The 2024 Travel Outlook Survey Results: Slicing Up the Paid Media Pie

Reaching repeat visitors and driving the right prospects requires having multiple paths from engagement to conversion. Based on our recent findings and given all the options at their disposal — both digital and traditional — how are DMO marketers planning to allocate paid media resources in 2024?

When asked about directing American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds toward marketing efforts, a significant number (18%) indicated they would be spending more on paid media in 2024. To support these campaigns, a good number of DMOs (21%) said they planned to invest more money in creative.

Survey respondents indicate that social media (heavily favoring Meta brands Facebook and Instagram) gets the biggest share of the budget’s pie. Generous portions of the pie are shared by six additional strategies in different combinations, including video, SEM, broadcast, OOH, email, and print collateral.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Year after year, DMOs are allocating a larger slice of the paid media pie (35.0%) to social channels. Because younger travelers are using social media at every stage of the sales funnel — including before, during, and after a trip — it’s a meaningful two-way street for communicating and engaging all year round.

Of the social media platforms DMOs find to be the most effective at promoting travel and tourism, Facebook/Meta is the clear front runner, ranked #1 by nearly half (47.2%) of the survey respondents. Instagram is rated as the most effective channel by less than one quarter (22.2%), followed by TikTok (14.4%). Other social media platforms that rank low as being most effective for DMOs include Twitter/X, Snap, YouTube, and Pinterest. The least effective platform for DMOs is Pinterest, according to a significant number (71.3%) of respondents.

Among the metrics for measuring success, social media engagement and followers is mentioned by 58 percent of the survey respondents, making it the top answer.

Download the report to uncover how other paid media channels are looking.

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