Travel demand is growing, but tourism advertising is struggling to capture travellers’ attention, with 60% saying many travel ads look similar and half unable to recall the last tourism advertisement they saw. The findings come from new research by Lions Advisory and Tourise, which examines how tourism brands can respond to changing consumer expectations, digital discovery and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI).
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The report, Ideas that travel: How tourism brands win the race for tomorrow’s customers, draws on a survey of 8,374 consumers across 13 markets, interviews with industry leaders and an analysis of marketing research and case studies. It identifies five areas for tourism marketers to consider as travellers increasingly expect personalised recommendations, trustworthy information and connected digital experiences.
Travel demand and spending expectations rise
The research found that 39% of respondents expected to travel more in 2026 than in 2025. This rose to 51% among Generation Z travellers and 47% among millennials. Brazil, South Africa and India were identified as leading growth markets, while almost half of respondents expected to increase their travel spending.
Travellers are also looking for experiences that reflect their interests. Some 72% expect brands to recommend experiences based on their preferences, while 71% are considering visiting an emerging destination in the coming year.
Social media is the leading source of holiday discovery, cited by 33% of respondents, particularly younger travellers. However, 55% said they struggle to identify trustworthy information when planning trips, prompting them to consult several sources, including reviews, content creators, friends and family, AI tools and official channels.
Personalisation and connected experiences are also becoming more important. Some 67% expect travel journeys to be personalised, intuitive and connected, while 62% said they were likely to use AI more frequently over the following 12 months for travel research and booking.
Tourism advertising struggles to stand out
Despite rising demand, the report identifies a gap between travellers’ expectations and tourism marketing. Six in 10 respondents said many travel advertisements look similar, while 50% could not recall the last tourism advertisement they had seen.
Paul Coxhill, chief operating officer and President of Lions, said: “Creativity is a commercial advantage — numerous empirical studies provide evidence of creativity’s role in business growth. The tourism sector is fertile ground for creative effectiveness. Few categories deal so directly in emotion, experience, and memory. Yet in recent years, the sector has seen massive shifts in how people discover, book, and engage with destinations. While demand is rising, so is competition and complexity. This study is designed to make sense of the changing landscape."
The report argues that tourism brands need to build distinctive identities and create marketing that connects with travellers through relevant storytelling and experiences. It also highlights the importance of maintaining trust across the range of channels people use to research and choose destinations.
His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and hairman of Tourise, said: “The future of tourism will be shaped through collaboration across industries and disciplines. The destinations that succeed will be those that build meaningful, trusted, and memorable experiences that endure long after the journey ends. In this environment, creativity becomes far more than a communications tool; it is a strategic driver of differentiation, competitiveness, and long-term value. The IDEAS framework offers a valuable lens through which destinations and brands can respond.”
Ideas framework sets out five priorities
The report introduces the Ideas framework, which identifies five areas for tourism brands to consider in their marketing strategies:
Investment: Global media investment rebounded to $32.4bn in 2025 following the Covid-19 pandemic, but tourism’s share of voice remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to Warc Media, tourism advertising spending under-indexes in social media, creator content, video and entertainment-led environments. The report highlights the need for brands to maintain visibility and invest in channels where travellers are discovering destinations.
Distinctiveness: As travellers increasingly seek destinations that reflect their interests, values and identities, broad positioning can make it harder for brands to stand out. The report recommends clearer, more memorable messaging that gives destinations a recognisable identity.
Engagement: Tourism brands are competing for attention in an environment shaped by creators, entertainment and algorithm-driven feeds. The research points to storytelling that draws on emotion, authenticity and cultural relevance as a way to connect with prospective travellers.
Authenticity: Travellers form impressions through reviews, creator content and the experiences of other visitors, as well as official destination marketing. The report says brands need to align their promises with the experiences they deliver and treat trust as an important part of marketing effectiveness.
Seamlessness: As AI assistants become more embedded in travel search, planning and booking, brands need to consider both travellers and the technologies they use to make decisions. The report highlights the role of data and automation in creating customer value, while maintaining a balance between digital tools and human service.
The report also examines examples of brands applying these principles, including Airbnb, Visit Sweden and Southwest Airlines.
Research spans 13 markets
The study is based on an online survey of 8,374 consumers across 13 markets, conducted in December 2025. All respondents had travelled internationally in the preceding 12 months.
The markets covered were Australia, Brazil, China, Germany, France, India, Japan, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, South Korea, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The survey was supplemented by in-depth interviews with tourism and business leaders, as well as an analysis of Lions’ marketing research and case studies.
The global travel and tourism industry accounts for 9% of gross domestic product and supports more than 366 million jobs worldwide, according to the report.
The full report is available here.
