There are six factors that spark wanderlust in travelers who consume travel content online, according to The Science of Wanderlust study from Expedia Group Advertising.
For the study, Expedia partnered with Censuswide to survey 7,000 travelers and conducted proprietary testing with EG Labs to evaluate the emotional responses and reactions of travelers to advertising content.
"In a world flooded with travel content, knowing what truly moves travelers from dreaming to booking is a game-changer for brands operating within the highly fragmented travel media ecosystem,” said Rob Torres, senior vice president of Expedia Group Advertising.
Travel advisors and content creators trying to reach clients online can benefit from knowing how users feel about AI use, whether they prefer videos to static images and more. Here’s what the research says works best.
1. Use video. According to the report, a video is three times more likely to spark emotion than static images. Long-form videos are the most likely to spark the most emotion.
2. Transparency matters. Respondents say that the tones that build the most trust are tones of transparency (52%), followed by clarity and confidence (46%) and authenticity (45%). User-generated content helps move the needle.
3. Narrative and structure must be clear. Those surveyed say that they are most engaged when the content has a clear opening, an engaging middle and a call to action to close. This structure is more effective than beautiful visuals paired with unclear messaging.
4. Timing of scenes matter, down to the second. According to the research, the optimal amount of time for a scene is two to nine seconds. Travelers say this timing allows them to see and absorb images and content. Faster cuts and scenes that are less than two seconds long prevent users from understanding the narrative.
5. Not all AI use is equal. Forty-one percent of travelers say that imagery enhanced with AI — but that still has a human touch — can be useful. Only 16% of travelers don’t mind how the content is created, so long as it is useful. More than half of respondents (64%) have noticed AI use in advertisements. Respondents feel uneasy and annoyed by fully AI-generated influencers and landscapes.
6. Representation moves the needle. Content is more memorable when people see themselves represented, with two-thirds of travelers saying inclusive messaging makes them trust a travel brand.
The study also found differences across age groups, finding that younger generations feel the strongest emotions toward travel content compared to older generations. Millennials and Gen Z travelers also resonate more with influencer content and videos, while Gen X and baby boomers are more likely to engage with brand messaging, sponsored articles and guidebooks.
