatives in case there are no new updates regarding their desired destination.

Impact Conversion rate Content engagement

Channels Email SMS Push In-app

AI-powered Personalized Recommendations

Problem Sub-par, irrelevant search experiences are incredibly frustrating. Visitors want recommendations of products and services they would actually want to purchase.

Solution Using native AI recommendations, you can make your customers feel like you’re reading their minds by serving them personalized offers on flights, hotels, car rentals, and more based on their past behavior, then matching them with real-time, available inventory. You can choose a model that suits your needs, such as collaborative filtering, which harnesses user and product data to provide recommendations based on customers with similar interests.

Channels Web In-app Email

Contextual Personalization

Problem Providing the best possible customer experience is dependent on you truly understanding your visitors. What are their purchase drivers? Is it price? Convenience? Exclusivity, perhaps? Without understanding each visitor’s context, you can’t deliver true real-time 1:1 personalization.

Solution AI-driven contextual personalization provides a major edge in A/B testing by determining which offer a customer is most likely to convert with from the very start of the testing. Whether it’s a discount, a free service, or a service upgrade, AI can help you match the right promotion to the right customer at the right time, offering a faster path to valuable insights and results than traditional A/B testing.

Impact Conversion rate Goal completion

Channels Web

Personalized Newsletters

Problem Newsletters typically have lower engagement and conversion rates — mostly because they are automated and on batch-and-blast schedule

Solution Email is a noisy place to attempt to reach potential travelers, so it’s no surprise that newsletters typically have low engagement and conversion rates — mostly because they’re usually generic. Grab your prospect’s attention with personalized emails that feel so relevant to their interests that they have to click. For example, to engage a potential customer who has a clear affinity for Spain, customize the email to lead with a header image of Barcelona followed by trip ideas to Mallorca and Ibiza. This can be done through advanced customer segmentation, combining zero- and first-party data to come up with a list of criteria for your customer to be added to a segment.

Channels Email

Abandoned Bookings Retargeting

Problem Your visitors are thinking about booking with you and even take the step of adding to cart or getting to the reservation page. Then…nothing happens.

Solution An abandoned booking is an excellent opportunity for conversion. Using a variety of channels, you’ll want to get in front of your prospect everywhere they go online to remind them (“hey, you forgot something”) and sweeten the deal with special discount offers. Your retargeting campaigns should include email, SMS, push notifications, and paid ads on social media, where you can use Facebook Conversion API to serve prospects dynamic information about their unfinished bookings. Personalize your ad content to get higher conversion rates and reduce customer acquisition costs.

Impact Conversion rate

Channels Email Paid ads SMS Push

Prediction-based Goals

Problem How do you really know you’re targeting the right customers and not wasting valuable ad spend?

Solution Using AI prediction models, you can determine which visitors are most likely to book a trip or identify those who are unlikely to. From there, you should create different goals for each of these two segments. For prospects likely to book, provide an immediate bonus during their session and increase in-session goal completions; for those unlikely to purchase during the session, offer an incentive for them to subscribe to your email newsletter and focus on converting them further down the line.

Zero-party Data Collection

Problem Expectations for data privacy continue to rise, which means companies need a better approach to gathering traveler data and preferences.

Solution The best data is data you can trust. Using zero-party data collection , ask your visitors to tell you their preferences directly. Allow them to configure their experiences by providing you with their preferred destinations, price ranges, number of travelers, and more. Use personalization tools to collect these directly on your website and app and adjust their offers in real-time.

Channels Web Email

Local Social Proof Recommendations

Problem Travelers tend to trust recommendations from other travelers, but how do you surface these to them meaningfully?

Solution Showing the most popular destinations for those in your subscriber’s region can act as social proof and inspiration to choose the next trip. What are other Berliners looking for? Where are your neighbors spending their vacations? What experiences are people closest to you looking for? Use this info to present relevant offers on your website, app, or email.

Channels Web Email In-app

Campaigns That Increase Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

Omnichannel welcome flow.

Problem Your ideal prospects have recently subscribed, but they’re not yet ready to make a booking.

Solution Go beyond email in welcoming new subscribers. In addition to launching an automated welcome email series — designed to introduce customers to your brand and ultimately incentivize them to make a purchase — create an omnichannel campaign that helps you stay top of mind. Using SMS/MMS, push notifications, in-app messages, and paid ad content, you can stay visible at multiple points of a prospect’s buying journey. When they’re finally ready to book a trip, they’ll be more likely to choose your brand.

Impact Active subscriber base Conversion rate CLTV Content engagement

Channels Email SMS Push In-app Paid ads

Find Customers on Social Using High-intent Lookalike Audiences

Problem You’ve successfully gained valuable customers, but now you want to win over more high-value travelers. How can you target your ideal audience?

Solution Once you’ve incorporated a solid social media strategy into your omnichannel approach, you can create lookalike audiences to find high-intent prospects with similar purchasing potential. Based on a seed list of your own first-party customer data — which can include past behavior, customer attributes, and predictions — you can target new customer segments with the highest lifetime value on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat.

Impact Conversion rate CLTV

Channels Facebook ads Google ads Snapchat ads

Best Channel Prediction

Problem The nature of digital media and the modern buyer journey means your customers interact with your brand across multiple channels and touchpoints. How do you know which channel your customer is likely to show up on and convert?

Solution In the travel industry, the decision-making process is longer than it is in general retail, so it’s important to find the channels where your customers are active to stay top of mind in the long term. Using AI predictions, you can determine the channels where a customer is most likely to engage with your content, which makes your distribution more effective and increases conversion rates.

Impact Content engagement CLTV

Upsell Campaigns

Problem You’ve already spent valuable marketing dollars to get visitors to choose your brand. Now, you need to maximize booking value to increase ROI.

Solution After all the hard work of acquiring a new customer, it’s time to show them what else you can offer. Using the information from their purchase and the zero- and first-party data you’ve been collecting, hook them again as they prepare for their trip and increase the booking value. Create an upsell/cross-sell campaign featuring engaging content about recommendations of places to visit and activities to do, combined with additional services such as room upgrades, extra luggage, car rentals, and more. Emails are the most effective way to do this, as they can be seamlessly integrated with transactional communication.

Impact CLTV AOV

Transactional and Marketing Communications Combines

Problem Visitors expect consistent and personalized communications from travel companies to make their experience a good one.

Solution Some of the most effective travel email campaigns combine savvy storytelling and stunning visuals with transactional calls-to-action — and, as a best practice, the more personalized, the better. By using the same email service provider (ESP) for both transactional and marketing communication, you can maintain consistency in messaging, branding, and templates. But most importantly, you can also combine the information a customer is looking for with additional offers to capitalize on high engagement.

Seasonal Promotions

Problem Travelers seek to plan ahead by searching for the best deals during holidays or festive periods and don’t want to be disappointed with a lack of availability or unaffordable prices.

Solution Many people travel for events or have event-based travel on their bucket list, and it’s advantageous to find those customers and appeal to this desire. Start by identifying audiences who frequent seasonal events — for example, a music festival such as Tomorrowland or a cultural event like Oktoberfest — using data available from browsing behavior, past purchases, and recent views. Then, target them well in advance of the event with available inventory and the most up-to-date pricing ahead of the peak rush. Your customers will feel you’re looking out for them and their interests and you’ll drive repeat bookings — a win-win.

Impact CLTV Revenue

Channels Email Paid ads SMS Push In-app

Campaigns That Build Customer Loyalty

Thank your customer campaigns.

