Digital Marketing for Tourism: How to Maximise Growth and Bookings 

With 72% of travellers reporting they prefer to book trips on the internet and the percentage of online travel and tourism sales predicted to rise to 75% by 2029, prioritising digital marketing isn’t optional – it’s essential. In this blog, we’ll explore how strategic digital marketing for tourism businesses maximises growth, boosts bookings and helps you shine online. 

Why digital marketing is essential for tourism businesses in 2025 

Traditional marketing still has its place. However, with most of the action happening online, your socials, email marketing, website and digital ads need to be the primary focus for a stronger return on investment. 

Tourism businesses come in all shapes and sizes. Still, whether you’re a hotel, restaurant, local attraction, tour company or Airbnb, a solid digital marketing strategy can make the difference between a jam-packed season or an empty booking calendar. 

Your customers are reading Google food reviews, scrolling through Insta travel reels, and watching TikToks of sunset hikes while they compile their bucket lists. The digital space is where the big decisions are being made, and if you’re not in the mix, you won’t get the bookings. It’s as simple as that. 

How to attract travellers with targeted online campaigns 

Rather than throwing every marketing trick at the wall and hoping some of it sticks, a targeted approach is far more cost-effective and successful. Your tourism marketing strategy might include:   

• Instagram and Facebook ads to target customers based on their interests and preferences such as food, adventure, culture, eco-tourism, etc. 
• Keyword-optimised Google Ad campaigns that will pop up when your audience searches for your niche, like “kayaking in Wales” or “places to eat near Cardiff”. 
• Tailored promotions – seasonal or family-friendly offers, romantic breaks, discounts, etc. 
• Retargeting people who visited your website but failed to convert. 
• Sending the latest news, travel tips, and loyalty offers to followers on your email list. 
• Crafting informative blogs and social posts on topics you know your audience will search for like “The Top 10 Places to go Hiking in Pembrokeshire”.   
• Thoughtful geo-targeting to capture everyone from nearby trade to international customers. 

In addition, remember to optimise everything for mobile. Over two-thirds of traffic for travel and hospitality websites comes from mobile search, so it should be a key focus of any online marketing campaign.

Creating content that inspires and converts tourists

This is where well-crafted buyer personas come into play. Every piece of content you produce – from website photos to social media blurb – needs to speak directly to your audience. Informing is important but connecting is the key. To create content that inspires and converts, start by stepping into your customers’ shoes: 

• What search terms are they using? 
• What experiences are they dreaming about?  
• What matters to them on a deeper level?  
• What kind of stories would persuade them to choose you? 

Your content has to work on a practical and emotional level to be impactful. Answer questions, build trust and generate excitement and you’re on the road to success. 

Other tips for crafting content that converts are: 

• Use real images and user-generated content so people can relate to genuine experiences. Authenticity is essential for developing trust in your brand. 
• Tell stories – they are far more emotionally resonant than giving people plain old information. 
• Highlight your unique selling points (USPs) – it might be your location, the way you deliver your service, the quality of your products, or customer service – anything that differentiates you and makes customers feel like they’re getting something special. 
• Use a friendly, approachable brand tone. Keep things warm and natural and people will feel comfortable interacting with you. 
• Have Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in mind. Include travel, tourism, and hospitality keywords in your content, and you’ll have a better chance of ranking high in search results. 
• Keep content fresh. This not only helps with search engine results, but also makes your brand look proactive, gives customers relevant insights, and improves user experience. 

In short, prioritise quality and craft content designed to connect with people, and you can turn casual browsers into repeat customers.

Leveraging social media and influencers to drive bookings

Some people love social media and online influencers, others not so much. We get it. However, the truth is that both can be incredibly useful in driving bookings. Recent statistics show that almost half of people have visited a destination or made a travel purchase as a result of viewing content on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. 

1. How leveraging social media helps boost leads and sales. 

It makes you more visible. If you’re active on your socials, more people will see you, and you’ll stay in their minds when it’s time to book. 

It builds social proof. Social media comments, tags, follows, and reviews give customers a real-world glimpse into what you offer and why others trust and like your business. 

It drives traffic to your website. A great social media post persuades users to click through and find out more about you, upping lead generation and ultimately increasing conversion rates. 

It inspires people to dream. Post amazing images and evocative captions to spark desire – once people start dreaming, they start planning and booking.  

2. How partnering with influencers drives engagement and bookings. 

You can boost your reach. Choose an influencer with a big following and with a single post you could tap into a much larger audience that might otherwise be unavailable to you. 

You gain credibility. Of course, it all depends on how carefully you vet your influencer, but if they are respected within your niche, they give you instant validation. 

They can help create quality content for you. Many influential vloggers, bloggers, Instagram creators and TikTok stars produce top-end visuals and compelling copy. 

They can help you reach niche audiences. If you want to mine a particular seam of your audience, working with a micro-influencer who focuses on the specific niche, like foodie travels, can be hugely effective. 

How to track and improve your tourism marketing ROI

This is where a lot of tourism marketing goes off track. You can’t quantify the success of your marketing campaigns, or continuously improve them, unless you use your analytics. It’s not the most glamorous part of marketing, and is often neglected, but it’s the only way to get the best return on investment (ROI).  

Leverage Google Analytics (GA4), Meta’s Ads Manager, scheduling tool metrics – any data sets you have that can help you monitor campaign progress. It doesn’t have to be complicated. A few simple areas to keep tabs on are: 

• Where is your online traffic coming from? 
• Which pages are people visiting the most and how long do they stay there? 
• How many people are converting when they get there? 
• Where are people dropping off? 
• What devices are your customers using? 
• Are you getting repeat customers or is retention a problem? 
• Which campaigns drive the most engagement? 
• Are your email open and click-through rates where you want them to be? 

We ask a lot more questions when analysing data, but this gives you a good idea of how to approach making your metrics work for you. To stay on track, set clear campaign goals, make the most of real data, and get into the habit of regular reviews and reporting to keep you focused. 

Digital marketing for tourism is one of our specialities 

As Web Adept HQ lies in the heart of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, it’s probably no surprise that we’ve helped many travel, tourism and hospitality clients like The Angel Narberth, SeaMor Dolphin Watching, and TYF coastal adventures to maximise growth and increase bookings through smart digital marketing.  

If your business needs a fresh perspective and sharper strategies – get in touch. Our experienced digital team are here to take the pressure off and help you put your tourism business firmly on the map. 

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