Trust & partnerships key to APAC travel marketing success

A new report from partnership management platform impact.com has examined how travel brands across Asia-Pacific are adapting to changing consumer expectations and shifts in marketing practices.

The report, "Beyond the Booking: Where APAC Travel Brands Are Investing for Growth," draws on insights from 100 travel industry leaders in Southeast Asia and 1,200 travellers from Singapore, Australia, and China. It examines how brands and travellers are navigating the evolving travel and e-commerce sector and highlights key trends in traveller behaviour and marketing priorities.

According to the research, travel fatigue and a slowdown in post-pandemic travel demand have created new brand pressures. This has caused many to focus more heavily on customer retention (cited by 65% of marketers) and brand-building (64%) rather than just acquisition. At the same time, customer growth remains a top priority for over 80% of industry leaders, reflecting the competitive landscape.

Despite the push for retention, the study found that travel marketers in Southeast Asia still prioritise online advertising to encourage bookings. However, this channel is trusted by relatively few travellers—only 27% of Singaporean respondents and 18% of Australians said they are inspired by online ads for travel purchases.

Adam Furness, Managing Director APJ at impact.com, commented on these challenges and trends. He said, "The modern consumer demands trust, transparency and authenticity, and they turn to their communities and trusted sources of information to guide their purchasing decisions. The brands that thrive are balancing acquisition with retention and community-building through partnerships with affiliates, influencers, publishers, customer advocates and more. This report highlights how partnerships can help marketers increase revenue and build valuable connections with travellers through authentic content, recommendations and reviews."

The report revealed that trust-based marketing remains underdeveloped, with peer recommendations and word-of-mouth acting as the most reliable influences in travel-related decisions. The findings show that 67.5% of Australian, 62.5% of Singaporean, and 75% of Chinese travellers place their trust in personal recommendations, well above the trust afforded to paid advertising. Marketers themselves identified brand reputation and trust as the top influences on purchasing decisions, followed by price and promotions, and then online reviews and ratings.

Brand visibility across various research touchpoints emerged as a critical factor for reaching today's traveller. In Singapore, 74% of respondents said they use comparison sites, 65% turn to online travel agencies (OTAs), 51% benefit from loyalty programmes, and 31% refer to social media during their decision-making process. Similar trends were observed in China and Australia, suggesting that a multi-channel strategy is essential for brands seeking to engage travellers effectively.

Comparison sites and aggregators remain an important research tool, cited by 28% of marketers as a key channel for user research, ahead of advertisements at 24%. In Singapore, 68% of travellers trust review and comparison sites, similar to China at 72% and ahead of Australia at 59%. As a result, the report highlights opportunities for brands to include affiliate links in travel content and guides to engage potential customers early in their planning.

The research also highlights the growing influence of partnership-driven channels. Brands increasingly work with influencers, affiliates, OTAs, and premium publishers to reach high-intent audiences. More than one in four marketers (27%) continue to use OTAs and aggregators, despite commission fees reaching up to 30%, causing some brands to reconsider their investments. Affiliate marketing is being prioritised by 25% of marketers, valued for its performance-based model in which partners are only rewarded when bookings occur, as well as meeting consumers' desires for cashback, loyalty rewards, and discounts.

While a significant share of marketers still focus on online advertising (27%) and OTAs (28%), the roles of affiliate marketing (15%) and influencer marketing (11%) are expanding. In Singapore, 45% of travellers trust affiliates and 63% trust influencers in their planning process. The trend is mirrored in the broader region, with 50% of Australian travellers trusting affiliates and 68% trusting influencers, while in China, the proportions rise to 59% for affiliates and 75% for influencers.

The report identifies key opportunities, trends, and business priorities that are expected to shape the Asia-Pacific travel and hospitality sector in the coming year. Brands seek to realign their marketing investments to meet traveller demands and maintain relevance amid market changes.