5 Influencer Marketing Best Practices for Travel Brands
Today’s travelers are turning to social media more than ever to discover and plan their next trip. In fact, 82% of millennials look to social platforms for travel inspiration, and 70% use them to research destinations before booking.
As a result, creators have become trusted digital tour guides — spotlighting hidden gems, surfacing deals, and showcasing the gear that makes the journey smoother. That’s what makes influencer marketing such a powerful fit for travel brands, from airlines and hotels to booking platforms and luggage companies.
In this 3-part series, we’re exploring influencer marketing strategies tailored specifically to travel brands. First up, we’re sharing 5 best practices every travel brand should follow when working with creators, backed by expert advice from experienced marketers. Let’s get started.
1. Venture out of the travel niche.
Travel influencers are skilled storytellers with a knack for capturing the magic of a destination — but they’re not your only option. Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland, encourages brands to look beyond creators who simply hop from place to place.
“Look beyond ‘anywhere’ travel influencers. Zero in on niches: cozy-cottage obsessives, budget road trippers, haunted-history buffs, luxury seekers.” – Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland
These hyper-targeted creators often have highly engaged audiences who share the same specific passions, making them more likely to take action based on tailored travel inspiration.
You also don’t need to stick to the travel vertical at all. Some of the most successful partnerships come from unexpected places: bachelorette-party planners, skate documentary filmmakers, craft beer reviewers. Anyone who inspires a sense of adventure can help spark interest in your destination.
“Everyone’s dreaming about their next big trip, so cast a wide net. Some audiences may have never considered your destination for a bachelorette weekend, a skate adventure, or a craft beer crawl.” – Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland
By tapping into new niches, you can reach a variety of communities in creative, memorable ways.
Lastly, don’t overlook local creators. While it’s tempting to bring in influencers from afar, locals often have the best insight into hidden gems and authentic experiences. They can tell stories that go deeper than the typical tourist trail and help your campaign feel more grounded, sustainable, and community-driven.
2. Champion representation — and back it with real safety.
The reality is that travel doesn’t feel equally safe or accessible for everyone. Racism, sexism, ableism, and other forms of discrimination can make people from underrepresented communities hesitant to explore unfamiliar places. That’s why representation in your influencer campaigns is essential.
Travelers want to see themselves reflected in the destinations they’re considering. When they see creators who share their identities experiencing your city, resort, or attraction with joy and ease, it builds trust and expands your reach to audiences who may have previously felt overlooked or unwelcome.
“Partner with Black, LGBTQ+ and other underrepresented creators. Signal loud and clear: ‘You belong here.’ Show their communities your destination is not only open, but welcoming and secure.” — Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland
But representation isn’t enough on its own. Work with a diverse mix of creators to spotlight truly inclusive experiences, whether that’s LGBTQ+-friendly hotels, Black-owned businesses, or accessible travel routes for disabled visitors.
Invite creators to share their honest perspectives on how inclusive your destination feels, and most importantly, listen to their feedback. When you prioritize inclusion and safety, you don’t just check a box — you build a brand travelers trust.
3. Storytelling is everything for travel campaigns.
The most effective influencer marketing doesn’t just promote a product or place. It tells a compelling story that sparks curiosity, emotion, and action.
“Make sure you create a unique story around your product and the influencer. Don’t just have them showcase the product. Bring it to life!” — Lauren Roth, Influencer Marketing Consultant
Rather than static product shots or overly polished hotel walk-throughs, encourage creators to capture immersive, real moments while implementing your products: sunrise hikes wearing your lightweight travel gear, luggage that survives cobblestone streets, or outfit changes in your surprisingly roomy airplane bathrooms. These relatable moments help audiences imagine how your product fits into their travel experience — not just the influencer’s.
Check out how creator Antonia Grant (@knead.to.roam) walked through a helpful 3-day kid-friendly itinerary in Sedona, all while highlighting Best Western’s many amenities.
Give influencers enough creative freedom to highlight the small, unscripted moments. These are often what audiences connect with the most — and they’re what make your brand feel like a real, useful part of the journey rather than just a product placement.
4. Run seasonal or themed campaigns.
One of the most effective ways to create timely, engaging influencer content is to tie your campaigns to seasonal trends, cultural moments, or travel behaviors. Whether it’s “Fall Foliage Escapes,” “Sakura Season in Japan,” “Winter Sun Getaways,” or “Last-Minute Summer Trips,” seasonal or themed campaigns give creators a narrative framework that feels current and compelling. They tap into what people are already dreaming about and add a sense of urgency to act now.
This tactic works across all kinds of travel brands. For instance, an airline brand can promote off-peak flight deals, a luggage brand can highlight new colors for the season, and a booking platform can spotlight curated trip bundles. Aligning your product or service with a specific moment makes your offer feel more relevant and less like a generic ad.
To drive even more urgency, give influencers limited-time promo codes or affiliate links. Consumers benefit from a little discount, influencers get rewarded with commission, and you drive mass sales. You can use Aspire’s suite of affiliate tools to streamline this whole process:
- CreatorStores™: Give creators a dedicated storefront where they can build their own custom itineraries, while highlighting their favorite offers and products from your brand.
- BOGO Offers: Seamlessly connect your Shopify promos (like “Buy One, Get One 50% Off”) directly to creator content.
- SecureCodes™: Prevent promo code leaks and protect your margins by locking codes to specific creators.
- And more
5. Repurpose content across all of your channels.
Travel creators are natural storytellers, skilled at capturing real moments, emotional connections, and the kind of wanderlust that inspires action. So don’t let that content live in just one place.
Once your campaign is live, look for ways to repurpose and amplify the top-performing influencer content:
- Organic social channels: Repost creator content on your brand’s feeds to add diversity and inject authenticity to your social presence.
- Email newsletters: Highlight a specific creator’s favorite experiences or products in your email marketing to build trust and engagement with your subscriber base.
- Website and landing pages: Feature influencer content on your homepage, product pages, or destination guides to bring your brand to life.
- Paid ads: Today’s consumers prefer to see lo-fi content featuring people like them. In fact, UGC-based ads are known to drive 4x higher click-through rates. So, use creator content in your paid ads to boost clicks, conversions, and ROAS.
This approach not only extends the life of your campaigns, but also helps create a consistent, human voice across all channels. With the help of creators, you can expand your reach, bring your brand story to life, and boost conversions across every channel.
Need examples? Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll break down 3 travel influencer marketing campaigns that inspire wanderlust.
