Fresh Relevance study finds preference for curated offers by travellers

Fresh Relevance study finds preference for curated offers by travellers

Survey results show travel marketing could improve

Latest research from personalisation and optimisation software provider Fresh Relevance has found travel firms do not fully understanding customer needs and desires.

The Digital Holidaymaker Trends Report” surveyed 2,000 UK travellers in collaboration with Censuswide and found that 24% of customers are frustrated by irrelevant marketing tactics, including receiving offers for an unavailable season or a type of holiday they’ve never booked.


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One in four respondents said they would prefer to see a smaller list of personalised travel options instead of many generic offers.

The survey also found that 25% of consumers would be more loyal to a travel provider which understands their needs, with 41% saying they would book again with a travel company that caters specifically to them.

Travel providers could be missing out on sales opportunities as only 34% of respondents say they feel well informed with researching a holiday.

In addition, the research shows current travel marketing tactics are failing to meet Generation Z shoppers’ expectations.

Gen Z is annoyed by retargeting ads for holidays they already booked (32%), irrelevant offers (31%), and expired offers (26%) shared by travel brands.

The group also wishes email and web marketing was more tailored to them.

26% of Gen Z feels most frustrated by the length of time spent researching travel websites to find offers like previous searches or bookings they’ve had, and 28% would prefer fewer, more relevant travel options.

Mike Austin, chief executive and co-founder of Fresh Relevance, said: “Many travel brands are still creating one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns better suited to the days of desktop bookings and are failing to present the personalised experiences that customers desire. As a result, customer loyalty is fleeting and mainly driven by the lowest price.”

“As the study suggests, travel brands need to be helpful and offer customers added value in their marketing. It’s time for travel marketers to use data and technology to deliver relevant offers and build trust with consumers in order to generate sales and ultimately increase loyalty.”

Austin added: “As the demise of Thomas Cook last year demonstrated, the travel industry cannot afford to rest on its laurels and is under pressure to do all they can to create loyal customers – but it seems that the industry has some way to go.”