Some good news on the travel front: People are starting to move again. More than 850,000 travelers passed through US airport security checkpoints on August 16—nearly 10x the number in early April when shelter-in-place mandates began. While it’s still just one third of the volume compared to a year ago, we’re beginning to see signs of recovery.
New opportunities to connect with travelers
As travelers look to ease back into exploring, brands are finding new opportunities to connect with travelers in meaningful ways. We’re seeing a shift away from the usual mix of TV and digital ads touting the latest deals. Instead, brands are promoting trips more attuned to current health and safety recommendations. Some are looking beyond the virus, sharing content around dream vacations—so they’ll be top of mind when things go back to normal. Others are keeping people engaged with virtual travel experiences.
For travelers, Pinterest is often the first place they go when starting to plan their next adventure. As a result, travel brands are studying the latest search trends on our platform to determine how to engage consumers—and how to boost demand.
Some of the trends we’re seeing? With COVID-19 still a concern, car-centered vacations are gaining ground. Searches for “cross country road trip” are up 89% while those for “road trips routes” have zoomed ahead 248%.3
Searches for outdoor-focused destinations are also spiking, with “lake weekend” up 41% and “national parks” up 60%. And “RV camping tips” searches have gained 1257%.4
Still, air travel isn’t off the table. Searches for “airplane essentials” have soared up 173%.5 And “vacation spots” searches have increased 260%.6 (Use our trends tool to learn about all the destinations Pinners are searching for).
Many travel brands are using Pinterest to help inspire people to travel again.
Here are some recent examples—along with tips your brand can use to connect with travelers:
