The gap between lookers and bookers has never been wider — and travel brands are feeling the pressure. In a recent webinar with leaders from Motel 6 and Wunderkind, industry experts unpacked what’s really happening in the modern guest journey, and why brands must rethink how they convert intent into revenue.
Here are 10 insights shaping the travel landscape in 2025 — and what brands must do to stay ahead.
1. Travel Is a Research-Heavy Category
Most visitors aren’t failing to convert — they’re simply not ready. Travelers browse obsessively, price-check repeatedly, and revisit sites long before they book. Brands must differentiate between lack of intent and lack of readiness.
2. Intent Varies Wildly by Traveler Type
A business rental and a luxury tour have nothing in common when it comes to journey length or research patterns. Understanding vertical-specific intent is now table stakes.
3. Younger Audiences Browse Constantly
Gen Z looks at travel options weekly. Millennials browse at least monthly. Most of those sessions are exploratory — meaning your brand must show up long before the traveler is truly ready to commit.
4. Anonymous Visitors Are the New Normal
Device switching, cookie decay, and long booking cycles mean brands often can’t recognize even their known users. Identity gaps are one of the biggest blockers to personalization and conversion.
5. Value Exchange Drives Data Sharing
Consumers won’t surrender their information “just because.” They expect a meaningful benefit — easier checkout, personalized recommendations, loyalty perks, or frictionless returns.
6. Mobile and Desktop Still Dominate
Despite the rise of apps, only 10% of travelers prefer booking in-app. Cross-device ID resolution is still essential to understanding who your visitors really are.
7. Real-Time Behavior Should Shape Messaging
Abandoned booking flow? Price-checking behavior? Competitor browsing? These signals are gold. The brands that activate on them quickly — with relevant, timely messaging — are the ones winning the booking.
8. Loyalty Isn’t Just Points — It’s Emotion
Today’s travelers respond as strongly to status, recognition, and small service moments as they do to hard-dollar discounts. Emotional value drives repeat bookings.
9. Consistent Brand Purpose Beats Matching Luggage
Travelers don’t need identical creative everywhere — they need a brand that shows up with the same purpose. Authentic storytelling that fits the style of each channel builds trust far more than rigid uniformity.
10. AI Will Finally Deliver Personalization at Scale
After years of hype, AI-driven journeys are becoming reality. With the right first-party data, brands can now deliver truly individualized recommendations, messages, and nudges — at the exact moment each traveler is ready.
The Bottom Line
The new guest journey is fragmented, multi-device, emotionally driven, and powered by intent signals that shift by the hour. Brands that succeed in 2025 will be the ones that:
- Understand their audience’s true mindset
- Invest in identity and first-party data
- Deliver relevant, emotionally resonant value
- Use AI to meet customers where they are — instantly and at scale
Travelers are looking. The question is: will they choose you when they’re finally ready to book?
Watch the whole webinar below.
