Is paid media cheaper than OTA commissions?

Often, yes. If you're paying Booking.com 18% commission, any ad campaign with better than 5.5x ROAS is cheaper. Most travel brands we manage hit 3-5x — which is competitive with or cheaper than OTA commissions while building your own brand and customer list.

What platforms work best for travel ads?

Meta for discovery and inspiration (travel is visual). Google for high-intent booking searches. TikTok for younger travellers and experience-based content. Most travel brands should split 40% Meta, 40% Google, 20% TikTok.

How far in advance should seasonal campaigns launch?

Awareness campaigns: 3-4 months before peak. Conversion campaigns: 6-8 weeks before peak. Urgency campaigns: 2-4 weeks before. We plan the full seasonal calendar at the start of each quarter.

Budget recommendation?

$5,000-$25,000/month depending on property size, destination competitiveness, and booking goals. We model it against OTA commission costs to prove ROI.

Do you create travel creative?

Creative direction, ad copy, video concepts, and UGC sourcing. We work with your existing photography/video or connect you with travel content creators.

Travel & Tourism Paid Media

What if your travel ads reached the right traveller, dreaming about the right destination, at the exact moment they're ready to book?

Promise: Direct-booking ad campaigns that reach qualified travellers — targeted by destination interest, travel style, and booking intent — and bring them straight to your booking engine without OTA commissions.

Picture: Right now you're either paying OTAs for visibility or running ads with broad targeting. "Travel enthusiasts, 25-55" doesn't separate the backpacker from the luxury traveller. Meanwhile, someone scrolling Instagram, dreaming about a Thai beach villa, could see your property in a carousel ad with availability and pricing — one tap to book direct.

Proof: Our travel clients drive direct bookings at 3-5x ROAS. One boutique hotel went from 80% OTA bookings to 55% direct within 6 months — saving over $120K in annual commissions.

Push: Custom media plan with destination targeting, seasonal budget allocation, and direct booking projections. Keep it whether you work with us or not.

Get Your Free Media Plan15 min. No pitch deck.

3-5x

Direct Booking ROAS

$120K+

Commission Savings

150+

Clients Served

$23M+

Revenue Driven

The Travel & Tourism eCommerce opportunity

Travel paid media has a clear ROI case: every direct booking through ads saves 15-25% versus OTA commission. Even at a 3x ROAS, if the alternative is paying Booking.com 20%, paid media is cheaper. The brands winning at travel ads are targeting based on travel style, seasonal intent, and booking window timing — not broad demographics.

What travel & tourism brands get wrong with paid media

Relying on OTAs for visibility instead of driving direct bookings through your own ads
Targeting "travel enthusiasts" broadly instead of segmenting by destination interest and travel style
No seasonal campaign calendar aligned with booking windows for peak periods
Ad creative shows the property but doesn't communicate the experience or lifestyle
No retargeting for website visitors who browsed but didn't book — travel has long consideration windows

How we do paid media for travel & tourism brands

We build travel ads around destination dreaming, experience selling, and booking urgency. Top of funnel: aspirational video and carousel content on Meta and TikTok targeting destination-interested travellers. Mid-funnel: Google Search for high-intent booking queries. Bottom-funnel: retargeting with availability, pricing, and urgency.

Seasonal budgets are planned months in advance, aligned with when travellers book for each peak period. Creative leads with the experience — not just the room or tour — because travel is sold on emotion first, logistics second.

What's included

✓Direct-booking campaigns across Google, Meta, and TikTok
✓Destination-interest and travel-style audience targeting
✓Seasonal campaign calendar aligned with booking windows
✓Experience-led creative: video, carousel, and UGC from past guests
✓Extended retargeting for long-consideration travel purchases
✓Monthly reporting: direct bookings, ROAS, commission savings vs. OTA

Questions our best clients asked first

Every direct booking through ads is a commission you didn't pay an OTA.

Custom media plan with direct booking projections and commission savings analysis. Free.

Pick a Time

15 minutes. No pitch deck. Just your data and our honest take.

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