The Best Types of PR Campaigns for the Travel Industry – And What To Use Them For?

If you think about it, where do the majority of travellers and potential clients hang out, do their research and make bookings? Online. 

That’s why digital PR campaigns are perfect for reaching your target audience, while also building a strong backlink portfolio, and boosting your site’s visibility.

But with so many different digital PR campaign ideas and approaches to choose from, it can be tough to know which are right for your brand.

In this article, we highlight the different travel PR campaign types along with some of the best examples of each one.

1. Data-Led 

Data-led pieces involve researching and collating data to uncover insights relevant to your target audience, and then sharing these findings.

This is often an excellent approach for establishing credibility and trust, not only with potential clients but also with journalists who are often sifting through a sea of fake news in search of genuine stories.

Data-led campaigns often seem more trustworthy to journalists as they are research-backed. For you, they allow you to share news relating to your sector, positioning you as an industry leader. 

Example of a Data-Led Travel PR Campaign

Call us biased, but our 90% of AI Travel Itineraries Are Inaccurate campaign was a wonderful example of a data-led PR campaign. The story got covered by several of our relevant target high DA sites such as CNET, Thrillist and Travolution. 

To create it, we asked Chat-GPT to create travel itineraries for 10 of the world’s top travel destinations. Then, we analysed each of the results to see how accurate they were. Spoiler: not very. 

It worked well because it provided data-backed answers for how much we can trust Chat-GPT at a time when many were wondering just how much AI could do.

Lastly, the target audience. We were able to reach lots of wonderful travel companies through this campaign, many of whom are likely to have had concerns about the rumours of AI’s potential.

2. Visual Asset

A visual PR campaign uses images or videos to convey a story. Depending on the subject matter, visuals can sometimes tell a story more effectively than words or other means.

For example, if you need to depict something that is difficult to imagine, such as a historical event, a futuristic concept, or a fictional scenario, visuals can be more impactful than descriptions alone.

Example of A Visual Travel PR Campaign

“This Is What Greece’s Islands Might Look Like By 2100” was a very successful PR campaign we put together that got picked up by the likes of The Independent, Yahoo, EuroNews and The Daily Express. 

We created the images on Photoshop using predictions of what the coastline would look like by 2100. 

It is a great example of a visual PR campaign and how the essence of a story is sometimes best told visually.  The topic was worrying and serious, but difficult to imagine as it referred to a point in the future, a stage we have not yet reached. 

A visual campaign offered the perfect way to get across the hard-hitting subject matter and ensure it resonated with readers.

3. PR Stunt

A PR stunt, otherwise known as a publicity stunt, involves coordinating a creative and unexpected event or experience that is designed to attract the public and media’s attention. They can take many different forms but need to be unusual and eye-catching.

To really capture people’s attention, the stunt needs to be surprising, outrageous or shocking in some way. PR stunts can be a great way to generate buzz and get people talking about your company. 

If your primary goal is raising awareness for the business, this could be the best PR campaign option for you.

Example of a PR Stunt Travel PR Campaign

Communication platform, Inspired by Iceland, put together one of the best PR stunt campaigns we’ve seen: the OutHorse emails. It gave travellers the opportunity to delegate the responsibility of typing up work emails to Icelandic horses. 

With upwards of 55% of workers admitting to checking their emails while on holiday, this PR stunt highlights the need for people to disconnect from work while on holiday.

The planning that went into this PR campaign was a little unusual, to say the least. The company trained Icelandic horses to type on a giant replica keyboard with hoof-safe tiles.

The campaign’s success stemmed from its relatability: it humorously addressed the difficulty of truly disconnecting from work while on holiday. It transformed a common issue into something quirky, enjoyable, and memorable, while also showcasing Iceland’s beautiful horses and sensational natural scenery.

Implicitly, the campaign also highlighted how letting work divert your attention from the places you visit can cause you to miss out on some of the most beautiful aspects of a country. In this case, the wildlife and landscapes. 

4. Indexes

Index-style digital PR campaigns analyse data within a specific category to create a ranking system. Creating this type of campaign involves researching and collecting data on the entities within the category that are being assessed.

After gathering the data, entities are ranked based on their performance against the set criteria. These kinds of campaigns are easily recognisable, with formats along the lines of “the best countries in the world for X.”

Indexes are brilliant if you are wanting to position your brand as an authority in your field. If the topic you are ranking on is relevant to your target audience, it demonstrates your expertise and understanding of their needs, making you the go-to travel company for them.

Example of An Index Travel PR Campaign

We created an index of the world’s best workation cities. We analysed destinations based on a range of factors including remote connection wifi speed, the number of coworking spaces, the average price of buying a coffee and the average price of a taxi. 

What’s more, we did this just as business news was mentioning hybrid working could be here to stay after the pandemic so journalists lapped it up!