Problem The most loyal visitors want to feel appreciated. If you don’t do enough for them, you won’t be able to push them to be brand ambassadors.

Solution Nurture and thank your most loyal visitors — your “customer champions” — with rewards and special offers. You can find these customer champions by using RFM (recency, frequency, and monetary) segmentation, which will keep your loyal customers list current. Then, create a loyalty email series using loyalty tier segmentation. Use your “average time between bookings” data to find the perfect time to email them and offer a special bonus for their next journey. Your customer champions will love it and it’ll grow your CLTV.

Win-back Campaigns

Problem When customers haven’t made a booking in a while, it’s easy for them to lapse and never interact with your brand again.

Solution Don’t let a customer forget about you, which can be common in the crowded travel landscape. Using RFM segmentation, you can target customers who have made a purchase in the past, but haven’t purchased recently. Launch a personalized win-back campaign using data from their past and current preferences and purchases to provide them with recommendations of similar offers, as well as new offers to discover.

Impact CLTV Conversion rate

Channels Email Web Paid ads

Gamify Loyalty Programs and Rewards

Problem Customers are increasingly choosing brands that provide meaningful experiences with their personal data and reward loyalty in an interesting way.

Solution Take your loyalty program to the next level by incorporating games that incentive customers to purchase more frequently and trade their loyalty points for rewards. Spin-to-win games, friend-referral challenges, and more tap into multiple aspects of psychology including reward-seeking behavior and competitiveness. Using personalized content, create special offers for achieving new loyalty levels and reward long-term champions with discounts based on their point totals.

Impact CLTV

Feedback Campaigns

Problem Not knowing what your customers liked or didn’t like about their visit will only lead to making the same mistakes in the future.

Problem Close the loop on each booking by following up with a feedback email campaign asking your customers to complete a survey about their experience. Use the feedback data to score your customers based on their experience and create customer segments based on that feedback score. With real-time connection to your CRM or help desk systems, you can filter out customers with a booking issue (cancellation, delay, change, etc.) and send them automatically to the help desk. The same can be done with those who provide negative feedback to take action immediately.

Impact NPS score Customer satisfaction CLTV

Reengagement Campaigns

Problem The people in your database who have been inactive for a long time provide a great opportunity to regain revenue and create new loyal customers, but it’s not always easy to know how to start re-engaging them.

Solution When customers go dark — as in not clicking on your emails or other content — it’s time for a reengagement campaign. Track down customers where they are online using omnichannel orchestration , targeting them through email, SMS, push notifications, in-app, or paid ad campaigns on Google or social media. Ask them clearly and simply why they stopped engaging. It helps to incentivize them by offering a gift or prize for providing feedback. This best practice strengthens your relationship with customers and also improves your lists. Reengagement campaigns should be used as a last attempt before unsubscribing an inactive user yourself — a healthy database brings a better customer experience, as you only send content to those interested in it.

Impact Active subscriber base Database health

Conclusion – Don’t Settle For Less Than The Best With Travel Marketing Campaigns

With travelers eager to get out and more particular than ever about who they purchase from, you’ll need to use a marketing campaign like the ones mentioned above to inspire them to establish loyalty with your brand.

If you’re ready to put some (or all) of these into practice, look no further than Bloomreach Engagement . Our powerful platform unifies your customer data into a single customer view, making it easy to launch omnichannel campaigns across 13 channels. Plus, our AI makes it possible to personalize content and recommendations for your customers in real-time, so you can drive faster ROI in a competitive industry.

Learn more about how Bloomreach Engagement can facilitate today’s best travel marketing campaigns.

Michael Lee

Michael is a Senior Editor with an eye for creating content that’s insightful and valuable. With over a decade of content strategy, copywriting, and copyediting experience, Michael is well versed in how to contextualize information in a way that’s both fun and helpful. Read more from Michael here .

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The Best Tourism Campaigns of 2023

• December 20, 2023
• Travel Marketing

Now that the year is over, it’s time to reflect and draw inspiration for a new year of tourism marketing.

The Philadelphia-based video and digital marketing team at Forge Apollo has worked in the tourism industry for years. In no particular order, we’ve gathered some of the best tourism campaigns we saw in 2023 to inspire your next year of campaigns.

1. IcelandAir – Easy to Stop, Hard to Leave

IcelandAir is an airline offering flights to Iceland and Europe, with the option for free stopovers in Iceland. They created a humorous campaign about how easy it is to stop in Iceland between destinations but how hard it is to leave because of how wonderful the country is. 

Our favorite videos in this campaign include one trying to track down a passenger and another featuring their “polite bouncer.”

2. Visit California – Keeping Up With The Canadians

Visit California is a non-profit organization that creates marketing programs to promote California tourism activity. They created a tourism campaign called “Keeping Up With the Canadians,” in which Canadians who have relocated to California share their favorite Californian spots and activities.

Honorable Mention:

Visit California also celebrates unleashing your inner child with this fun video campaign .

3. Travelodge – Better Get a Travelodge

Travelodge operates a range of hotels throughout the UK and Ireland. In their “Better Get a Travelodge” travel marketing campaign, they shared humorous videos of people imagining the outcome of not getting a hotel for their trip.

4. Bonjour Quebec – Summer All Out in Quebec

Bonjour Quebec promotes tourism within Quebec. They run campaigns about all of the things visitors can do in Quebec, and one of them was this stunning video that highlights that summer is the time to go all out.

5. Secrets Resorts – Showcasing Tranquility

Secrets Resorts & Spas showcased the serene beauty of their Bahia Real Resort and Lanzarote Resort in a series of video advertisements produced by Forge Apollo. Each ad oozes their resorts’ beautiful, luxurious, and tranquil nature in a way that leaves viewers longing to book their next getaway.

We Can Help With Tourism Marketing Ideas

If you’re struggling to develop creative ideas for your tourism campaigns, Forge Apollo is here to help. Our creative strategists host collaborative Writers’ Rooms in which we brainstorm the best ideas for your next campaign. Then, our experienced video production company brings the concepts to life in stunning quality. Contact us today to get started.

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5 Killer Tourism Marketing Campaigns That Make Us Want to Travel

May 9, 2022

Chasing wonder; seeking escape; seizing the chance to spread your wings and get away from digital devices for a week or two — that’s what the best vacations are all about.

But where to go on vacation? A romantic getaway to Bora Bora? The Grand Canyon trip you’ve planned with your sibling since childhood? Machu Picchu with your old college roommates? Or a visit to grandma in Albuquerque? As the world slowly spins back to normal, we all have so many choices about where to travel; it can be tough to decide. The best tourism marketing campaigns help turn travelers’ indecision into action, showing off the beauty of a destination or showcasing the legacy of the local culture. Here are a few of our favorites.

The Wonder Remains

With its world-class theme parks, sizzling nightlife, and close access to the natural beauty of Central Florida, it’s no surprise that Orlando is the most popular travel destination in the United States for summer 2022. In 2021, Visit Orlando launched the stirring tourism advertising campaign The Wonder Remains to welcome travelers back to The City Beautiful. 

Set to a soothing piano track and featuring video footage of some of the best experiences to be found at the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando, and Discovery Cove, The Wonder Remains instills a sense of calm and normalcy following a hectic and frightening pandemic. This great tourism campaign shows that Orlando is as it always was, and always will be — an oasis of excitement for travelers and dreamers of all ages to discover.

#VisitCancun

Visit Cancun hasn’t produced any tourism video advertising in years — but that hasn’t stopped Cancun, Mexico from becoming the world’s top travel destination in summer 2022. Instead of video ads, Visit Cancun relies on social media for its destination marketing campaigns.

