Cyber Week tends to get all the headlines when it comes to digital marketing this time of year. But hotels, airlines, and other travel-focused advertisers will get their moment in the sun on Travel Deal Tuesday, which has the potential to be the travel equivalent of Cyber Monday.
When is it?
Travel Deal Tuesday will fall on December 3, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving.
So, what is it exactly?
Travel Deal Tuesday is a term that appears to have been coined by travel app Hopper, which noticed a spike in flight deals on that day. Tuesdays have historically been the best day of the week to buy tickets, although some research shows that’s no longer the case.
In a press release announcing when this year’s Travel Deal Tuesday would be, Hopper revealed some eye-popping statistics about what it found on Travel Deal Tuesday 2019.
Among them:
- People were booking trips. Hopper reports that people booked 40% more trips on Travel Deal Tuesday than they did on Cyber Monday 2018 and 80% more than on Black Friday.
- Deals were being offered fast and furious. Hopper analyzed 25-30 billion flight and hotel price quotes and found that there were roughly 18 deals offered per second on Travel Deal Tuesday, with discounts of up to 70% off round trip flights.
Why are people looking to book travel then?
Shoppers could be turning to travel sites around this time for any number of reasons.
- The deals are there. That much is obvious. If you offer it, shoppers will come, and with up to 70% off round trip flights being offered, consumers may be more inclined to respond to the right offer.
- Holiday retail shopping fatigue. Given that retailers started pushing out holiday themed deals as early as the beginning of November, people may be simply in the mood to check out deals on other things.
- Winter blues. With winter setting in, consumers might be looking forward to getting away for a bit. Whether it’s warm weather that’s the draw or perhaps going somewhere with outdoor activities, consumers may find themselves with a bit of wanderlust.
Who stands to benefit most from Travel Deal Tuesday?
The great thing about Travel Deal Tuesday is that it’s not limited to travel-focused publishers. Airlines, hotels, and travel booking sites stand to benefit the most because they can offer the allure of a getaway. However, apparel sites can get in on the fun by promoting new outfits to wear on vacation. Sporting goods retailers can benefit by building campaigns around encouraging shoppers to buy new outdoor gear on Travel Tuesday so they can finally take that kayaking or skiing trip that they’ve been dying to go on.
Great! So what should I be doing to prepare?
Travel marketers should:
- Identify destinations and properties that they want to promote. Reach out to publishers in your affiliate network now to determine inventory and the audience they can help you reach.
- Determine the times of year you want to promote. Do you want to appeal to last minute holiday travelers looking for a quick getaway or do you want to appeal to the long-term planners who might be thinking more about Spring or Summer travel?
- Ensure you have content ready to promote across your social channels that aligns with the deals being offered on Travel Deal Tuesday through your affiliate and display channels.
Retail marketers should:
- Create collateral that incorporates “Travel Deal Tuesday” into images along with a specific call to action.
- Analyze inventory levels to determine which products you want to promote to which shoppers, be it new or existing customers or by geographic area.
- Leverage Dynamic Commissioning tools to offer your publisher partners higher commission rates on vacation-themed products to ensure that those products are being promoted on Travel Deal Tuesday.
Ready to get started building out your Travel Deal Tuesday strategy? Get in touch with us today.
