The travel industry has undergone a digital transformation, and savvy tourism brands are capitalising on programmatic advertising opportunities within travel search platforms. Skyscanner and Expedia have emerged as the premier channels for reaching high-intent travellers, offering sophisticated advertising solutions that can significantly boost your brand's visibility and bookings.
Why Travel Platforms Are the Golden Channel for Tourism Brands
Capturing High-Intent Traffic
When users browse Skyscanner or Expedia, they're not casually window shopping—they're actively planning trips with credit cards at the ready. This represents the highest quality traffic possible for tourism and hospitality brands, as these platforms capture users at the crucial moment of booking intent.
The conversion rates on travel platforms consistently outperform traditional display advertising by 300-400%, simply because you're reaching people who have already demonstrated clear purchase intent by searching for flights, hotels, or holiday packages.
Unparalleled Audience Data
Both Skyscanner and Expedia possess incredibly rich first-party data about traveller behaviour, preferences, and booking patterns. This data goldmine allows for precision targeting that would be impossible through other channels, enabling brands to reach specific demographics, travel preferences, and booking behaviours with surgical accuracy.
Skyscanner's Programmatic Advertising Solutions
Partner Plus Programme
Skyscanner's Partner Plus offers direct API integration, allowing accommodation providers and travel brands to display real-time pricing and availability directly within search results. This programmatic approach ensures your properties appear prominently when travellers search for destinations you serve.
Key benefits include:
- Real-time inventory management
- Dynamic pricing updates
- Enhanced listing visibility
- Direct booking capabilities
Travel Ads Platform
Skyscanner's advertising platform enables brands to create targeted campaigns that appear throughout the customer journey—from initial inspiration through to booking completion. The platform offers:
- Sponsored listings: Prominent placement in search results
- Display advertising: Visual campaigns across Skyscanner's network
- Retargeting capabilities: Re-engage users who've shown interest
- Performance-based pricing: Pay only for qualified traffic
Implementation Strategy
To maximise success on Skyscanner:
- Optimise your content feed: Ensure property descriptions, images, and pricing are compelling and accurate
- Leverage seasonal trends: Adjust bidding strategies based on peak travel periods
- Utilise location targeting: Focus spend on markets with highest conversion potential
- A/B test creative elements: Continuously refine ad creative for maximum impact
Expedia's Programmatic Ecosystem
Expedia Partner Central (EPC)
EPC provides comprehensive tools for managing your presence across Expedia's vast network of travel brands, including Hotels.com, Vrbo, and Trivago. The programmatic elements include:
- Automated bidding systems
- Dynamic packaging capabilities
- Cross-platform inventory management
- Real-time performance analytics
Expedia Media Solutions
This advertising arm offers sophisticated programmatic solutions:
Connected Trip Advertising: Target users across their entire travel journey, from initial research through post-trip engagement.
Audience Extension: Leverage Expedia's first-party data to reach lookalike audiences across the broader web.
Performance Max Campaigns: Automated campaign management that optimises across all Expedia touchpoints.
Best Practices for Expedia Success
- Competitive rate parity: Ensure your rates are competitive across all channels
- Quality score optimisation: Focus on guest reviews, booking conversion rates, and content quality
- Strategic bid management: Use Expedia's automated bidding tools whilst maintaining oversight
- Mobile-first approach: Optimise for mobile users who comprise over 60% of Expedia traffic
Advanced Programmatic Strategies
Cross-Platform Campaign Coordination
The most successful tourism brands don't treat Skyscanner and Expedia as isolated channels. Instead, they create coordinated campaigns that leverage the strengths of each platform whilst maintaining consistent messaging and tracking customer journeys across touchpoints.
Dynamic Creative Optimisation
Both platforms offer sophisticated dynamic creative capabilities that automatically adjust ad content based on user behaviour, search history, and demographic data. This ensures each potential customer sees the most relevant messaging and offers.
Attribution Modelling
Implementing proper attribution models is crucial for understanding the true value of each platform. Many bookings attributed to direct traffic or other channels actually originate from initial exposure on travel platforms, making accurate attribution essential for budget allocation decisions.
