Visual marketing plays an important role in grabbing the attention of travelers, many of whom take inspiration from Instagram. Despite the importance of visuals, some brands and content marketers rely on out-of-date criteria when selecting their images, says photo agency Getty Images.
Last Tuesday, Getty Images released fresh data in the so-called VisualGPS. This tool leverages on internal search data, insights from the company’s visual experts, and market research to help marketers find the right visuals to grab the attention of their audience.
New data collected by Getty Images and published in the VisualGPS show that travel brands need to better align the images in their marketing campaigns with the new expectations and preferences of today’s travelers.
Getty Images surveyed around 7,000 Americans to ask about their travel plans. Then, the photo agency analyzed the images used by travel brands in the past year for their content marketing, online display advertising, and commercials. The analysis showed that some images did not sync with travelers’ tastes.
The results of the VisualGPS released last Tuesday by Getty Images also reveals that more than half of Americans surveyed prioritize domestic trips over international travel. The majority of travelers are not planning a foreign trip in 2022, while only 14% are planning an expensive dream trip. This trend against international travel is significantly higher among baby boomers than among millennials. This can be a problem for the travel and tourism sector since baby boomers tend to travel longer and spend more. Despite the increased interest in domestic journeys, many travel brands keep using images that represent international trips.
The survey revealed that the most-mentioned travel purpose in 2022 was social connection, with around 40% of travelers prioritizing trips to see family and friends. While prior to the pandemic people wanted to capture perfect landscapes with no people, now they are re-evaluating social reconnection and cultural discovery. This means that travel and tourism brands need to focus on people-centered photos rather than landscapes with no subjects or with solo travelers. Moreover, the survey found that travelers are more and more prone to book outdoor-themed vacations in 2022. Despite this trend that has boomed two years ago, brands are instead posting images in cities. As for diversity and inclusion, Getty Images noted that Asian people are seen seven times less than white people, while Hispanic people are seen 10 times less, in travel-related images that have an outdoor theme.