With more than 606k followers on Facebook , 169k followers on Instagram and 64k followers on Twitter , Visit Cancun inspires wanderlust with daily posts that highlight the natural wonders, vibrant nightlife, and unique character of Cancun. Followers are invited to join in the fun through the hashtag #VisitCancun, and Visit Cancun often shares posts from influencers.

Some of the best tourism advertising has a clear social conscience and Visit Cancun is no exception. In addition to sharing beautiful photos of crystal-clear waters and romantic beachside weddings, Visit Cancun puts a guide for responsible travel front and center to help ensure that travelers experience Mexico safely. A guide like this can be a great content marketing opportunity, and the best tourism advertising makes the most of it.

Mālama Hawaii

Honolulu, Oahu and Kahalui, Maui are America’s third and fourth most-frequented tourist destinations, respectively. With so many travelers preparing to say “Aloha” to Hawaii this summer, Go Hawaii created the moving Mālama Hawaii tourism advertising campaign to welcome them to the islands.

Beginning with Hawaii Is Our Home , Mālama Hawaii is a sweeping campaign with many beautiful and inspiring videos on safe and responsible travel, land and ocean conservation, and the rich legacy of Hawaiian cultural traditions. On the tourism campaign website , travelers can discover various ways to give back to Hawaii while vacationing on the islands.

In Hawaiian, “mālama” means to “take care.” Encouraging travelers to “Take a Trip that Gives Back,” Mālama Hawaii is proof that the most meaningful vacations are those taken with deep respect for your destination — and that the most meaningful tourism advertising campaigns are those that deeply respect their audience.

Named for and featuring Lenny Kravitz’s iconic 1998 funk rock hit Fly Away , The Islands of the Bahamas ’ new tourism campaign Fly Away shows off the majesty of the Bahamian landscape and the thrills of Bahamian culture — at a time when Nassau is the 7th most-visited tourist destination in the world.

Kravitz himself even makes appearances throughout the multi-video campaign, riding a horse on the beach in the central ad and discussing the resilience of Junkanoo music in a featurette. Fly Away is an excellent example of subtlety in celebrity endorsement. Kravitz is featured in logical ways, but the star of the tourism campaign is still the Bahamas.

Sometimes, the best tourism advertising campaigns practically write themselves. Who doesn’t want to fly away to the Bahamas right now?

Basecamp Denver

Produced as a miniature reality show, Basecamp Denver is a three-part tourism video campaign that invites viewers to “Use Denver as your basecamp for all your Rocky Mountain adventures.” In the first video, a family learns about fly fishing; in the second, a young woman discovers mountaineering; and in the third, a group of friends goes mountain biking.

What we love most about Basecamp Denver is its uniquely grounded approach to tourism advertising. Structuring these ads in a reality show style makes them feel human and accessible in ways that some tourism campaigns aren’t. Following these families’ and friends’ journeys through Denver makes us want to book a flight to the 303 — which is America’s 10th most-traveled-to destination for summer 2022 — and tag along.

Not into Leaving on a Jet Plane?

If you’re staying in the U.S. for the summer and looking for something a little closer to home, the National Park Service’s enduring Find Your Park tourism campaign can help you find an exciting state or national park to explore nearby. Check out Parks Project for a new outfit to wear on your visit; this company is a great example of the power of brand collaboration in marketing, and how fashion can help make once-staid brands feel vibrant and exciting again. 

Wherever you roam in the months to come, we at TrendyMinds wish you safe travels from Kokomo to Havana — and all around the world. And if you're a marketer planning a tourism ad campaign for an international audience, read our blog post about the importance of cultural sensitivity in advertising .

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3 New Tourism Ad Campaigns Striking the Right Tone for These Times

Lebawit Lily Girma, Skift

April 20th, 2021 at 1:00 PM EDT

The rise of responsible travel messaging in marketing is a welcome next step, as destinations prepare for the return of large summer crowds locally, and international travelers keep a close eye on their favorite locales. Now's also the time to warn the ugly tourists.

A year ago, the global pandemic left destination marketing organizations scrambling to pause their promotional messaging. What started out as a wait-and-see approach evolved into advice to stay home and dream , while keeping favorite destinations top of mind for when safe travel eventually returns.

A year later, there’s a clear shift happening in marketing messaging as vaccines in the U.S., Europe and Asia continue rolling out and travelers are vacation planning and booking.

It’s the rise of the responsible travel marketing campaign, encouraging travelers to be more respectful in their behavior — to enjoy outdoor places but remain conscious of their choices once they begin to explore again, whether in their respective vaccinated backyards or when the time comes, on their international vacations.

From Portugal’s push to get consumers to think of the preservation of our planet long-term, to Florida’s Manatee County’s appeal to vacation responsibly by minding one’s trash on its island beaches, these three campaigns strike the right note at this evolving time in our industry’s recovery.

Portugal: Hello World — It’s Me, Tomorrow

Portugal’s high level message speaks to the world directly, marveling at its natural wonders, vibrant colors and ecosystems while evoking in “tomorrow’s traveller” — shown through the face of locals — the importance of doing better for the planet, to which humans are inherently connected. It’s a forward looking message at how we can do better once Portugal, and the world, reopens. “Let’s change today and we will keep visiting tomorrow,” the campaign says.

Scotland: Yours to Enjoy — Responsibly

“Let’s keep Scotland special now and for generations to come,” Visit Scotland ‘s new campaign says, urging travelers to respect Scottish communities and wildlife as they roam. The message to slow down and immerse echoes the “build back better” sentiment that the industry has been pushing since the pandemic forced a rethink on overtourism and climate change impacts.

FLorida’s Bradenton Gulf Islands: Love it Like a Local

As larger numbers of Americans begin to vacation in their backyards again, the majority continue to flock to outdoor mountain and beach destinations  — particularly in Florida.

In anticipation of an even bigger surge this summer and in time for Earth Day 2022, the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau launched a new “Love It Like a Local” campaign to guide visitors in enjoying their destination — including the increasingly popular and small Ana Maria Island — but also caring for it. The campaign comes on the heels of increasing resident complaints about visitor noise and trash on beaches.

“The video is from a child’s perspective so that way it resonates with children — we want this to be good for people of all ages,” Kelly Clark, marketing and communications director at Bradenton CVB, said. “We’re also hoping that hey, if this 11-year-old girl can tell you to respect the rules, then the adults will too.”  

As the U.S. braces for a busy summer of travel and the industry remains on a path to slow recovery at a global level, all while rethinking what it means to build back better, these responsible travel marketing campaigns gracefully tackle the other side of the safety coin: protecting communities and the environment from the inevitable impact of returning tourists.

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Tags: destination marketing , tourism campaigns

Photo credit: Florida Bradenton County's Anna Maria Island is one of several destinations that recently launched a responsible travel campaign. Carol VanHook / Flickr Commons

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9 Examples of Great Social Media Marketing Campaigns

Your customers are browsing, sharing, and finding inspiration on social media — is your company meeting them there?

Tour operators should promote their tours on the platforms their customers already use. Odds are, your guests are using social media to plan and share about their trips.

In this post, you’ll learn how to create successful social media campaigns for tours and attractions. Here are nine examples of top travel social media campaigns that inspired travelers on Facebook, Instagram, and more .

What should be included in a social media campaign

Every social media campaign should have a defined target audience and great visuals, among other components. Here are five elements a campaign needs to be successful.