Measuring Success: Key Performance Indicators
Primary Metrics
- Return on Ad Spend (ROAS): Target 4:1 minimum for sustainable growth
- Cost per Acquisition (CPA): Monitor against customer lifetime value
- Click-through Rate (CTR): Benchmark against industry averages (typically 2-4% for travel)
- Conversion Rate: Track from click to booking completion
Secondary Metrics
- Assisted conversions: Measure cross-channel impact
- Brand awareness lift: Survey-based measurement of brand recognition
- Market share: Track visibility against competitors
- Customer lifetime value: Assess long-term impact of acquired customers
Budget Allocation and Scaling
Starting Recommendations
For brands new to travel platform advertising:
- Allocate 40-50% of the digital advertising budget to travel platforms initially
- Begin with automated bidding to gather performance data
- Focus on your strongest markets before expanding geographically
- Maintain a 20% budget buffer for seasonal opportunities
Scaling Strategies
As campaigns mature:
- Gradually increase spending on the highest-performing segments
- Expand to additional Expedia brand partners
- Explore Skyscanner's emerging markets
- Implement advanced audience targeting features
Future-Proofing Your Travel Platform Strategy
The programmatic landscape on travel platforms continues to evolve rapidly. Key developments to monitor include:
- Artificial intelligence integration: Both platforms are investing heavily in AI-driven optimisation
- Sustainability filtering: Growing consumer demand for eco-friendly travel options
- Voice search optimisation: Preparing for voice-activated travel planning
- Augmented reality features: Enhanced property visualisation capabilities
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Over-reliance on Automation
Whilst programmatic tools are powerful, successful brands maintain human oversight and strategic direction rather than letting algorithms run completely unsupervised.
Neglecting Content Quality
No amount of programmatic sophistication can overcome poor-quality images, descriptions, or customer reviews. Content quality remains fundamental to success.
Inadequate Mobile Optimisation
With mobile bookings now representing the majority of travel purchases, any campaign not optimised for mobile devices will significantly underperform.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much should tourism brands budget for Skyscanner and Expedia advertising?
We recommend allocating 40-60% of your digital advertising budget to travel platforms, as they typically deliver 3-4x higher conversion rates than general display advertising due to high user intent.
Q: How long does it take to see results from programmatic travel advertising?
Initial data becomes available within 7-14 days, but allow 4-6 weeks to gather sufficient data for meaningful optimisation decisions. Seasonal trends may require 3-6 months of data for accurate assessment.
Q: Can small independent hotels compete with major chains on these platforms?
Absolutely. Independent properties often outperform chains by focusing on unique selling propositions, local experiences, and personalised service messaging that resonates with travellers seeking authentic experiences.
Q: What's the difference between organic listings and paid advertising on these platforms?
Organic listings appear based on relevance algorithms and booking history, whilst paid placements guarantee prominent visibility. Most successful brands use both approaches, with paid advertising providing immediate visibility whilst building organic ranking over time.
Q: How important are customer reviews for programmatic success?
Reviews are crucial—they directly impact quality scores, ad placement, and conversion rates. Properties with 8+ ratings typically see 40-50% higher click-through rates than those with lower ratings.
Q: Should brands advertise on both Skyscanner and Expedia simultaneously?
Yes, they serve different stages of the booking funnel. Skyscanner captures early-stage researchers, whilst Expedia often converts ready-to-book travellers. A coordinated approach across both platforms maximises reach and conversion opportunities.
Q: What seasonal factors should brands consider for campaign planning?
Plan campaigns 8-12 weeks before peak seasons. Consider school holidays, local events, weather patterns, and cultural celebrations in target markets. Wave season (January-March) is particularly important for cruise and tour operators.
Q: How do programmatic campaigns on travel platforms compare to Google Ads?
Travel platforms typically deliver higher-intent traffic and better conversion rates, whilst Google Ads offers broader reach. The optimal strategy combines both, using travel platforms for high-intent targeting and Google for awareness and remarketing.
Q: What metrics matter most for measuring programmatic travel advertising success?
Focus on Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), Cost per Acquisition (CPA), and lifetime customer value. Vanity metrics like impressions matter less than booking conversion rates and revenue generated per pound spent.