6 minute read
In the last few years, the holiday shopping season has evolved beyond Black Friday, with deals extending to Small Business Saturday. But since November 2020, a new phenomenon has emerged in the travel industry with the emergence of Travel Tuesday. Travel companies are starting to take notice of the growing Travel Tuesday trend, especially as consumer demand for travel deals continues to rise.
Black Friday and Travel Tuesday: The Key Travel Shopping Days
While Black Friday has traditionally been a major retail event, it’s not just retailers who are seeing increased sales. The travel industry has also embraced Black Friday, offering limited-time promotions and deals to attract travellers looking to book their next holiday. The rise in consumer spending intent during Black Friday and Cyber Week demonstrates that customers are increasingly willing to invest in travel experiences, despite the ongoing cost-of-living pressures.
However, over the last couple of years, another trend has started to gain traction: Travel Tuesday. Typically falling on the Tuesday after the US Thanksgiving holidays, Travel Tuesday is now recognised as a prime day for travellers to book discounted holidays and getaway packages. And in 2024, Travel Tuesday will occur on 3 December, providing a perfect opportunity for travel businesses to target savvy travellers looking for year-end deals.
Why Should Travel Companies Care About Travel Tuesday?
The biggest travel booking dates for travel businesses are during the period known as “peaks”, which runs from Boxing Day through to the end of February, with the first Saturday in January – known as Sunshine Saturday – typically being the most popular day of the year to book a foreign trip. Similarly, the Cruise wave season starts right after the winter holiday season and continues until the end of March.
As we’ve observed a surge in bookings through the Traveltek website over the past year, we can reasonably anticipate that Travel Tuesday will quickly emerge as a significant moment for travel bookings. Search interest for “Travel Tuesday” increased by more than 500% between 2021 and 2023, according to a report published by McKinsey & Company.
The report noted that “airline bookings jumped more than 60% that day, and cruises by more than 50%, compared to the two-week period before and after it.”
Here’s why Travel Tuesday can boost your sales:
- Increasing Consumer Interest: Search interest in Travel Tuesday is growing, especially in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Spain. Travellers are looking for last-minute holiday deals, particularly as households continue to look for ways to save more money.
- The Winter Booking Gap: Between late November and early December, travel bookings often slow down, as it’s too late for most winter holidays but too early for traditional summer bookings. Travel Tuesday provides an opportunity to boost sales during this otherwise quiet period.
- Warm-Weather Destinations: Research suggests that travellers are likelier to book warm-weather holidays when the weather in their home regions is cold or gloomy. This means that travel companies can tailor their offerings to sun-filled destinations, positioning them as the ideal escape for travellers during dreary winter months.
How Travel Companies Can Leverage Technology for Black Friday and Travel Tuesday
With increasing demand for travel deals, it’s more important than ever for travel businesses to have the right technology to manage these peak periods. In 2024, Travel Tuesday presents a prime opportunity to boost sales, especially for those who may struggle to promote the products they want in the ways that they want to. Without the right tech tools, travel companies may find themselves struggling to handle the surge in interest and lose out on the competition.
This is where Traveltek can help. Here’s how your travel business can benefit from the right technology to make the most of Travel Tuesday, Black Friday, and beyond:
1. Real-Time Pricing and Dynamic Offers
During high-traffic shopping days, demand can fluctuate rapidly. To stay competitive, travel businesses need a system that can adjust pricing in real time based on demand and supply. iSell allows businesses to offer personalised, time-sensitive promotions that can help convert visitors into customers and drive bookings.
2. Streamlined Booking Processes
As traffic surges during Black Friday and Travel Tuesday, a seamless booking process is crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction. Our standout platforms iSell and CruiseConnect ensure that bookings are processed quickly and efficiently, reducing the chance of abandoned carts and improving conversion rates.
3. Multi-Channel Integration
Travel businesses need to meet customers wherever they are, whether on social media, mobile apps, or websites. Traveltek’s products such as the Cruise Website Builder provide easy integration across multiple channels, allowing your deals to reach the right audience on the right platform. This integration helps travel companies streamline marketing efforts and maintain consistency across all channels.
4. Tailored Campaigns and Offers
With the right technology, businesses can target specific segments of their audience with personalised offers. Whether you’re targeting early-bookers or last-minute travellers, we can help you create and launch campaigns that resonate with the unique needs of each customer.
5. Data-Driven Insights for Smarter Decisions
Using data analytics to track customer behaviour and campaign performance during peak times is essential. Traveltek helps travel businesses gather and interpret data to make informed decisions about pricing, offers, and marketing strategies. This allows companies to optimise their campaigns and drive higher revenue during high-demand periods like Travel Tuesday.
Start Preparing for Your Peak Booking Seasons Today
As Travel Tuesday continues to gain popularity, it’s clear that travel businesses need to adapt and act quickly to stay ahead of the competition. By leveraging the right technology travel companies can improve their marketing strategies, optimise pricing, and provide seamless booking experiences that keep customers coming back.
Is your travel business equipped with the right tools to succeed this holiday season? If you’re unsure, now is the time to evaluate your tech stack and make sure you’re prepared for the upcoming peak booking periods. Book a discovery call with one of our experts today to explore how you can optimise your technology stack and stay ahead of the curve this Black Friday and Travel Tuesday.
