The vacation booking process is often marked by a lengthy decision-making period and traveler indecision. On average, travelers spend about six weeks weighing their options, with multiple competitors vying for their attention by offering the perfect destination and the best deals.
Even after a traveler has finally chosen their destination, decided on their preferred mode of travel, and selected their accommodations, they’re still just as likely to book through an online travel agency (OTA) rather than directly with the brand. For hotel brands, car rental companies, and cruise lines, direct bookings are the gold standard—they allow travel and ticketing brands to avoid commission fees, maintain control over pricing, and build direct relationships with their guests.
With consumers increasingly opting to book through OTAs, it’s essential for travel brands to capture and opt-in as much of their own digital traffic as possible. This enables them to leverage owned channels, such as email and text, to drive direct bookings and secure revenue at full margin.
The new Power of Acquisition in Travel guide is a must-read for travel marketers looking to identify their anonymous traffic and turn it into engaged travelers, collect first-party data at scale, and harness it to drive bookings like never before.
Did you know that up to 90% of website traffic remains anonymous? Think about all the travel dreamers who browse flight options, check out hotel rooms, or search for tour packages—without leaving a trace. First-party data, collected with consent from people interacting with your brand, is the key to identifying these wanderlust-driven visitors. Travel brands can gather crucial information, such as email addresses and phone numbers, by offering incentives that align with travelers’ interests.
Travel brands have access to more guest data than they know what to do with. We’re talking millions of flight searches, countless destination wishlists, and enough abandoned booking carts to fill a fleet of planes. Yet, despite this data overload, most travel brands still struggle to truly understand their customers—especially as they switch devices, browse from multiple locations, and engage with various touchpoints.
To succeed, travel brands need to connect the dots and recognize their guests wherever and however they interact with the brand. By pairing identity resolution with customer intent signals—the subtle clues that reveal where a traveler wants to go, their preferred experiences, or when they’re likely to book—you’re looking at a powerful strategy to drive direct bookings and boost revenue.
Imagine a visitor is browsing flights to Paris, lingering on a page about summer travel deals. By capturing and responding to that behavior in real time, you can deliver targeted messages at the perfect moment. Wunderkind’s technology enables travel brands to set up behavioral triggers based on factors like cart value, time spent on site, or even scroll behavior, ensuring that your messages reach travelers when they’re most receptive.
In today’s competitive travel market, capturing and leveraging first-party data isn’t just a tactic—it’s a game-changer. By collecting meaningful insights directly from your website visitors, Wunderkind empowers travel brands to build more authentic, personalized connections with their customers. From real-time behavioral triggers to privacy-first data capture, our solutions help travel marketers turn anonymous traffic into loyal, engaged customers.
If you’re ready to explore the full potential of first-party data and create marketing campaigns that resonate with today’s travelers, Wunderkind’s Power of Acquisition Guide has everything you need to know. Transform the way you connect with travelers and drive measurable growth for your brand.