Ticking the boxes for being timely, relevant and useful to our target audience, this PR campaign got picked up in the BBC, The Guardian, TimeOut, Apartment Therapy and Daily Star. It was even mentioned by the Thai Prime Minister live on Thai TV!

5. Dream Job

Dream job travel PR campaigns offer people the chance to experience something unique and exciting that people would never normally associate with a paid job. While essentially functioning as a competition, they sound much more exciting when marketed as unique job opportunities.

This is often a good option for people wanting to grow their social following or email newsletter as ‘applying’ often requires sharing on social media or filling out a form.

Example of a Dream Job Travel PR Campaign

Flytographer, a vacation photography company that connects travellers with local photographers all over the world, created a fantastic dream job campaign. They hired two Swifties to travel to London to test out a new photo tour around destinations mentioned in Taylor Swift’s songs and attend The Eras Tour.

The PR campaign plan went down a treat, with coverage in Fox Business, Today.com, Curiocity and The US Sun. The reason behind its success? It was very timely – it played on the fact that tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour have been extremely coveted and notoriously difficult to get.

The campaign cleverly aligns Flytographer’s offering with a viral subject, providing a solution while aligning its product with a trending topic.

6. Tools

Creating a ‘tool’ is another great PR campaign approach – as long as you are creating something that is genuinely useful to your target audience. By offering a solution that they will actively use and benefit from, you can effectively position yourself as a dependable and forward-thinking leader in the industry.

In addition, creating something that people need means that journalists know readers will click on it so they’re more likely to cover it. And, to cover the tool, often means having to link back to it so you have a high chance of scoring a link back to your site.

Another thing to remember when creating a tool is that it needs to be timely. There are endless solutions that you can create but to secure coverage, you need to be solving an issue that people are talking about and in need of right now.

Example of A Tool Travel PR Campaign

We created an Airport Stress Calculator for a client at a time when travel was extremely stressful and littered with cancellations, delays and lost luggage. In fact, over half of flights were being delayed or cancelled. 

The PR campaign planning involved analysing three of the most common sources of stress for air travellers: how busy the airport will be at your departure time, how tight the luggage restrictions are on your airline and the likelihood of a delay.

Taking these metrics into account, we were able to create a calculator that could predict how stressful your flying experience would be during your next trip. 

It was timely and relevant, while also providing something genuinely useful for the target audience of our campaign. The results? Coverage in Travel+Leisure, Metro, The Sun, The Mirror – and being shortlisted by the producers of The Drew Barrymore Show.

7. New Offering/Package

Creating a new offering is another style of PR campaign that can work well for travel companies. This style involves creating a new product, service or experience that aligns with a timely topic being discussed in the news.

For example, a movie, artist or television show-themed getaway. This type of travel PR campaign idea can be a highly effective way of piggybacking on the buzz around other topics and tapping into large fanbases.

Example of A New Offering Travel PR Campaign

Airbnb created some exciting new offerings: stays at ‘Edna’s Mansion’ experience for Incredibles fans, Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment in Sex and The City and the X-Men mansion, and many more, as part of their recently-launched collection of ‘Icons’. 

These experiences feature replicas of iconic movie properties and, in some cases, the original filming locations, allowing fans to visit and stay in them. This is a wonderful example of a new offering PR campaign as it prompts a strong emotional response: nostalgia. 

It takes us back to beloved film favourites and offers the chance to experience what has always seemed impossible: ​​stepping into these iconic worlds. PR campaigns that evoke emotions are attention-grabbing and memorable, two qualities that journalists aim for in their stories.

In terms of coverage, the ‘Icons’ campaigns have picked up coverage in the likes of Conde Nast Traveller, Skift, AFAR and Yahoo.

8. Map

Maps can be an excellent tool for a travel PR campaign. 

By collecting and presenting data on various areas, you can create visually appealing maps that highlight your findings. For instance, you could showcase the most dog-friendly cities or counties according to their local delicacies.

Maps effectively convey information about destinations quickly and clearly. Along with presenting you as knowledgeable on the areas and locations you provide trips to, maps can also offer an opportunity to shine a light on the destinations you want to promote. 

Example of A Map Travel PR Campaign

Travel insurance firm AllClear, reworked a map of the most popular landmarks in every country,

based on their most frequently searched-for landmarks on Wikipedia. Stonehenge topped the list in the UK, while the Statue of Liberty was the favourite in the USA.

This map-style PR campaign provided an easy-to-digest guide for AllClear’s target audience of travellers, while also spotlighting incredible places in the world to visit and, in turn, inspiring more people to travel in the first place. 

The story got picked up by Daily Mail, Metro, and Travel Daily Media.

Summary

A successful PR campaign for your travel company can take many forms and formats. Coming up with an idea and developing a successful strategy often requires a bit of experience. 

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