According to a June report, the global tourism market was worth a total of USD 1,306.69 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 1,632.3 billion by the end of 2025. By 2033, it is expected to climb to USD 2,547.17 billion. The tourism market will grow at an average annual rate of 5.72% between 2025 and 2033.
The tourism industry is therefore doing well, and summer is the real peak season for this sector. Hotels, airlines, ferries and tourist attractions usually experience a surge in demand. This is also true for Europe. In 2024, more than 3 billion overnight stays by Europeans in accommodation establishments were recorded, which, according to the European Commission, represents an increase of 2.2% compared to 2023.
However, in a crowded market full of attractive destination offers, discounts alone are not enough to make a company stand out: data, differentiation and constant optimisation are needed. And, of course, perfect advertising, especially on television. But standing out in a flood of campaigns full of beautiful landscape shots, jubilant travellers and children with sparkling eyes having a wonderful time on holiday with their parents is not at all easy.
Advertising campaigns in the tourism industry
How do famous brands that are among the top companies on the market deal with competition? Trivago, for example, builds on simplicity and specialisation. The brand’s advertisements emphasise saving time and money and have a specific visual style that people immediately associate with the brand. This is also ensured by the “Trivago Guy”, actor Tim Williams, who, thanks to his informal appearance and naturalness, has become an icon of the entire series of ads, which have given rise to a phenomenon of fan parodies and memes. Airbnb, on the other hand, does not just sell accommodation, but “a feeling of home, anywhere in the world”. Its campaigns emphasise authenticity, local culture and community, setting it apart from traditional hotels. Hays Travel also relies heavily on television advertising, featuring brand ambassador Davina McCall since May this year.
The truth is that there is nothing wrong with ads presenting the beauty of exotic destinations, especially if they can target the emotions of potential customers. Photographs of turquoise seas, authentic travel stories, the smell of exotic foods or the sound of waves – all of these can make you want to start planning your next holiday. However, adverts that manage to break away from this cliché are just as appealing. So let’s take a look at some successful summer advertising campaigns by brands in the travel industry.
Sandals Resorts shows its love for the Caribbean
Capturing the soul of the Caribbean was the goal of Sandals Resorts' new campaign called “Made of Caribbean”, created by Leo Burnett. The ad, which is full of beautiful shots, exudes the brand’s love and sincere relationship with the islands that are its home, as well as its commitment to being an advocate for the islands and their inhabitants. The fact that the commentary was narrated by CEO Adam Stewart also adds a personal touch to the advertisement.
Video: Sandals Resorts – Made of Caribbean
Icelandair flies on a wave of humour
Arriving in Iceland is easy, but leaving? That’s not so simple, because it‘s such a beautiful country... The hero of Icelandair's funny advert, aptly named “Easy to stop, hard to leave”, is an “untraceable” passenger.
Video: Icelandair – Easy to stop, hard to leave
Visit Oslo has a great anti-advertisement
Visit Oslo has probably created the best advertisement of all time. The dry humour in this “anti-advertisement” describing the city through the eyes of a grumpy Norwegian is truly disarming. We learn that Oslo is more like a village and that there are no queues at restaurants. “I wouldn’t come here, to be honest," says Halfdan, a thirty-something from Oslo who walks around his hometown trying to discover its appeal. “Is it even a city?” He describes all of Oslo’s positives in a disappointed, bored tone. Standing in front of Norway’s most famous painting, “The Scream” by Edvard Munch, he shrugs and remarks that it’s “not exactly the Mona Lisa”. He wonders aloud whether it’s even worth going to the gallery when you don't have to stay in a line for a couple of hours to get in.
Video: Visit Oslo – Is it even a city?
Star Princes offers a dream stay on a cruise ship
Classic in style, but truly unique. That’s how you could describe the advertisement called “A Star is Born”, which the Star Princess brand launched this summer. Visuals full of light and futuristic elements and views of the starry sky underline the dreamlike atmosphere of a stay on a luxury ship.
