Crisis? What crisis? Travel marketers remain upbeat

Almost 80% of UK travel and tourism marketers expect revenue growth and more than two-thirds expect their advertising budget to increase in the coming months, despite concerns over economic and geopolitical uncertainty and the war in the Middle East.

So says a new study by performance marketing agency Impression, based on a survey of 1,000 UK marketing professionals in the travel and tourism industry, spanning roles from middle management to C-level across a range of organisations.

It reveals that, despite the current economic challenges, marketers remain largely positive as they look towards 2026, with 64% expecting to increase their marketing budget over the next 12 months, while 78% forecast revenue growth.

Marketers also feel optimistic about the growing role of AI in their industry, with initial fears around the impact of AI Overviews proving unfounded. In fact, 67% of travel businesses say they have seen a positive impact on organic search traffic from AI search.

Impression chief commercial officer Mikey Emery said: “Tough economic conditions and ongoing global conflicts have had a significant impact on travel patterns around the world. Nonetheless, the travel market remains resilient, adapting to these rapidly developing circumstances.”

Despite travel marketers increasingly embracing AI across their operations, including content creation, almost two thirds (64%) of brands still intend to expand their internal marketing teams in 2029. Furthermore, 29% say that growing their teams will be key to success over the next 12 months, whilst finding the right talent and skills was also the second biggest concern in 2026.

Emery added: “AI might have become a core part of how marketers work, but brands clearly recognise the ongoing importance of having a talented team to harness this technology. Where AI drives efficiency and scale, humans elevate creativity and effectiveness.

“When used together, marketers are able to produce higher volumes of better-quality work that drives stronger performance, accelerates growth and increases the need for highly skilled people to lead, shape and deliver standout campaigns.”

As LLMs and AI Overviews increasingly surface and prioritise real-world, experience-led content, influencer marketing remains a key strategy for travel brands. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of marketers are already employing influencer marketing, with a further 22% planning to do so in the next 12 months. Furthermore, 59% of marketers plan to build or retain loyalty through social media in 2026, and 27% say organic social will be their key revenue driver over the coming year.

Impression head of PR and social Hannah Craig commented: “Travel marketing is often driven by enticing consumers with imagery that inspires. But when it comes to social media, engaging visuals won’t be enough. Brands must remember that they’re up against algorithms that reward unique, diversified content at scale, not just on social platforms, but increasingly within AI-powered search and discovery too.

“The challenge in 2026 will be for brands to think creatively about generating unique, platform-friendly campaigns and that’s where influencers play a critical role, bringing fresh perspectives and producing the kind of authentic, varied content both social and AI systems favour.”

The Impression survey appears to chime with a separate study based on the IPA Insight Pulse Poll of 2,000 people aged 18+, carried out by Opinium. Published in January, it revealed that just over three-quarters (76%) of Brits had already taken, booked or were planning to book their 2026 holiday.