Going Beyond the Surface: The Power of Qualitative Research in Travel and Tourism

In the highly competitive travel and tourism industry, understanding travellers’ emotional and functional needs is crucial for creating compelling campaigns that stand out against a sea of beautiful landscape photography.

That’s what led us to conduct IDIs (in-depth-interviews) with prospective travellers to learn what matters most to them, and how they think, feel and act while travelling. What we learned surprised us and inspired some incredible insights.

What follows is a summary of what we learned, structured into four key sections: vacation types, traveller preferences, traveller needs and, most importantly, the emotional role of travel. Each section provides valuable data and insights that can guide your marketing strategies and drive tourism engagement.

Who and The What: Types of Vacations

Starting with the basics, we wanted to understand who is travelling and what types of activities and destinations they are planning and hoping to visit depending on each type of travel.

Travellers

Our research identified two main types of travellers, when thinking about a trip:

Adults Only: Focus on unique, immersive experiences and nightlife. “I need more. I want to be engaged more thoughtfully with what I’m doing on this vacation.”

Families with Children: Prioritise safety, familiarity and variety. “For family vacations, we will definitely lean towards something familiar if we can.”

There’s an old saying that goes, “travelling with your kids is a trip, travelling without them is a vacation.” There is absolutely a difference for travellers: when kids are in tow, familiarity and ease are at the top of the needs list. Targeting your audience and tailoring your creative accordingly is very important to achieving a successful tourism campaign.

Travellers approach vacations with different outlooks, seeking either romanticised experiences or practical convenience.

Romanticized: Emphasising cultural immersion and adventure. For example, one respondent said, “There’s this appreciation of beauty, of these untouched mountains.”

Functional: Focus on logistical convenience and budget-friendliness. “We were looking for somewhere we could get direct, somewhere that if we did fly there that we could rent a car, have our own house,” another respondent explained.

Vacation Intentions

Travellers’ intentions influence their vacation choices, ranging from seeking escapism to desiring decompression.

Escapism: Adventure and unique moments. One of our respondents said that “It was kind of adventurous just to not really have a plan.”

Decompression: Rest and relaxation topped the list for some respondents. “[Relaxation is] a lack of doing anything … Because our normal life is so hectic and chaotic.”

The Where: Traveler Preferences and Travel Patterns

Understanding where consumers want to travel is a crucial next step in building effective campaigns. Our research uncovered a strong preference for travel to major cities, often as gateways to more off-the-beaten-path destinations.

Variety in Major Cities: Access to a wide range of activities and attractions

“I like just being able to go to downtown areas to look for different stores, different foods, different stuff like that.”

Consumers appreciate the variety and convenience that major cities offer, ensuring they have access to diverse experiences and essential amenities. They trust that major cities can provide a starting point for their adventures, catering to both their need for new experiences and familiar comforts.

Cities as a Homebase: Using major cities as a starting point for further exploration

“There’s a lot of everyday life in between big cities. So, if you’re driving from one big city to the next, there’s a lot that happens in between those two.”

Major metropolitans often serve as hubs, providing a base for travellers to explore surrounding areas. This approach allows travellers to experience the vibrancy of urban life while also venturing into less developed, more tranquil regions.

This research indicates that combining the appeal of smaller, rural areas and urban hubs can enhance the impact of a tourism campaign. For example, while a lake or mountain region might be the ultimate destination, promoting its proximity to eclectic metropolitan areas can increase its attractiveness. Highlighting the blend of serene natural beauty and the dynamic energy of nearby cities can help sell the destination more effectively.

The (Rational) Why: Identifying Traveler Need States That Build Emotional Engagement

Most important to creating compelling campaigns is understanding why consumers travel. By delving into the functional aspects of travel, we identified five key needs, which we can consider the building blocks for our insights:

Exhilaration: The thrill of adventure and discovery.

“It’s just like, ‘oh, wow, I’ve never noticed that’ … And it’s just kind of exciting to think about,” one traveller remarked.

Curiosity: A drive to explore and learn.

“If you learn the history of a place or you learn what makes that place special, that’s something that tends to stick with me more and makes a place feel more magical,” a traveller shared.

Gratitude: Appreciation for unique experiences.

“Very rarely do I lose sight of the fact that we’re able to take these kinds of trips and that is very much a privilege,” explained another traveller.

Comfort: Seeking security and familiarity.

“That’s the kind of thing that I typically look for: Where can I go where I feel welcome, where I feel treated like a local,” one traveller told us.

Relaxation: Desire for stress-free environments.

“It was being able to focus on just the task at hand as opposed to all the different other things that could be happening,” noted a traveller.

Now that we know the need states of our travellers, we drill down deeper to understand what emotions can be triggered if a destination is able to meet these need states.

The (Real) Why: Emotional Experiences That Travel Delivers

When it comes to consumer research, getting under the surface-level responses is difficult. Understandably — our respondents are only spending one hour with our researchers and aren’t exactly immediately comfortable opening up about their deepest needs and desires. That’s why we use highly effective projective research techniques, that allow us to get to these emotions in an organic way.

What we learned was worth the effort — our respondents shared some deeply moving sentiments that are rarely captured in travel and tourism marketing:

Our Smallness in the World: Feeling humbled by nature

“I feel really small in that moment. But not in an insignificant way, but just compared to how grandiose everything else is around me.”

Some people seek to recognize the vastness of the universe and the grandeur of nature. In our daily lives, we often feel pressured to perform and believe our actions carry immense weight. For instance, being late to a meeting can cause significant stress. However, when we view ourselves against the backdrop of nature’s immense beauty and power, we see ourselves as a small yet significant part of a vast and impressive world. This perspective can be incredibly humbling and refreshing.

The Power of Being Present: Immersing fully in the moment.

“Living in the present is not the easiest thing to do these days with all the distractions that are out there.”

Vacations offer a unique opportunity to disconnect from the constant barrage of technology, such as work emails and calendars. This disconnection allows people to fully immerse themselves in the present moment, experiencing a deeper sense of mindfulness and enjoyment. Moments that might seem mundane in daily life become rich and meaningful when we are truly present.

The Journey to Self-Actualization: Achieving personal growth through travel.

“At the end of the day, we’re all human beings looking for something, right?”

Travel often serves as a journey toward self-discovery and personal growth. It provides an opportunity to step out of our comfort zones, encounter new cultures and reflect on our lives from a different perspective. This process can lead to significant personal development, helping individuals understand themselves better and to pursue what truly fulfills them.

Our Unity in Shared Experiences: Strengthening bonds through new activities.

“We can actually talk a little bit more when we’re doing something like golfing because it’s such a slow pace.”

Shared experiences during travel can forge stronger relationships. Engaging in activities together, such as golfing, allows for deeper conversations and connections. The leisurely pace of such activities encourages meaningful interactions, enhancing the sense of unity and camaraderie among travellers.

Marketers can leverage these themes to craft campaigns that resonate emotionally with travellers. By tapping into the powerful emotions associated with each theme, campaigns can create deeper connections and inspire more meaningful travel experiences.

Making it Count

At the end of the day, travel and tourism advertising runs a huge risk of blending in, with pretty pictures of places we’d be lucky to visit. But travel and tourism are some of the most deeply emotional, meaningful experiences in our current world — and the properties and destinations that can harness these themes of self-discovery, mindfulness and meaningful connection are poised to win big.