Report highlights the power of influencers in shaping the future of travel

This report sheds light on the profound impact of digital creators on the travel industry and reveals how influencers are redefining consumer behavior and travel trends.

The Rise of Influencer Marketing: A $24 Billion Industry by the End of the Year
The report highlights the meteoric rise of the influencer marketing industry, which the State of Influencer Marketing 2024 Report projects to reach $24 billion globally by the end of 2024, a notable jump from $1.7 billion in 2016. This increase underscores the pivotal role that influencers play, with 49% of consumers making purchases based on social media content on a monthly basis and 86% being influenced at least once a year.

Gen Z: The New Powerhouse of Travel Spending
Set to control $33 trillion in global revenue by 2030, Gen Z is redefining the dynamics of travel spending. This year alone, they have outpaced all other generations in travel spending, averaging $11,766 per person. According to Stuart Flint, Head of Global Business Solutions for TikTok Europe, 71% of European TikTok users are actively seeking out travel content, and 77% are inspired to visit destinations they discover on TikTok.

Success Stories from RX Travel Events
RX travel exhibitions, including World Travel Market (WTM), Arabian Travel Market (ATM) and IBTM, are at the forefront of this digital transformation.

WTM London, which took place in London recently, hosts the largest gathering of international travel media worldwide, including a growing number of influencers and content creators.  

The highlight of the event's influencer participation is the Travel Influencers' Lunch, an exclusive event introduced in 2023, attracting 145 influencers and 45 exhibitors and offering a unique platform for networking and collaboration.

ATM show director Danielle Curtis has recognized the value of tapping into this dynamic community. The cornerstone of ATM’s new program, she said, will be the “Informal Influencer Speed ​​Networking” event, designed to facilitate meaningful connections between exhibitors and more than 50 travel industry influencers and bloggers.  

“This event aims to create an informal yet conducive environment where exhibitors can meet influencers to explore potential collaborations,” said Danielle. “The goal is to foster partnerships that leverage the reach of influencers to enhance brand visibility and exhibitor engagement.”

Lucy Dyer, Content Director for IBTM World Conference, said the MICE industry is keen to learn more about influencer impact and strategy through global forums such as IBTM World, and the event is looking to experts as well as leisure travel influencers to share tips, best practices and trends.  

“The industry is looking for more guidance on influencer strategy and as the next generation of event organisers are using TikTok to find venues, exhibitors will need more training on how to leverage this platform,” Lucy said. “IBTM World plays a key role in this training process and will develop conference content to meet this demand in the future.”

Source: RX Global.