Blog #7: Travel redesigned - reinvent or be left behind

According to a recent article in TechCrunch, Condé Nast is redesigning its travel website. The change is not your typical upgrade. The company is moving away from traditional blogs and menus and changing how they engage with customers. The layout is more spaced out and the headlines are more attention grabbing, for example "Pack your drinking liver- We’re not saying drinking’s the only thing you’ll do in New Orleans. But its cocktail game is mighty. And you need something to wash down that third oyster po’ boy."

So the real question is: will these changes make a difference?

In a world where content is everywhere, it is important for websites to reinvent themselves. The world wide web has become a critical part of the travel process. The statistics below show that the travel industry is very lucrative, but also competitive. In order to have staying power, marketers and site owners will need to present content in new formats, but they will also need to personalize content so that travelers can find what means most to them.

Travel trends:

• "HuffPost reports that over 95% of leisure travelers read at least seven reviews before booking their holidays.
•  According to a study by American Express, 83% of Millennials said they would let travel brands track their digital patterns if this would provide them with a more personalized experience. In addition, 85% of respondents of all ages thought that customized itineraries were much more desirable than general, mass-market offerings. "
• Nielsen research found that travelers spent an average of 53 days visiting 28 different websites over a period of 76 online sessions, with more than 50% of travelers checking social media for travel tips. Over the next 10 years, travel industry experts predict that the digital travel space worldwide will expand at an annual rate of 3.8% to reach $11.4 trillion."

Sources:
https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/06/conde-nast-traveler-redesign/
http://www.cmo.com/features/articles/2017/5/5/15-mind-blowing-stats-about-digital-trends-in-travel-hospitality-tlp-ddm.html#gs.kE4D1aI