Level Up Your Marketing Strategy With Travel Partnerships

Looking for ways to level up your marketing strategy with travel partnerships? Here are some ideas that will help you drive business growth, increased loyalty and customer acquisition.

By Dana Baasiri 

Partnership marketing has become a go-to for brands looking to reach new audiences, engage loyalists and boost awareness, with more than half of marketers continuing to invest in this tactic. From sweepstakes to co-branded products, brands continue to innovate new and exciting ways to leverage partnerships in their marketing campaigns — and the opportunities to include travel brand partners into your strategies are endless.

First thing’s first, why travel?

Incorporating travel marketing partnerships strategically and thoughtfully will more than likely capture audiences and reel them in.

In October, 47.6% of consumers were planning on taking a vacation in the next six months — the highest figure since the start of the pandemic, and up from 42.3% in September. Heightened travel demand can be attributed to lifted travel bans, eased restrictions and the return of cruising continue that have given consumers added reassurance and confidence in hopping on a flight and taking that long-awaited vacation.

And while the recent reopening of the borders signals a sign of global progress, the travel industry has been paving the way for safe travel for over a year now. Hotels and resorts were among the first to open their doors and welcome travelers with heightened safety protocols and a focus on guest safety — all while delivering on their promise of a memorable experience.

Ideas For Your Travel Partnerships

From multi-channel sweepstakes to deeper integrated partnerships, event activations or even on-resort branded experiences, travel partnerships can be designed and tailored to your specific needs.

Let’s take a look at the different ways you can utilize travel partnerships in your marketing campaigns:

Support A New Product Launch

Whether you’re launching an entirely new product or a new, seasonal flavor of a staple, one way to generate buzz is by running a travel sweepstakes or contest giveaway. Nothing creates more excitement than the chance to win a family getaway to an all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean. Not only does this help create a feel-good moment for consumers, but it leverages word-of-mouth as they tell their friends about the opportunity to be whisked away to a dreamlike destination.

For heightened awareness, promote the partnership on various channels, including:

• On-pack placement by incorporating your lucrative offer on the product’s packaging to attract shoppers in-store
• Social media where you can engage audiences with inspirational content
• An enter-to-win landing page that touts both the travel prizing and your new product while driving traffic to your website

Langers Juice & Meliá Caribe Beach Resort On-Pack Promotion

Increase Loyalty And Retain Subscriptions

Let’s be honest, lead generation is on every marketer’s list of goals. Whether you’re trying to build your email list or increase subscriptions to a service or product, one way to do that effortlessly is by partnering with a travel brand. Incentivize consumers to sign up for emails by unlocking an exclusive travel offer or perk that are sent out occasionally. Alternatively, you can encourage them to make an even bigger commitment and pay a subscription fee to receive elusive chances to win an all expenses paid trip to a tropical island.

Give consumers a reason to subscribe (and remain subscribed), by adding:

• Exclusive travel deals in your monthly emails or newsletters
• One-of-a-kind travel giveaways inserted in your subscription boxers or mailers
• Amplified content on your digital channels like an editorial feature spotlighting your travel prize