A defined audience

Your social media ad should be tailored to your target audience. Adventure tour operators, for example, should create visually inspiring ads that make adventure travelers want to book a trip. You’ll also choose the best platform for your campaign based on where you’re target customers are already hanging out.

You want your ad to catch your audience’s attention. Your target customers are constantly bombarded with travel photos and videos while scrolling on social media — make sure your ad pops out at them. Try experimenting with creative short-form videos to hook potential customers in as they’re browsing.

Great visuals

Every social media campaign should have a strong visual component. This can include photos, videos, and graphics that persuade the viewer to stop scrolling and look at your ad. Whatever visuals you use, make sure they are high-quality and appeal to your target customer.

A call-to-action

What do you want the viewer to do after they see your ad? You should include a clear call-to-action on every social media campaign that directs the viewer to your website, booking platform, or whatever action you want them to take next.

Measurable goals

Before launching a new campaign, define what you’re trying to achieve with it. Tour operators should focus on measurable goals like driving website traffic and bookings. These goals are easy to measure and should be tracked throughout the campaign.

9 examples of great travel social media campaigns  

Let’s take a look at these strategies in action. Below you’ll find nine travel social media campaigns that generated brand awareness, drove customer engagement, and inspired travelers to book.

1. WOW Air offers fans a chance to travel the world

WOW Air offered two travelers a chance to travel the world while creating content for the brand. The airline promoted the campaign on social media , which garnered plenty of media attention . The contest winner and a friend were sent to live in Iceland and traveled to cities that the airline services around the world. The duo created digital travel guides, vlogs, and photos for each destination. They also took over the airline’s social accounts to showcase their experiences.

2. Norwegian’s Staycation

Norwegian Cruise Lines launched a social media campaign encouraging guests to join a virtual staycation from their homes. The campaign was promoted via video across social media, including Facebook and YouTube . The virtual experiences transported guests to popular cruise destinations like Alaska and the Caribbean through high-quality video. Norwegian also offered virtual experiences similar to onboard activities like cooking classes, performances, wine tasting, and curated vacation playlists based on each destination.

3. Alaska Airlines gives free Starbucks to their guests

In an effort to increase customer engagement during the holidays, Alaska Airlines took to Twitter to give travelers a special gift. The airline gave 5,000 lucky flyers a free Starbucks gift card to thank them for choosing Alaska for their holiday travels.

4. Hawaii Tourism starts the #LetHawaiiHappen hashtag

Hawaii’s tourism authority launched a low-budget Instagram campaign to generate brand awareness and encourage new and repeat visits to the islands. The tourism board started the hashtag #LetHawaiiHappen and encouraged travelers to share their best travel moments. Hawaii leveraged user-generated content to drive up excitement about visiting the destination. The tourism board often reposts the content on its own pages, too.

5. Airbnb unique homes Instagram ad

Airbnb launched an ad on Instagram and Facebook encouraging users to download their app. The home-sharing platform specifically chose a unique tiny home to display at the center of the ad. The image aimed to grab the attention of people who like to book unique getaways on the platform. The call-to-action persuades users that the app makes it easy to book cool homes from their mobile phones. 

6. Go Lake Havasu partnered with travel filmmakers

Lake Havasu in Arizona partnered with Matador Network, a travel media company, to produce a video campaign promoting the destination as an adventure getaway. Two filmmakers were sent on a trip and shared their experiences through travel vlogs on YouTube . The campaign received more than 1.8 million impressions and helped establish Lake Havasu as a top adventure destination in the American Southwest.

7. Staunton, Virginia

Staunton, Virginia positioned itself as a summer destination by creating a seasonal bucket list based on user-generated content. The tourism board created a bucket list featuring warm-weather activities in Staunton — such as “chase ghosts” and “explore a cave” — using photos people had shared on social media. The campaign generated a lot of engagement: 21,000 clicks, 850,000 impressions, and over 500 referrals to partner websites. The DMO also generated 1,200 newsletter signups by giving away a free trip to a new newsletter subscriber. 

8. Explore BC Later

Destination British Colombia put a spin on its original campaign during the pandemic with “Explore BC … Later.” On Facebook, the DMO shared a video created from existing footage to encourage social distancing while still keeping travelers inspired to visit once it’s safe again. On Instagram, the popular #ExploreBC hashtag evolved into #ExploreBCLater , which garnered over 14,000 photos from travelers reminiscing on their experiences. The destination used this campaign to continue generating awareness and growing its pool of user-generated content even while travel wasn’t possible.

9. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines created a heartfelt video campaign to let travelers know it’s ready to welcome them again. It’s a simple video showcasing airline seats with a powerful message behind it: “If you’re up for it, we are ready to get you there. Safely.” The video successfully highlights the safety measures the airline is taking to allow people to create travel memories once again.

Each of these nine examples can help you build great social media campaigns for tours.

In conclusion, remember that every social media campaign starts with defining your audience and goals. These two factors will determine which platforms to focus on and the visuals to create.

You should use a content calendar to keep your campaigns organized and continuously track them once they’re live.

Finally, make sure you’ve set clear goals for each ad and that you know how to measure the results.

Writer Carla Vianna

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Best of all time series: the best travel marketing campaigns.

22/03/2021 07:00

Properly curated marketing campaigns do not have to cost a fortune; money helps of course, but overthinking doesn't. The best ideas are simple yet effective and are nearly always elusive. The truth is a brilliant idea is almost always dependent on where you're standing at the time. So, with all those vagaries in mind, let's go around the world looking at the hot campaigns and their impact and taking a look at which were the top money-spinners.

The French National Railway SNCF wanted to encourage nationals to visit their neighbouring countries by train. Focusing on countries bordering France and near neighbours like the UK, SNCF placed blue doors around Paris.

Once opened, these 'Blue Doors' gave the viewer an immersive digital account of what they could see 'next door'.

On the back of the success of the 'Blue Door' campaign, and still revelling in their experimental acumen, SNCF followed up by releasing 'The Escape Machine' in 2011. This campaign provided a bizarre street celebration that got people talking about SNCF's travel agency and SNCF Voyages, which is the entire point (no matter how weird it was).

The "Swedish number" was a 2016 campaign. This was a brilliant and iconic marketing strategy. The idea was that an untrained Swedish man agreed to operate the phone lines to Sweden and would be available 24/7 to talk about anything Sweden related.

This simple but utterly absurd campaign meant that global media were all over it - to the tune of a reported equivalent of $147 million. The income included the cost of the ongoing therapy for the poor Swede answering the phones! They never knew what hit them. But all jokes aside, it was a great campaign.

Remember 2010, the year travel ground to a halt thanks to the Icelandic volcano eruption? Marketers certainly do. A campaign is not a successful campaign unless you can use a world event to promote it.

The campaign "Inspired by Iceland" promoted Iceland's website. In the wake of the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, situated in the South of Iceland near the stunning south coast, marketing campaigns aimed to change the narrative. In "Iceland Hour", the president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson called for positive stories to counteract all the bad press. The nation rallied around and posted 22 million testimonials that changed the world's view after just ten weeks.

While no-one blamed Iceland for this act of nature, the eruption and aftermath received a delightful spin and went down in history as a marketing success story.

Airbnb's political statement "Let's keep travelling forward" was a reaction to Donald Trump's 2018 imposed travel ban on the citizens of Somalia, Syria, Iran, Libya and Yemen. In the campaign, Airbnb took a stand and capitalised on the rest of the world's feeling by highlighting the brand's inclusivity beliefs and values.

