Well, there has been a massive surge in online video viewing in recent years. A staggering increase in fact, with a predication that video will account for 84% of all internet traffic by 2018.

Did you know the average internet user watches 32 videos per month?

That is just over one video per day! If by 2018, video does account for 84% of the total internet traffic, just think how many videos people are going to be watching everyday!

What does that mean for marketers? To start with, you already have a captive audience. People are actively looking for videos, particularly ones based around destination or travel.

Here are some interesting statistics for you on video in the travel market:

• 87% of travellers start their travel search online, with 67% unsure of where they want to go (Frederic Gonzalo)

• 79% of people use YouTube to search for travel ideas (TMA)

• 65% of traveller watch a video to help choose their destination (TMA)

• 67% of travel-related views are actually on branded videos by tourism companies (Think With Google)

What is it these viewers are searching for? If they are so connected to travel videos (and even watching branded ones!) we need to make sure that we are catering to their viewing habits and giving them what they want to see.

In one of our previous blogs, we wrote about using video in tourism marketing, and found that people will use video to investigate their next adventure, whether it’s for more information on the destination or hotel, or just to get inspired for new ideas.

• 54% of travellers watch videos to help them choose accommodation

• 63% of travellers watch videos when looking for activities to do at their destination

There is a reason for this!

People are able to process visual information 60,000 times faster than text.

It allows the viewer to understand content quicker and easier. It was found that video increased their understanding of a product or service by 74% (MavSocial).

If that is not enough of a reason to start using video, here is another fact. 46% of viewers actually carried out an action after watching the video (MavSocial), whether it was visiting the advertisers website or going through to purchase. That is a massive percentage. Compare that to a normal visual ad and you will see the difference that video makes.

It creates an emotional connection and helps the viewer to feel attached to your brand message. This is a very powerful tool.

Video helps you to sell.

These are major trends that tourism marketers should be getting involved in. It needs to be more than a fleeting thought or a last-minute idea thrown together. It should be an integral part of the marketing strategy and a key focus for giving consumers what they want - valuable video content!

They say you only have 10 seconds to grab your audience’s attention. We need to delve a little deeper to see what travellers really want to view content-wise, making sure we do catch their attention.

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