Google has shared a new overview of key travel trends and insights, in order to help people plan their upcoming holiday trips.
The data-backed notes could also provide insights for marketers looking to plan campaigns that tie into these trends. Google’s overview includes notes on key destinations, top ticket buying times and more.
First, Google shared new lists of trending domestic and international travel destinations for U.S. travelers this year, based on relative year-over-year to-date increases in Google Flights searches.
Google said that New York and Orlando, Florida remained popular destinations, other areas were also seeing significant rises in travel activity.
Internationally, Athens, Rio de Janeiro and Hanoi, Vietnam were gaining traction as tourist hotspots.
Google said that trends indicate that U.S. travelers were seeking out warmer climates for Christmas and New Year’s Eve, which could be relevant for related promotional activity.
In terms of booking flights, Google also provided additional advice.
- Domestic flights: Google said domestic flights were least expensive 39 days before departure, with the lowest price ranges coming 22 to 57 days in advance.
- International flights: For international travel, Google said the lowest prices were available 89 days before departure.
- Thanksgiving: The lowest prices for Thanksgiving travel came 34 days before departure.
- Christmas: Fifty-six days before departure was the sweet spot for booking Christmas travel, with the best deals falling between late October and mid-November.
As noted, these are some handy pointers, which could also provide valuable guidance for related promotions looking to tie into trends and interests in order to maximize performance.