The marketing executives at Airbnb released a short video in response to the US Supreme court, which upheld the ban in June 2018. Airbnb has always marketed its travel service as a way of experiencing and immersing itself in other cultures and celebrating the virtues of meeting other people. The message reinforces the brand's progressive image and asks others always to do the right thing.

Sticking with America - The Southwest Airlines' 'Flight Attendant' video featured on Youtube in 2014 had 25 million views. The funny low budget campaign featuring the enthusiastic flight attendant propelled the airline and unique service offered by Southwest Airlines into the headlines.

Even today, the airline regularly ranks amongst the best in the world as far as brand reputation goes and enjoys high customer loyalty levels as a result.

The "Best Job In The World" was a campaign that ran in 2009, so there's no point applying now folks! The campaign goes down in marketing history as the best 'SEO PR' ever.

The Queensland tourist board offered one lucky person the chance to become the caretaker of Hamilton Island in Queensland, Australia. A luxury lifestyle complete with wall-to-wall sunshine and easy days.

Reportedly there were 34,000 applicants for the job, causing the internet to melt (remember, it was 2009 so there was no 5G). There was so much free social media publicity for Australia that travel executives are still dining out on it now.

The winner was Ben Southall, from the UK. The contract was for six months and started in 2009. Ben no longer looks after Hamilton Island, so keep your eyes peeled for a fresh bunch of job postings and applications.

The 5 Best Travel Brands on Instagram (and what you can learn from them)

What makes the best travel brands on Instagram “the best”? Why are they so successful? And what can your brand learn from them? In a world where people actually prioritize travel over apparel, you need to know how to get consumers to view and engage with your content over others. Here, that’s what we’re diving into, plus giving you new insights into their strategies, so you can learn from the actual best and ace your social media game.

Instagram is a constantly evolving platform. When used correctly, it can drive brand awareness, boost sales and build engagement. The channel’s primary advantage over other social media is its visual nature. Of course, visuals tend to be pretty intrinsic for travel marketing, but brands can’t rest on just taking good photos and reels to see results. 

You have to implement a relevant, working strategy based on your KPIs to start reaching your goals. Luckily, some brands are already doing that. So let’s take a look at each one, what we can learn from them, and how you can implement their methods into your own social media marketing . 

1. Lonely Planet

Lonely Planet has over 3.3 million followers on Instagram. Their feed is full of travel inspiration, tips, and destinations. But it’s clear they’re here for more than just vanity metrics. Lonely Planet has a highly engaged profile with people commenting on their posts and reacting to their content daily. The best part? A lot of these comments tend to be people tagging their friends. This is where word-of-mouth marketing turns digital. 

Why their content works

Lonely Planet has mastered the art of interaction with its content. They post guides, questions, and ideas so that their followers can write their own opinions. Posts like the one below, asking people to fill in the blank, will inevitably get lots of engagement (this post has nearly 400 comments). Lonely Planet has utilized highly engaging posts in its strategy in order to nail organic growth. They’ve combined this with valuable, interesting, and useful content to develop a trusting community that brings their friends with them too. 

2. Airbnb 

This travel brand doesn’t need much introduction. Airbnb changed the world of vacation accommodations and, with it, the way we view them. With a whole host of amazing homes to post about, it’s no wonder that Airbnb showcases what they offer. Quirky stays, one-of-a-kind buildings, and stunning interiors all make up the @airbnb feed. But where they really shine is their content through influencers. 

Airbnb has utilized the power of influencers in all aspects of its marketing. This isn’t just on the side of vacation goers; this is also on the side of hosts. They want hosts and guests to get involved, so why not create influencer-led content for both? Airbnb partnered with influencers like @laureen to build excitement over specific Airbnb homes – a clever choice since 84% of millennials say that they are likely to plan their own vacation based on someone else’s social posts. They also worked with micro-influencer @mariamanna_ to showcase how easy it is to become a host. This is a brilliant example of how brands can build a full-funnel influencer marketing strategy with multiple target audiences. Don’t just tag influencer partnerships in your marketing. Build them into the foundations for maximum results. 

Belmond’s experiences range from riverboat cruises and luxury train services to stays in opulent accommodations. But what makes Belmond’s social strategy work so well is its commitment to customer loyalty. 

To help build this trusted community, influencer marketing was a must. We worked with them to select seven influencers from the travel, photography, and luxury sectors to travel to the “Seven Wonders of Belmond” – Venice, Sicily, Peru, Brazil, Cambodia, and South Africa. Each influencer received a gifted trip and captured the astonishing experiences these destinations offer. The result was a treasure trove of content for Belmond to share across their socials.

Belmond’s approach to working with influencers led to significant engagement and built that all-important brand trust. The campaign drove 37K+ sticker taps to @belmond and the brand-specific hashtag. During the seven-week duration of the campaign, the Belmond Instagram following grew by over 22K. They also drove over 24K clicks via paid social media and produced 277 high-quality social assets for Belmond’s channels. This strategy shows the power of influencer marketing in creating appealing, authentic content, driving engagement and follower growth, and producing useful content for a brand’s social media channels.

4. Trending Travel

The clue might be in the name of this one. Trending Travel is a company that shares the best travel deals for its customers. Their feed is scattered with posts on destinations, flights, and inspiration. But the key here is they are always up to date on what’s trending (hence the name). From posts on barbie themed getaways to seasonal topics, they keep up with the times with every post they share. 

Staying on-trend has helped Trending Travel build 655K followers. Their posts are relevant and on point, but where they really shine is in their story-building strategy too. They ask people to tag @trendingtravel to feature and then share people’s Instagram stories on their own channels. This builds trust between them and their followers and keeps the content coming. It allows their customers to see the destinations that they are promoting through an authentic lens. Combine these daily updates from influencers with up-to-date trends and you have a winning feed. Make sure you’re creating regular stories on Instagram and use UGC to build more content. Not only will it make your content feel more authentic, but it will also boost brand awareness too through riding the viral wave of trends.     

Journee may not have the sheer numbers as other travel brands on Instagram. But their 70k followers keep coming back for more. Why? Because they use real faces. They share customers’ photos of each Journee trip they go on and have collaborated with nano-influencers on Instagram to showcase their product experience. This strategy is less about massive reach, but more about nurturing vacation goers who might be in the consideration phase.

All of the influencers that Journee has worked with are picked for a reason. @emmygoesplaces is a specific travel influencer, so it goes without saying that she has a loyal, close-knit following of travel enthusiasts. Kyra Brucek is a lifestyle influencer who shares her day-to-day, another creator reaching their target market of millennials. Take a leaf out of their book. Working with influencers doesn’t have to be on a grand scale. In fact, micro-influencers and nano-influencers have a much more engaged following than mega-influencers and celebrities. So pick the right talent for your brand, and don’t be afraid of thinking small. Depending on your goals, this might be the ideal plan for upping your engagement rates and, ultimately, sales.

Bonus brand – Ryanair

Instagram is a brilliant channel for travel brand marketing. But to get maximum results, a cross-channel approach can be the best way forward. Ryanair has nailed its humorous online presence on Instagram and TikTok. On Insta, they’ve rolled out relatable memes and image-based jokes, whereas, on TikTok, they’ve posted hilarious videos with funny filters and short sassy snippets. With 90% of consumers being more likely to remember funny ads, there’s a method to their madness. 

Knowing your channels is so essential when creating content. Instagram posts will inevitably need different creative approaches to TikTok videos. Nailing this is essential for your overall social media marketing strategy. The same goes for any influencer-led campaigns. These will need to adapt to the context of the channel they’re displaying on and, of course, the audience you’re targeting. 

