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30 April, 2024

Nielsen Data reveals brands spending big to attract Aussie tourists

TripADeal had the biggest outlay of the more than $153 million spent on travel and tourism advertising in Australia in the first quarter of 2024, followed by Virgin Australia and Flight Centre-owned Ignite Travel, new Nielsen Ad Intel data has revealed.

And the industry ad spend enjoyed an increase of 8 per cent on the previous quarter as it continues to recover.

Nielsen Consumer & Media View (CMV) data shows that 76 per cent of Aussies plan on travelling domestically in the next 12 months, while more than half (52 per cent) have their eye on an overseas destination.

“Australians’ love of travel continues to defy cost of living pressures, as shown by an 8 per cent jump in travel ad spend this quarter,” Nielsen Ad Intel’s Australia commercial lead Rose Lopreiato said.

Neilsen’s Rose Lopreiato.

“You can’t get a stronger indicator than that when it comes to how marketers and advertisers are spending in order to maximise ROI, forge lasting connections with brands and consumers, and do so in the most economical way possible.

“From competitive ad spend analysis, to knowing what your competitors are saying in market and the deals and offers you’re up against, Ad Intel helps you understand which ads are driving your competitors spend and where.”

Brands need data that gives them the edge on their competition now more than ever, Nielsen’s Pacific head of advanced analytics Glenn Channel said.

“That means going above standard demographic information, and understanding consumers, in this case travellers, as unique groups, who are motivated by more than just the urge to get away.

“Nielsen CMV enables brands to see consumers through an advanced audience lens, delivering a more holistic picture of behaviours and preferences with surprising linkages and purchase triggers that other consumer insight providers can’t match.”

As many Australians return from a much-needed retreat over the recent school holiday break, millions are already planning their next getaway, embracing travel rewards schemes, while being wooed by travel brands spending millions to get their business.

Top travel websites

Qantas maintained top spot in travel websites and frequent flyer programs.

Data from Nielsen Digital Content Ratings (DCR) saw Qantas claim top spot when it comes to travel websites, followed by Trip Advisor with 5.82 million and 5.02 million users respectively in Q1 of this year. Booking Holdings Network was the third-largest platform in terms of users with 2.5 million.

Average user engagement time on most travel platforms was also consistent from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, although Royal Caribbean Cruises and Anytrip.com.au led the pack. On average, Royal Caribbean users spent roughly 29 minutes interacting with the platform, while Anytrip users spent almost 27 minutes on the platform.

Top frequent flyer programs

The number of Australians who are members of a frequent flyer program also increased, with 57 per cent of all Australian consumers now part of some sort of travel rewards scheme. Qantas remains the market leader with a 45 per cent share of the market, followed by Virgin (31 per cent), and other smaller players making up the remaining 24 per cent.

Top domestic destinations

Younger Aussies (25 to 39) are the most likely to be bitten by the domestic travel bug, with 78 per cent planning to holiday locally in the next 12 months. Sydney narrowly beats Melbourne as the preferred place to visit, followed by the Gold Coast, Regional NSW, then Brisbane.

Sydney beat Melbourne as the ideal destination for younger audiences.

Top overseas destinations

The even younger 18 to 24 age group are the most likely to travel overseas, with 58 per cent planning to travel abroad in the coming year. The UK tops the list of desired OS destinations, followed by New Zealand, Japan, the USA and Indonesia.

While most Aussies are looking for a beach getaway when it comes to staying close to home, they prefer a trip involving plenty of sightseeing, followed by some rest and relaxation, once they leave the country.

Even younger audiences decided the UK is their preferred desination (Image: iStock/heyengel)

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Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

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