Marketing to holidaymakers – trends for 2010

Understanding how consumers research holiday destinations and what influences them to pick one package over another is vital for marketers seeking to get their travel products noticed in the UK's highly competitive  travel market.

This 2010 MMC report uses the latest fast.MAP data to tap into holidaymakers’ decision-making processes and discover what encourages them to make their choices, from their preferred communications channels such as email and direct mail, to how they select their vacation destinations.

Key insights include:

• Almost half of consumers rate travel websites and search engines such as Google highly when they are investigating a specific holiday destination.

 • Traditional methods of maintaining contact with holidaymakers are still popular with 25% saying they prefer to receive brochures and 24% direct mail from travel companies or agencies.

• Word of mouth is a significant influence on booking a holiday with 22% of respondents saying they rely on recommendations from friends or family.

• Email is rated top by holiday makers as a trigger to book vacations both in the UK and abroad. Direct mail at 25% and brochures at 26% are also strong prompts to booking UK holidays.

 • The timing of marketing communications is vital with 51% of holidaymakers saying the best time to reach them is between January and March.