What can you learn from these travel brands?

We’ve gone through each brand and why they work. But in all of this information, what do you really need to know to get ahead as a travel brand on Instagram? These are the key takeaways.

• Aesthetics are great, but authenticity is king

A lot of these travel brands have nailed the aesthetics on their channel. What haven’t they done? Come across as fake. Each brand here has trod the fine line between being real and still creating stunning visuals. This is where your brand can really take note. Build high-quality content, but don’t forget to ground it in reality. Show actual experiences through influencer collaborations and UGC. Build trust through these and wow them with inspiring travel content too. 

• Integrating influencer marketing

Influencer campaigns are great, but only if you integrate them within your overall social media marketing strategy. They shouldn’t be viewed as an “add-on.” They’re a fundamental part of some of these travel brands’ success on Instagram. Work out your target audience and create a robust influencer outreach strategy to build campaigns that work throughout the marketing funnel. 

• Bigger isn’t always better

Finding specific metrics to measure is essential for Instagram. It’s not just a place to try and get tons of brand awareness. It’s also a channel that’s great for building relationships, nurturing customers, and leading people through the consideration phase. Understand what it is your looking for first, before implementing massive ad spend or influencer marketing campaigns. You may want to work with nano-influencers like Journee or a mix of influencers with different audiences like Belmond. Making the most of your budget starts with the right strategy, so it doesn’t always have to be the bigger, the better. 

Gram with the right people

Nailing your Instagram strategy means working with the right people. Whether that’s the perfect influencer or the right agency. We help brands build winning influencer strategies on Instagram. So if you want to know if we’re the right people for you, get in touch.  

Insights Manager at The Goat Agency

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17 iconic ad campaigns that changed the world

• Advertisements exist to sell us things, but sometimes they can change the way we think.
• The reason we have diamonds on our engagement rings, or why we drink orange juice each morning , or even our idea of Santa Claus can be traced back to iconic ads.
• At its best, advertising can become part of the zeitgeist, like Rosie the Riveter or the Marlboro Man.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The first newspaper ad in America appeared back in 1704 when someone was trying to sell a house on Long Island.

Since then, the advertising industry has undergone a huge transformation.

Over the years, we have seen dozens of ads that have done much more than just persuade us to buy a product or service. The very best campaigns have affected the way we communicate and interact with one another, from the coffee breaks we enjoy, to the clothes we wear to work, to the videos we share online.

It even comes down to details like diamond engagement rings , orange juice , and Santa Claus .

With that in mind, we gathered 17 ads that have shaped our culture.

Aaron Taube contributed to a previous version of this article.

1907: Sunkist orange juice

In the early 1900s, orange growers in California had a major problem: They were picking way more oranges than anybody wanted to buy.

So in 1907, the California Fruit Growers Exchange went to see Albert Lasker at the Lord & Thomas advertising agency to see what he could do.

His solution was to rebrand the California growers under one name, Sunkist. More importantly, he helped them popularize a new use for the fruit: orange juice.

Soon, Sunkist was teaching people how to squeeze the juice out of their oranges and selling them juicers to do it. Today, the product is an instrumental part of breakfast across the United States.

1916: "I WANT YOU"

Uncle Sam motivated young Americans sent off to fight in World War I.

The name "Uncle Sam" as a personification of the United States is believed to have originated sometime during the War of 1812, but the image most of us still think of is James Montgomery Flagg's sketch originally published as the cover of the July 6, 1916, issue of Leslie's Weekly.

The image of the white-haired, bearded, and bow-tied man in a patriotic top hat above the words "I WANT YOU" proved to be so popular that it was printed as a poster that became ubiquitous during wartime. The Library of Congress says that  over four million copies were printed between 1917 and 1918 .

President Franklin D. Roosevelt even brought it back for World War II, and Flagg met the president to present him with his own copy.

1929: Guinness is good for you

Guinness, that beloved Irish beer, also has a beloved advertising campaign that dates back to 1929. 

Before then, the Dublin brewery relied on word of mouth to spread its product. However, in 1929, it released a print ad with the tagline "Guinness is good for you." And doctors really did think it was a healthy drink. In fact, they'd pour some for new mothers in the hospital just hours after they'd given birth.

For the next three decades or so, Guinness, through ad agency SH Benson, would roll out slogans like "Lovely day for a Guinness" and "My goodness — my Guinness!" featuring illustrations by SH Benson art director John Gilroy.

1931: Coca-Cola — "The pause that refreshes"

It's a common misconception that Coca-Cola invented our modern idea of Santa Claus through its marketing: the red suit, the jolly demeanor, and even the love for Coke (though most children prefer to leave out milk and cookies for St. Nick).

The truth is, Santa had always looked somewhat like he does today , but Coke managed to get all the ingredients right.

The first depiction of Santa as we know him today can be traced back to Thomas Nast, the Civil War cartoonist whose Santa wore red and even smoked a pipe.

The first Coca-Cola Santa was painted by Fred Mizen for a 1930 ad. The painting depicted a department store Santa enjoying a Coke as children looked on, but this Santa was not as jolly as ad executives would have liked. So they hired Haddon Sundblom to create the iconic Santa we know today.

1942: "We Can Do It!"

Sometimes an ad campaign can take on a life of its own, gaining significance well beyond what it was originally intended for.

That's what happened to Westinghouse Electric's "We Can Do It!" ad featuring a now-iconic image of a strong, muscular woman taking her spot in the workplace.

The poster was originally used only as an internal morale boost to female workers at Westinghouse factories producing helmet liners during World War II. In fact, the poster was not even supposed to be connected to Rosie the Riveter , a mostly fictitious factory worker character used to recruit women for the war effort.

It wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that the image began to gain traction with feminists as a symbol of female empowerment. Since then, it has been used by everyone from Clorox to Beyoncé to communicate the idea that women are strong, independent people capable of rolling up their sleeves and getting the job done.

1947: "A diamond is forever"

We use a diamond to propose marriage because of De Beers.

By 1938, De Beers, the diamond mining and manufacturing cartel of companies, was having a difficult time selling its gemstones. Sales had been declining for two decades, but once the Great Depression hit,  few wanted something associated with only the wealthiest of people , according to the Washington Post. So they hired ad agency N.W. Ayer to find a way to re-package diamonds for the average American.

In 1947, Ayer creative Frances Gerety suggested the slogan "A diamond is forever." Both she and her colleagues weren't too excited by it, but they eventually used it in a campaign the next year. It immediately clicked with the American people, who soon began associating the gemstone with a fitting symbol of a promise of eternal love, rather than just an extravagant luxury.

"A diamond is forever" has appeared in every De Beers ad since 1948, and Ad Age named it the best slogan of the 20th century .

1952: "Give yourself a coffee break!"

In the mid-1950s, a Pan-American Coffee Bureau ad campaign encouraged workers to find some midday relaxation with the line, "Give yourself a 'Coffee-break' — and get what coffee gives to you."

"Despite the fact that the copy itself is somewhat awkward, the notion took hold fast," writes food blogger   Erin Meister . "Before long, morning and afternoon breaks became commonplace, even occasionally protected by law."

The break became something people bargained for: In 1964 , the United Auto Workers Union threatened to go on strike unless the coffee break was written into their contract.

1954: The Marlboro Man

The Marlboro Man cemented Marlboro's red label cigarettes' reputation for being the smoke of choice for cool, rugged men everywhere. And that's why you may be surprised to find that Marlboro was originally known as a woman's cigarette.

