“The traveler mindset shifts throughout the journey, with each stage creating a different moment where travelers are open to discovery, inspiration, and recommendations,” said Monique Perlmutter, managing vice president of Marriott Media Sales at Marriott International.

This means marketers must plan media around the full travel journey and tailor their messaging based on where a traveler is at that moment.

However, most travel media strategies remain overly concentrated on the early stages of travel.

• The majority (62%) of brand ad budgets are concentrated on the pre-trip phase, while only 18% is allocated in transit and 10% at check-in, according to a new report from Marriott Media and Kinective Media by United Airlines.
• “Marketers have historically focused spending around the booking moment because it’s been the easiest place to reach consumers and measure results,” said Perlmutter

While the pre-trip phase is important, marketers should be optimizing the entire journey. Here’s a breakdown of how the travel journey unfolds and how brands can adjust their strategies at every stage.

Pre-trip: Preparation is already in motion

The pre-trip phase is a pivotal window, as travelers begin making purchase decisions and spending their money well before departure. In fact, some travelers report spending nearly as much on pre-trip goods as on the vacation itself.

• 89% of travelers purchase clothes before a trip, 80% buy accessories, and 75% invest in health and wellness products, found the Marriott and United report.
• Other pre-trip purchases include skincare, haircare, luggage, and entertainment.

Social media is accelerating and amplifying this behavior. Vacation-prep content has generated more than 81 million views on TikTok alone, per the report, turning packing lists, beauty routines, and outfit planning into cultural moments.

How brands should show up: Treat the pre-trip phase as a high-intent activation window. Show up in social feeds with contextual, creator-led content that seamlessly integrates products into travel routines, and make every touchpoint instantly shoppable to convert inspiration into purchase.

In transit: High attention and openness

While in transit, brands have the opportunity to reach a captive audience who may be more open to trying new things.

• In-flight environments alone account for more than 300 million hours of annual passenger time spent with seatback screens, found the report.
• 75% of travelers say they feel more open to discovery while traveling and 74% report having more downtime to explore.

“Seatback screens are becoming increasingly dynamic and responsive,” said James Rothwell, managing director of marketing, loyalty and media at United Airlines. “That opens up not only more personalized messaging opportunities, but also measurability of engagements and outcomes. For travel and destination brands, we can also tie exposure to flight purchases which closes the attribution loop.”

How brands should show up: Use in-transit moments to deliver personalized, context-aware messaging that inspires action upon arrival. Tailor offers, recommendations, and destination-driven content to passenger profiles, and connect exposure to redeemable deals or bookable experiences to drive measurable outcomes beyond the flight.

At the destination: ‘Travel math’ drives additional spend

Once travelers arrive at their destination, “travel math” takes over, with 85% of travelers making unplanned purchases outside their initial travel budgets, according to the report.

• This mindset is fueled by a desire to treat themselves and maximize a limited vacation window.
• After absorbing major upfront costs like plane tickets and hotels, smaller in-destination purchases feel incremental and easier to justify.

“This creates a natural moment for discovery, brand trial, and incremental spending, and for marketers, that means looking beyond immediate conversion and measuring outcomes like new to brand acquisition, brand switching, and longer term loyalty,” said Perlmutter.

How brands should show up: Show up with offerings that feel exclusive to the moment and the place. Spotlight limited-edition products, destination-only experiences, or immersive activations that tap into a traveler’s openness to discovery.

Return and post-trip: Loyalty multiplies the effect

Just because the vacation ends does not mean the opportunity does. The post-trip window is often the bridge to the next booking.

Rather than closing the chapter, many travelers are already planning their next escape. In fact, 55 million Marriott reservations each year occur within two days of another reservation ending, said the report.

Loyalty programs help sustain that momentum between trips.

• The report found that frequent travelers have 1.4 times higher annual incomes, averaging $140,000, compared with non-frequent travelers.
• They are also 1.5 times more likely to feel highly inspired by new experiences, with 37% reporting significant inspiration during travel versus 26% of non-loyalty members.

Travel brands also occupy a uniquely trusted position in consumers’ lives.

• Three-quarters of consumers trust their top travel provider’s recommendations and advertising.
• “We are in a privileged position in that United built its traveler media network within its loyalty business,” said Rothwell. “This enables us to create smarter audience segmentation and affinity groups to drive relevant, personalized advertising and offers so the traveler feels like we are matching them with brands that are elevating their experience.”

How brands should show up: Stay present after the trip ends. Use loyalty and CRM channels to deliver personalized, co-branded offers and rewards that extend the experience and spark the next one. By aligning with the right travel partners, brands can tap into an engaged, high-value audience and turn post-trip inspiration into measurable repeat engagement.

Accountability across the journey

Travel media plays a distinct role within the broader media mix.

“Travel media is a strong opportunity for upper- and mid-funnel investment since it complements retail media by driving brand awareness and consideration before consumers begin a purchase journey,” Perlmutter said.

While retail media captures consumers at the moment of intent, travel media influences the path that leads there.

And that influence is increasingly quantifiable, according to Perlmutter.

“As measurement tools continue to improve, marketers have a real opportunity to plan around the full journey and optimize for incremental spending and long-term customer value beyond the initial booking,” she said.

This was originally featured in the Commerce Media Weekly newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.