Key Takeaways

• People are starting to book holidays again - now is a key opportunity for advertisers.

• Across the board, all areas of Travel are seeing growth in their online consumption.

• Adventure has gone mainstream, with people ready to explore again.

• People are truly ready for some sun and relaxation after a long winter.

• Younger people are ready to party.

• Families are travelling again.

Introduction

While few industries have been spared by the impact of pandemic, even fewer have been hit as hard as the travel sector. However, with testing and travel restrictions being lifted across the UK and concerns around the Omicron variant beginning to wane, British travel companies are reporting a significant uplift in bookings and predicting a major summer travel boom.

We have taken a look at what is driving this bounce-back and what the national sentiment is towards travel right now.

To do this, we used our new FiftyAurora tech. The FiftyAurora page analysis and classification engine processes millions of pages on a daily basis, giving us a bird’s eye view of what is popular across the web. This allows us to show trending content via the top categories and key topics found on each page, and track their popularity over time.

Here’s what we found:

Overall Trend

The overall trend within Travel is clearly on the rise, with each category growing month on month. This upward curve highlights the growing willingness and confidence to travel again, as more and more Brits begin to research and book holidays.

The Key Categories driving Travel’s bounce-back

We can see that every category within Travel has increased in popularity over the past month, once again confirming the nationwide growth in the desire to travel.

Vacation Rentals & Short-Term Stays have seen the greatest uplift with an increase of 160%, indicating a growing desire for a quick getaway following months of travel curbs.

Beaches & Islands emerged as the most sought after holiday type, while Speciality Travel has also bounced back. The surge in Mountain & Ski Resorts shows that Winter Travel plans are on the rise again, while the prominence of Regional Parks & Gardens suggest that Staycations will remain popular well into 2022.

Diving deeper into the content - opportunities abound for advertisers

This word cloud clearly captures the new zeitgeist of adventure and escapism sweeping the nation as we move into the post-pandemic era. It also hints at some of the key audiences who are returning to the travel market, namely Families. Overall, we can see that that now is the time for advertisers to move into full throttle once again.

Here are some key insights and corresponding opportunities for advertisers:

Exploration & Adventure are back on the menu

Following months of on and off lockdowns and disrupted travel plans, it is no surprise that the British public is looking to rediscover their sense of adventure and exploration. This desire presents itself in a number of forms throughout our study, through more intrepid activities such as Hiking, Skiing and Mountains, through to more city-based escapes focusing on Culture, Restaurants and History. It’s safe to say that Adventure has gone mainstream.

For advertisers, this prevailing sentiment of adventure presents a unique opportunity to build impactful campaigns that mirror this national spirit.

Luxury and relaxation are top of the agenda

After another long winter, Brits are ready for some rest and relaxation. Sun-seekers have returned to the market, with beaches and island resorts topping the agenda yet again. Cruises have also seen a bounce-back, with warm weather hotspots such as Hawaii, the Caribbean and Southern Europe topping the rankings.

This national longing to get away and recharge presents a huge opportunity right now for advertisers, as this is a mood that may not last forever.

People are ready to party again

It seems travellers are keen to return to the party scene, encapsulated by the prominence of clubbing mecca Ibiza, and rounded out by the popularity of keywords such as ‘bars’ and ‘clubs’. These younger audiences have been cooped up for long enough and are now ready to head abroad for fun-filled weekend getaways.

From a media perspective, this is evidence that younger travellers are back in the market and the desire for a ‘big blowout’ offers an opportunity to engage and excite them.

Families are travelling again

The prominence of keywords like ‘kids’ and ‘family show that families are a key demographic looking to travel again. After a gruelling period of balancing remote learning and working from home, parents are understandably ready to escape their home office and head back on holiday.

As one of the pillars of the travel market returns to action, this opens up all sorts of opportunities for advertisers to appeal to weary parents.

Conclusion

Travel is well and truly back, which means now is the perfect time for travel brands to capitalise on this resurgence and tap into audiences’ renewed sense of wanderlust.

To find out how FiftyAurora could help your brand reach these eager travellers, get in touch with our Sales Team or book a free demo today.