In the 1950s, new evidence on the harmful effects of smoking pressured the tobacco industry to develop filtered cigarettes, which were intended to appear as healthier alternatives. Philip Morris & Co. needed a way to sell these filtered alternatives to men, and the "Mild as May" slogan it used for its Marlboro offering was certainly not going to do the trick.

So in 1954, the tobacco company unveiled the Marlboro Man, the creation of ad agency Leo Burnett Worldwide. Now insecure men could feel tough smoking a Marlboro, because it was the smoke of choice for a weathered, cleft-chinned cowboy. Sales spiked from $5 billion in 1955 to $20 billion in 1957 , AdAge reports.

However, that success has had its critics. By the late '90s , Marlboro's ads were so effective and pervasive that one  study showed that nearly 90% of schoolchildren recognized the cigarette-toting cowboy. The Marlboro Man was eventually retired in 1998 following a settlement by the major tobacco companies that they'd avoid using humans and cartoons to sell their products.

1959: "Think small."

Volkswagen's "Think small" campaign , from powerhouse ad agency Doyle Dane Bernbach, revolutionized how corporations speak to consumers and gave voice to the public's growing dissatisfaction with the mass consumerism of the 1950s.

Where other car manufacturers blithely boasted of spoiler fins and other luxury features, Volkswagen focused on the utility of its smaller, more durable cars in a series of simple ads that openly acknowledged their purpose as a sales tool.

And while competitors made grandiose, unbelievable claims about how their products would transform customers' lives, Volkswagen's voice was personal and self-deprecating, calling one car a "lemon" because its glove compartment was blemished.

Soon after, advertisers began moving away from over-hyped sales pitches in favor of more playful campaigns that acknowledged consumer skepticism of advertising and presented consumption as a means of expressing individuality rather than fitting in.

1964: "Daisy"

In 1964, Lyndon B. Johnson was running for the White House against republican Barry Goldwater.

Johnson wanted to paint Goldwater as pro-war while Cold War tensions  — and fear of the nuclear bomb — continued to escalate.

So his campaign ran what became known as the "Daisy" ad , where a little girl innocently playing with flowers in a field looks up and sees a mushroom cloud.

Johnson's voice boomed:

These are the stakes! To make a world in which all of God's children can live, or to go into the dark. We must either love each other, or we must die.

The result: Johnson won by a landslide. And the attack ad became a part of American culture.

1980: Absolut vodka

In 1980, Swedish vodka brand Absolut sold 10,000 cases of its vodka in the US. By 2000, however, that number had grown to 4.5 million cases, thanks in large part to its advertising campaign , which featured Absolut's signature bottle in a number of surreal images. 

Whether the bottle had a halo, was made of stone, or was just an outline of trees on an alpine ski slope, consumers loved finding one of the 1,500 ads in magazines and on billboards.

There are so many ads, in fact, that a site called Absolut Ad took it upon themselves to collect them all.

To date, Absolut's bottles are the longest-running continuous ad campaign (1981 to 2005) of all time.

1983: "Friends don't let friends drive drunk."

In 1983, the Ad Council released a Public Service Announcement that quickly became a part of culture: Friend's don't let friends drive drunk.

It was a different time in America. Having "one for the road" meant that you drank a beer while driving home, which sounds nuts today.

Back then, drunk drivers were involved in 50% of car accident deaths in the US.  That number is now down to 31% — and the Friend's Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk supplied some of the language.

The language itself has become a meme , as we now warn that Friends don't let friends write bad poetry , Friends don't let friends use AOL , and Friends don't let friends use Comic Sans .

1984: Apple's "1984" Super Bowl ad

Apple chose to introduce its Macintosh personal computer during the 1984 Super Bowl with a visually stunning ad , which claimed that unlike George Orwell's dystopian vision, the actual 1984 was a time when technology would be used as a revolutionary tool for people to express their individuality.

In the ad , directed by Ridley Scott, a woman in a white tank top and orange shorts runs through a room full of people wearing the same clothes. She tosses a sledgehammer through a big screen on which their leader is speaking to them.

In doing so, the woman hinted at the freedom the personal computer would bring to users and inspired a generation of tech leaders to see the computer as a creative force for good.

1988: "Just do it."

Nike's first "Just do it" ad showed 80-year-old jogger Walt Stack trudging across the Golden Gate Bridge during his daily 17-mile run.

The message was simple beyond explanation, and it quickly became a rallying cry for people who wanted to push themselves to new heights.

The slogan is now more than 25 years old , and to this day, it convinces people that they, too, can be athletes if they choose to.

All they need to do is pick up a pair of running shoes and "just do it."

1988: Joe Camel

Joe Camel became a main rallying point for severely restricting tobacco advertising.

The tobacco company RJ Reynolds wanted to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its Camel brand of cigarettes in 1988 with an eye-catching ad campaign. It found inspiration in a British Camel ad from the 1970s, featuring a cartoon version of its camel mascot.

Anti-smoking advocates accused RJ Reynolds of blatantly targeting underage smokers. California attorney Janet Mangini argued that teenage smokers accounted for $476 million of Camel sales in 1992 , up dramatically from $6 million in 1988.

Whatever Joe Camel's actual influence on hooking young teens on cigarettes, he was retired in 1997. And under the Tobacco Master Settlement that became American federal law in 1998, all cartoon mascots for tobacco products became illegal, among other restrictions.

1992: "A Guide to Casual Businesswear"

Levi Strauss & Co. defined "business casual" for Americans.

Ditching suits for casual clothes had been a quirk of the US tech industry since the 1950s, but it began to seep into other industries sometime in the 1980s amid reports that a relaxed dress code at least once a week (i.e. "Casual Fridays") could lead to happier and more productive employees. But many companies began to regret their decision when employees would come to work dressed in sloppy shirts, torn jeans, and flip-flops.

Clothing company Levi Strauss & Co. found a perfect business opportunity . In 1992, it launched an extensive ad campaign sent to HR directors around the country with "A Guide to Casual Businesswear," a pamphlet illustrating clean and professional looks that subtly featured Levi's jeans and its Docker's brand khakis.

Throughout the early 1990s, Levi's was getting calls from companies around the country asking for dress code consultation. In 1995, it had record sales of $6.2 billion, and "business casual" was no longer an excuse to show up to the office in sweatpants.

2012: Red Bull Stratos

In October 2012, Felix Baumgartner jumped to the Earth from 24 miles into space as part of a Red Bull promotion.

In one fell swoop, Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier without any vehicular help — and Red Bull took over the internet , with a full eight million people watching live and blowing up the social networks .

The stunt marked a new era in advertising history: the commercial didn't interrupt the event, it was the event.

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Who will win the 2024 election? What the polls say ahead of DNC

Since taking the reins last month as presumptive nominee of the Democratic party, Vice President Kamala Harris has seen a sharp rise in the polls over Biden’s performance.

The endgame of the presidential race is still months away and it’s too early to draw hard conclusions from current polling numbers — which are likely to shift and sway over the next three months.

But several recent nationwide polls show Harris with a slight lead over Republican nominee former President Donald Trump, even as the average among the critical battleground states remains tight.

Will Trump or Harris win?

A CBS News and YouGov poll of likely voters concluded on August 16 shows Kamala Harris polling at 49% nationally to Donald Trump’s 47%.

CBS’s polling also shows that the percentage of registered Democrats who say that they’ll vote in November is up 6% from a month ago, from 81% to 87%, while that same measure is down for Republicans, from 90% to 88%.

