Brands are advised to keep one eye on the big screen this weekend to cash in on ‘movie tourism’ – travel inspired by films – as the Oscars are set to prompt people to plan their next trip, according to lastminute.com group. With LaLa Land set to sweep the Awards, new lastminute.com data reveals that […]
Brands are advised to keep one eye on the big screen this weekend to cash in on ‘movie tourism’ – travel inspired by films – as the Oscars are set to prompt people to plan their next trip, according to lastminute.com group.
With LaLa Land set to sweep the Awards, new lastminute.com data reveals that searches for flights to Los Angeles on the site shot up by a fifth (21%) on the day of the LA-set musical’s release, compared to the week before – providing the perfect inspiration window for brands looking to target lucrative travel audiences.
Meanwhile, the release of Martin Scorsese’s latest masterpiece Silence – set in 17th Century Japan – prompted an even bigger urge to travel, with searches for flights to Japan up 82% from the week before, and rising a further 46% in the subsequent two days.
Even those that don’t quite make the cut – such as Hunt for the Wilderpeople – can have a big impact on the way people travel. Overlooked for nominations in the Oscars, this Kiwi classic drove consumers to research New Zealand in swarms, with searches for flights to Auckland on the site rocketing by 60% in the four days after the film’s release.
“Awards season may not be the most obvious travel trigger, but it offers the opportunity for brands to delve deeper than demographics and target by passion,” says Alessandra Di Lorenzo, Chief Commercial Officer, Advertising and Partnerships, at lastminute.com group. “From film buffs to sporadic cinema goers, films have the power to ignite a little travel passion in all of us – which can drive us to do exciting and unexpected things – and it’s not just travel brands that can benefit from the desire to get away. Smart advertisers can tap into this passion and offer inspiration at every stage of the booking journey, from where to stay to how to nail the latest LA look.”
Lastminute.com’s data also reveals that it’s not just film destinations that catch consumers’ attention. Searches for ski holiday flights jumped by a tenth (10%) in the two days after the release of Eddie the Eagle, the comedy tribute to British skier Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards – highlighting the power of cinema to influence types of holiday too.
Source: www.lastminute.com
