As we enter Q2, what’s the state of play for European travel? That’s what Euromonitor’s Senior Consultant, Alexander Göransson, addressed at our recent CJ Travel Afternoon. So, what were his conclusions?

Internally led – but opening up

Travel in Europe is predominantly internally generated. It’s either domestic travel inside a country, or intra-European travel. But that’s changing as travellers to Europe are predicted to rise dramatically in the next five years.

US travel to Europe has been booming recently, but this may well change following the recent economic uncertainties off the back of President Trump’s new trade tariffs. However, travel from the Middle East and Asia continues to recover.

CJ tip: Use CJ tools like SitCom to reward travellers based on their destination or where they came from. Also, ensure you cover your domestic and international promotions and they align with your KPIs.    

So, what are people looking for today?

What’s hot when it comes to travel?

The largest category (and fastest growing in absolute value) is lodging, but people want more from their trips, and experiences have become a strong growth category. However, it’s cruises that win in terms of the fastest-growing category in percentage terms. But sailing into the sunset remains a small market growing from a small base. Interestingly, having a captive audience that only has short visits ashore acts as an anti-trend to the desire for greater travel experiences.

CJ tip: Let people see what they can experience by working with CJ Influence or our influencer network to increase brand visibility and customer trust. You can also partner with a recommendation publisher like Soreto and allow people to share offers and deals with family and friends.

Travel planning is in the hands of the traveller   

Traditionally, the computer has been the go-to channel for researching travel, but it’s the mobile that's seeing the real growth. Now, this ranks joint first alongside the laptop in the UK, with tablets and other online devices scoring higher than in the other major European countries. But despite this, the personal touch still counts. According to Euromonitor’s consumer survey, the UK, surprisingly, shows a stronger preference for getting in-store advice than Germany and France.       

CJ tip: Ensure your site is mobile-friendly and that CJ’s in-app tracking is enabled so you get a complete picture of your campaign performance across all channels.

Understanding today’s traveller types  

Like any audience, travellers are not one homogenous group, and Euromonitor identified eight types. Some suggestions are included as to how you can engage these groups through your affiliate marketing.    

Leisure Seekers: this group ranks first or second in six of the eight European countries analysed. It’s why so many travel, so focus on promoting leisure experiences through your content and influencers.     

The second largest group overall is the Cultural Explorer: those keen to immerse themselves in the destination and experience the culture when they are there. To encourage them to visit, make sure you highlight the cultural benefits of a given location.   

With UK consumers being strong users of digital platforms for holiday planning, the highly informed and researched Digital Traveller group is the number one traveller type in this market. But there’s also a desire for the finer things in travel, with the UK also having the highest propensity of Luxury Seekers across the markets. For this latter group, look at opportunities to tie up with a luxury brand or a spa to enhance the experience.    

For many, travel is still about getting out and embracing what a destination has to offer. The Adventure Lover and Eco Adventurer audiences (especially large in Poland) highlight this, with one group in particular focusing on environmentally conscious travel.    

And there’s a desire among these groups to make a positive impact through their travel choices. While enjoying themselves, it’s important that their actions allow them to contribute to the local community and economy they visit. It’s something that’s becoming a real travel trend today. 

That’s why travel brands should explore partnering with Earthmark to show how seriously they’re taking sustainability and invest in content and influencer campaigns to promote their credentials here.

One group that emerged post-pandemic – and remains an important segment – is the Blended Traveller. With their laptop in tow and a rise in remote working, they combine work and leisure during their trips. You can build trust and awareness in your brand by highlighting Wi-Fi services and coworking spaces that support their needs.   

And with travel being good for the soul, the boom in seeking locations that offer retreats and healing has given rise to the popularity of the Wellness Worshipper, a particularly prevalent group in the Netherlands. Look to find favour with these travellers by working with influencers and content blogs to promote wellness activities in different locations.     

In search of immersion  

Today, people want more from travel. Rather than being passive visitors, they’re looking to ingratiate themselves into the lifestyle and culture of a location, something that’s becoming a key selling point. So much so that Euromonitor’s research shows a willingness across all traveller types to pay 10% or more for such an immersive opportunity.    

Again, this chimes with some of the forecasted fastest-growing travel categories over the next five years. The rise in demand for guided tours, festivals, and leisure events feeds into this engagement trend.   

However, the resurgence of tourism brings the spectre of overtourism. We’ve already seen anti-tourism protests in Spain, and it's becoming an issue even in parts of England. The question for the industry is whether it can work to attract travellers to more destinations rather than simply the traditional tourist hotspots.    

CJ tips: Again, work with influencers to promote different locations and highlight the experiences travellers can have, including local events like concerts or sports. Also, develop a co-branded campaign by partnering with a business like Tivyso to offer customers additional benefits. And make sure you’re influencing every point of a customer’s buying journey by working with different publisher models to diversify your affiliate programme. 

Find out more about what Alexander discussed about travel in Europe by watching a video of his session here.