Among likely voters, CBS found that top issues influencing votes for president were the economy (83%), inflation (76%), the state of democracy (74%), crime (62%), gun policy (58%), the U.S.-Mexico border (56%) and abortion (51%).

There’s a relatively large gap between the two presidential candidates in terms of how familiar voters are with their platforms in the CBS poll. A full 86% of respondents said they knew what Trump stands for but only 64% said the same of Harris.

This could perhaps give Harris an opportunity to expand her appeal as she looks to further define her political persona and her policy platform under the spotlight of this week’s Democratic National Convention.

Trump is still in the lead among respondents who say that their main voting issues are the economy, inflation and border issues.

Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance cast spurious doubt on the reliability of polling broadly, telling Fox News that “The media uses fake polls to drive down Republican turnout and to create dissension and conflict with Republican voters.”

The Trump campaign has, however, plugged polling numbers before, when they were in his favor.

Emerson College shows Harris up, at 48% compared to Trump’s 44%.

An August 13 poll by The Economist has Harris at 46% and Trump at 44%.

A Washington Post /ABC News/Ipsos poll, also concluded August 13 shows Harris in the lead, 47% to 44%.

The New York Times ’ national polling average puts Harris ahead with 46% against Trump’s 45%.

A smaller number of polls still show Trump ahead—a poll from RMG Research and the Napolitan Institute shows Trump leading, 49% to 47% and another from J.L. Partners and Dailymail.com show him up 43% to 41%.

In a poll conducted August 9-12, Fox News had both Trump and Harris at 45%.

Who is winning on the state level?

The picture becomes more complicated when you start looking at individual states. Because of the electoral college, being ahead nationally doesn’t necessarily translate into taking office in January.

According to New York Times averages, Harris had pulled ahead of Trump in several important Rust Belt battleground states including Michigan (49-47%), Wisconsin (49-47%) and Pennsylvania (49-48%).

The Times average shows Trump holding his lead in certain Sun Belt states including Georgia, where he’s ahead 49% to 46% and in Arizona Trump and Harris both have 47%.

However, a Times/Siena poll from Thursday has Harris winning in Arizona, 47% to 43%, though it still shows Trump up in Nevada (46 to 44%) and in Georgia (47 to 44%.)

Emerson College shows Trump up very slightly in Pennsylvania, with both him and Harris rounded to 47%. Polls earlier this month from Franklin and Marshall College and Quinnipiac University, however, both show Harris up in Pennsylvania by 3 points, 46% to 43% and 48% to 45%, respectively.

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5 takeaways from Kamala Harris’ historic acceptance speech

Domenico Montanaro

Vice President Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, arrives onstage to speak on the fourth and last day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

History was made Thursday night when Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination, the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to do so.

Those historic firsts can be opportunities, and they can be challenges. Harris is not someone known for delivering big speeches, and the public’s views of her are still forming. She got the nomination, after all, without running in a primary, the first to do so in many decades.

“We must be worthy of this moment,” Harris said.

Was she? Here are five takeaways from her acceptance speech and Democrats’ convention:

1. Harris introduced herself to America.

This was, by far, the most important speech of Harris’ political career, and it was in front of the biggest audience she’s ever spoken to — not the crowd of thousands in person in the audience, but the crowd of millions watching at home and those taking it in in the coming days.

She had to connect with those who are either undecided about her or those on her side but not sold on voting. She tried to do that by inverting what former President Donald Trump does in othering certain groups of people. She tried to make her story — one of a child of immigrants from India and Jamaica — a typical and relatable American one. She’s the child of divorce, brought up working class, raised by a mother who dreamed big and taught her daughters to dream big, but also stressed critical all-American values — work hard, don’t complain and “do something,” a nice rhetorical coda to former first lady Michelle Obama’s speech two nights ago.

Overall, Harris sounded in control, shared her values, told the country where she comes from and where she wants to take it, while also contrasting herself with Trump.

2. She and Democrats inverted a lot of Republican messaging.

Harris and Democrats flipped the script in this convention on a lot of GOP attacks against them. They appealed to “common sense,” a small-c conservative value, reclaimed who and what qualifies as blue collar, stood up for veterans and redefined “freedom.”

Instead of a “radical” California liberal, Harris painted herself as a regular, blue-collar kid, who understands the needs of people and the value of hard work and discipline.

Democrats, instead of coming across as unpatriotic and unhappy with America, enthusiastically spoke of campaigning with “joy” and flooded the United Center in Chicago with flags. They had Republicans like former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., attest to their patriotism and decency, and they brought veterans to the forefront on the stage and in speeches.

“I will always honor and never disparage their service and their sacrifice,” Harris said.

Democrats haven’t always been good at commanding the message in presidential campaigns, but — so far — since Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have come on the scene, they are doing that, starting with making their opponents seem “weird” and taking it further with this convention.

And it’s all been in service of trying to reach out to the middle.

3. Harris showed she was disciplined.

One of the most important jobs of a candidate in a presidential acceptance speech is to allow people to actually visualize him or her as president.

That’s especially true for someone who hasn’t had a lot of time in front of the voters.

Agree or not with the direction Harris wants to take the country, she did that Thursday night. She looked the part, stuck to the script, didn’t ramble or meander, and mostly stuck to the facts. She laid out a vision for the future of the country, one that stands in stark contrast to what Trump wants to do.

If, with her discipline, Harris was trying to reassure Americans that she can handle the presidency, it also had to give Democrats confidence in the kind of candidate she will be for the remaining 74 days.

And she did it all without dwelling on her gender, race or ethnic identity.

4. She tried to stake a claim to the “change” mantle?

Harris has provided Democrats with enthusiasm they didn’t have before President Biden dropped out, and part of that comes from the change Harris brings. Another challenge for her Thursday night was to show she could grab firm hold of the change mantle. Change, after all, is one of the strongest motivators in politics.

Harris showed not only is she change from Trump, someone who has now been running or serving as president for almost a decade, but also from Biden. That was evident by the very different speeches they delivered this week. Biden’s was darker and more focused on defending democracy (as well as his achievements in office).

In fact, Biden mentioned democracy 10 times in his speech. Harris mentioned it, but only twice .

“Our nation with this election has a precious, fleeting opportunity to move past the bitterness, cynicism, and divisive battles of the past,” Harris said, “a chance to chart a new way forward, not as members of any one party or faction, but as Americans.”

Another way she showed her difference with Biden was in how she spoke about Gaza. She said she would “always stand up for Israel's right to defend itself.” But, she added, “At the same time, what has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives, lost; desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking.”

And she pledged that she and President Biden “are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.”

It’s a different tone than the country has heard on this from the president in the past year.

That Harris might be the “change” candidate in this election is an ironic and somewhat astounding thing for a sitting vice president to pull off.

5. Democrats are walking away thrilled with how the week went, but this is still a very close race.

The week was well produced; the campaign pulled off a high-wire act seamlessly marrying the convention with a packed Harris-Walz rally in Milwaukee at the very arena where the Republican National Convention was held; and it had big stars.

But most importantly, it showcased and introduced Harris in the best light possible. And all of that has Democrats over the moon.

Still, for what a solid rollout Harris has had and all her momentum, this remains a very close race. That’s why several Democrats this week urged the crowd against irrational exuberance and reminded onlookers of the work that still needs to be done.

“Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great now,” Michelle Obama said. “We’re loving it. They are packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized. We are feeling good. But remember, there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome.”

There is no doubt about that.

• Vice President Kamala Harris