Video: Star Princess – A Star is Born
Star of the Seas captivates with attractions and entertainment
The luxury ship Star of the Seas, on the other hand, focuses on attractions and experiences on board, and simply entertainment for the whole family. As part of the campaign, the ship is presented as the next icon of vacations, offering incredible excitement, maximum relaxation, stronger bonds, epic celebrations and discovery:
Video: Star of the Seas – The Next Icon of Vacations
Travelodge shows how important it is to book accommodation
Travelodge operates a chain of hotels throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. As part of its “Better Get a Travelodge” marketing campaign, it has released a series of humorous ads showing what can happen when you don’t book a hotel. Among them is this ad about a slightly unsuccessful trip to a birthday party:
Video: Better Get a Travelodge – Birthday
Virgin Atlantic sees the world differently
In its latest big-budget advert, Virgin Atlantic encourages people to see the world differently. The “Be a Rainbow in the Clouds” campaign, inspired by the words of writer and poet Maya Angelou, was created in collaboration with London-based agency Lucky Generals and encourages travellers to see destinations not just as dots on a map, but “as places to dive into fully and embrace with energy”. “Our new global brain campaign captures that distinctive Virgin Atlantic energy and the red spirit of our cabin crew, taking our customers to some of the world’s most desirable destinations,” said Annabelle Cordelli, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Virgin Atlantic. “Maya Angelou’s distinctive voice and beautiful words resonate with all of us at Virgin Atlantic, her voiceover encapsulates how we see the world differently, encouraging our customers to travel with an open heart and an open mind as they take on the world.” Joe Stamp and Tom Prendergast, creative directors at Lucky Generals, add: “When the world seems full of clouds, we need Maya Angelou to remind us how powerful it is to be a rainbow.”
Video: Virgin Atlantic – Be a Rainbow in the Clouds
Tourism Australia focuses on animation and humour
The Australian government agency Tourism Australia, which is responsible for promoting Australia as a tourist destination, has invested USD 130 million in specific advertisements for different markets as part of this year’s “Come and say GDay” campaign. In addition to Ruby the kangaroo, the brand’s mascot, the adverts feature regional celebrities such as Robert Irwin for the US and Nigella Lawson for the UK. In the US ad, for example, Irwin helps a tourist whose phone has been stolen by an emu.
Video: Tourism Australia – Come and say G'day.
Airbnb offers travellers what they can’t get in a hotel
This year's Airbnb campaign, called “Some trips are better on Airbnb,” created by the creative agency BUCK, celebrates the small advantages that a person cannot expect in a hotel. The campaign returns to the miniature world that the agency created for Airbnb Aircover in 2022 and features 30-second spots. Each one highlights a different feature that sets Airbnb apart from hotels – the ability to stay up after the kids have gone to bed, not having to split up into different rooms when travelling with friends, and enjoying quiet moments by your private pool. Each spot is based on a real Airbnb listing, down to the smallest details, including miniature furniture.
Video: Airbnb – Some trips are better on Airbnb
VRBO rents accommodation without intrusive owners
The competing online platform VRBO also rents out holiday homes and flats. Unlike Airbnb, however, its campaign relies on great humour and a well-known personality. The central figure in the ad is Nick Saban, a former American football coach. In the advert, he plays an authoritative, meticulous holiday homeowner who sets absurd rules for the family staying in his property, such as only two flushes per bathroom, a barbecue in the garden but no touching it, etc. The climax is a “romantic” moment in the whirlpool bathtub in the company of the homeowner. VRBO thus emphasises the “no-host” aspect of VRBO and contrasts it with the possibility of sharing holiday accommodation with an overly intrusive owner.
Video: VRBO
Summer is the peak of the season and can also be the peak of sales
The summer season offers many opportunities for companies operating in the tourism market. However, brands must be careful not to fall into the trap of summer campaigns that look good but do not deliver meaningful results. Attracting travellers is not easy, as competition is fierce during this period and customers’ attention is fragmented among dozens of attractive offers.
Successful brands must therefore build on a clear story, strong emotions and the ability to differentiate themselves from the competition, in addition to depicting exotic destinations and presenting authentic experiences. Precise targeting and the right choice of media and creative formats also play a major role in reaching the right audience at the right time.
Television advertising plays a key role in this: it can retell a story in a matter of seconds, arouse a desire to travel and connect a destination with extraordinary feelings. Summer can thus be not only a time of beautiful images and poetic slogans, but also a time when a well-designed campaign becomes the driving force behind the entire brand.