Capitalizing on surging demand for travel in Europe

Enthusiasm for travel remains strong, particularly for European markets following a surge in post-pandemic travel demand. Expedia Group's Q3 Traveler Insights report  shows demand held steady for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with search volumes growing both 10% quarter over quarter and year over year. Additional research has shown that this holiday season also looks promising for travel providers in the region, with outbound travel from the United States to Europe up 21% compared with 2022, according to Allianz Partners' 2023 European Holiday Destination Index. 

To take advantage of this growing demand, travel providers in Europe have an opportunity to attract and engage travelers throughout their entire purchase journey, from inspiration to planning and booking. Recognizing this, Expedia Group has further solidified its presence in the region with several new and expanded travel partnerships. Spanning across B2B technology supply and advertising deals, these new collaborations will help partners across the region accelerate their businesses and gain coveted high-value travelers from around the globe. With flagship brands like Expedia, Hotels and Vrbo, Expedia Group's platform delivered over 300 million net room nights to lodging partners and approximately 50 million booked air tickets in 2022.  

Showcasing Europe's charms through targeted advertising campaigns 

Travel advertising can be highly influential, especially at the start of the travel shopping journey. On average, nearly 1 in 5 travelers (19%) said advertising influenced their decision to book a trip, according to Expedia Group's most recent Path to Purchase study. Destination marketing organizations (DMOs), travel brands and suppliers throughout Europe are partnering with Expedia Group Media Solutions to unlock unique advertising opportunities that inspire more travelers.  

For example, the Croatian National Tourism Board (CNTB) developed a series of impactful campaigns targeting both European and U.S. travelers, highlighting Croatia's unique charm and natural beauty. European travelers were encouraged to explore Croatia beyond the familiar through gallery spotlight pages. The promotion connected the CNTB with Expedia Group's high-value travelers, resulting in a 10% increase in the average daily spend year over year on Expedia channels during the campaign period. In addition, travelers from the U.S. were inspired to visit Croatia's distinct regions and experiences through the "Always in Season" campaign. During the CNTB's targeted campaign, Croatia experienced a 10% uplift in demand from U.S. travelers across Expedia channels. 

The European Travel Commission (ETC) recently launched its "Creative Cities of Central Europe Campaign." Running from August to October 2023, the campaign highlighted the undiscovered culture, natural beauty and history of the Visegrad countries of Czechia, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary to U.S. travelers.  

While bespoke campaigns make a big splash, there are many other ways for travel providers to see results with impactful advertising solutions. Deutsche Hospitality, which unites eight brands like the prestigious Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts under one roof, is leveraging Expedia Group Media Solutions' TravelAds and display advertising solutions to help raise visibility and bookings among high-value travel shoppers. These sponsored listings directly target the hundreds of millions of monthly visitors to Expedia Group's websites, enabling partners to connect with the right audience at the right time.

Purpose-built technology accelerates growth for European businesses 

The era of digital transformation has changed travelers' needs and expectations. Companies that embrace technology are better positioned to expand their reach and connect with travelers. It's for this reason that Germany's largest automobile association, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC), has partnered with Expedia Travel Agent Affiliate Program (TAAP) to give ADAC's travel agencies access to Expedia Group's vast inventory of travel products, including hotels, flights, rental cars and activities. The partnership enables Expedia TAAP agents and agencies to access a range of Expedia Group technology and tools, including a virtual agent that allows agents to self-serve and find answers to common questions, quickly search for information or modify bookings. 

Expedia Group's White Label Template provides the building blocks a partner needs to deliver better traveler experiences from booking to servicing, enabling partners to take advantage of Expedia Group’s extensive supply. The tailor-built solution provides the customers of our White Label partners with an end-to-end travel experience on a site that is branded for the partner. Partners enjoy the same technology and supply that powers our consumer sites while delivering a more personalized experience to their travelers.  

Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, is leveraging the White Label Template to launch “Ryanair Rooms.” The new feature will enable Ryanair customers to book a hotel directly with their flight. Customers can also use Expedia Group's AI-powered Virtual Assistant to manage their booking. The tool uses natural language processing to enable self-service, helping to resolve traveler queries quickly. In addition, Icelandair will launch the Saga Club travel site, where loyalty members can access Expedia Group's global supply of hotels, car rentals and activities to redeem and earn Saga Points. By leveraging Expedia Group's White Label Template, these partners will also benefit automatically from Expedia Group’s platform updates as they happen, ensuring their customers are getting access to the most seamless travel experience possible. 

Supplying Europe's travel ecosystem  

Research from Expedia Group shows that European cities saw significant increases in search growth, with some cities, including Rome (30%) and Florence (40%), experiencing double-digit increases in search volume. Partnering with a platform such as Expedia Group creates opportunities for lodging and transportation suppliers to sell, cross-sell, upsell and package their inventory to unlock incremental demand.   

Turkish Airlines offers exclusive discounts to Expedia rewards members, driving better conversion and boosting revenue. The carrier recently expanded Expedia Group's Member Only Deals to European travelers after successfully launching in the U.S. The U.S. program, conducted during the first six months of 2023, resulted in a 15% uplift in ticket-booking volume on member-only deal routes for Turkish Airlines. Spain's flagship carrier, Iberia Airlines, has expanded its direct new distribution capability (NDC) connection with Expedia Group. As a result, millions of travelers who shop for and book Iberia flights can now enjoy more options to easily customize their travel on multiple European points of sale.

For travelers who choose to rent a car during their trip, Expedia Group is also expanding its car rental offering in the region through a series of new partnerships. Collaborations with leading car rental companies, including Alma, Drivalia, Green Motion and Record Go, will increase the distribution of rental cars available on the Expedia Group platform, providing travelers more choices.  

Expedia Group's supply lodging partners – including Sonder and TravelStaytion – offer dedicated booking experiences for fans attending the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League through Expedia Live. The partnership attracts high-quality travelers by giving them an unforgettable experience.  

As demand for Europe gains momentum, it's essential to team up with the right technology, advertising and distribution partner to respond to the market conditions in the region. Expedia Group's commitment to innovation helps partners excel in today's landscape through technology, distribution and media solutions that power travel and accelerate growth for its European partners.