TOURISE has released IDEAS That Travel, a new report developed with LIONS Advisory, highlighting how tourism brands must adapt to a fragmented, socially driven and increasingly AI-mediated landscape as global travel demand rises.

The study finds that visibility alone is no longer enough to secure consumer preference and sustainable growth, with creativity, distinctiveness and trust becoming increasingly important throughout the traveller journey.

“Travellers are discovering destinations earlier and through more channels than ever, from social feeds and creators to communities and AI tools. That raises the bar for tourism brands. Creativity, distinctiveness and trust are becoming central to how destinations earn attention, build preference and remain relevant across the entire traveller journey,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism of Saudi Arabia and Chairman of TOURISE.

The report draws on an online survey of 8,374 consumers across 13 markets who travelled internationally in the previous 12 months.

Conducted in December 2025, the research is supported by interviews with industry leaders, marketing research and case studies.

Despite growing demand, tourism brands face significant challenges in standing out. Thirty-nine per cent of travellers expect to travel more in the next 12 months than in 2025, rising to 51% among Gen Z and 47% among Millennials.

However, 60% say travel advertisements look similar, 43% struggle to distinguish between brands, and 50% cannot recall the last tourism advertisement they saw.

AI is also transforming travel planning, with 55% of respondents already using AI to plan holidays and 62% expecting to use it more frequently over the coming year.

The report argues that brands must establish relevance before consumers enter the booking process and maintain a consistent presence across human and AI-led discovery channels.

“Creativity is a commercial advantage,” said Paul Coxhill, Chief Operating Officer & President, LIONS. “Numerous empirical studies evidence creativity’s role in business growth. The tourism sector is fertile ground for creative effectiveness. Few categories deal so directly in emotion, experience, and memory. Yet in recent years, the sector has seen massive shifts in how people discover, book, and engage with destinations. While demand is rising, so is competition and complexity.”

The report highlights the financial pressures behind this competition. Global travel and transport advertising expenditure rebounded to an estimated $32.4 billion in 2025, but the sector’s share of voice remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Restoring it to 3% would require investment to reach $43.4 billion by 2027, an additional $11 billion over two years.

Rather than relying solely on higher spending, the report recommends smarter investment in social media, creator partnerships, video and entertainment-led platforms where travel intentions increasingly develop.

IDEAS That Travel introduces five drivers of marketing effectiveness: Investment, Distinctiveness, Engagement, Authenticity and Seamlessness.

Together, these principles aim to help tourism brands build recognition, create memorable associations, strengthen trust and connect physical and digital customer experiences.

Case studies featuring Airbnb, Tourism Australia, Visit Sweden, Visit North Carolina and Southwest Airlines demonstrate how the framework can be applied.

The report concludes that tourism brands best positioned for future growth will compete not only for bookings, but also for attention and cultural relevance, integrating storytelling, creators, AI, media and real-world experiences into a coherent strategy. -TradeArabia News Service