Try before you buy: How augmented reality can drive travel bookings

Before the
booking, before the traveler even begins to shop for travel products, the
leisure travel process starts as an idea in the mind of a prospective traveler.
Igniting that spark of travel inspiration – and turning it into an actual
booking – can be a challenge for travel marketers. But new research suggests
that augmented reality can play a key role in bridging the gap between travel
idea and action, making AR an essential part of the media mix.   

Augmented reality has the unique
ability to bring travel brands and destinations to life, giving travelers a
chance to preview the travel experience before they buy. A 2023 study from
Kantar Research commissioned by Snap Inc. shows how AR is driving travel
engagement and bookings, particularly among Snap’s highly engaged networks of
close friends and family.   

In contrast to video, which is a relatively passive format, augmented reality provides an interactive way to enhance any
stage of travel, from inspiration to in-destination to post-trip sharing.
Overall, 84% of people consider AR filters/lenses to be at least somewhat helpful at any stage of their travel
journey, according to Kantar Research. And 91% of people claim that they are at
least somewhat likely to find inspiration for a personal
trip after engaging with a brand within any travel category via AR.  

From try-on lenses to
travel, Snap leads in AR

With AR central to its user
experience, Snapchat has emerged as the leading brand for travel AR.
Over years of innovation, the company has built significant expertise – along with an audience that is
highly engaged with AR content. In an online and social media
landscape flooded with unwanted advertising, crafting branded content that
people actually want to engage with is no easy feat. Not only is Snapchat attuned to the
type of content Snapchatters are likely to engage with, but the
company has succeeded in integrating brand messages in a way that appeals to
its audience.    

For example, Snapchat has created a
range of AR Lenses for shopping that allow community members to “try before
they buy,” including the ability to virtually try on clothing before making a
purchase. In the travel space, Snapchat has helped brands create AR experiences
that allow prospective travelers to place themselves in destinations ranging
from theme parks to snowy mountains to tropical beaches, with features that
encourage interaction and sharing.    

How is Snapchat’s platform different
from other social networks? Snapchat opens
up to a camera, rather than a social
media feed, encouraging Snapchatters to take photo and video Snaps and
share with their closest friends and family. Five billion Snaps are created
each day, and 250 million Snapchatters engage with AR on a daily basis. And as the company’s platform has matured, so has its audience:
over 50% of Snapchatters in the United States are now over the age of
25, and Snapchat reaches 75% of Americans ages 13-34 each month.    

Not only does Snapchat have broad
reach, but its audience is packed with travelers, with 8 in 10 Snapchatters planning to travel in the next six
months, according to Kantar Research. Snapchatters are also more likely than non-Snapchatters to research their travel plans and
serve as travel gurus for friends/family.  

Given Snapchat’s tech and travel-savvy
audience, it is not surprising that Snapchatters have higher interest and engagement
with travel AR. Snapchatters are more likely than non-Snapchatters to use AR across their entire travel
journey – and they find AR Lenses on Snapchat more helpful. According to Kantar
Research, Snapchatters are more likely to use AR for
inspiration (2.2 times more likely), planning (2.3x) and booking (2.6x).  

Snap AR boosts travel
intent and bookings  

For travel companies, the decision to
invest in innovative marketing approaches like AR often comes down to return on investment. AR
has the cool factor, but does it move the needle on travel transactions? In
fact, Snapchat’s AR drives an increase in travel intent and positively impacts travel bookings, according to Kantar
Research.   

Snapchatters have strong intent to engage with travel AR: 95%
of Snapchatters would use AR during any point of
their travel journey in the future. Crucially, after being exposed to AR on
Snapchat, 94% of Snapchatters were inspired to take a trip and
were more likely to consider the trip and book the trip.   

“It’s critical to incorporate AR
into your strategy as a travel brand,” said Andrew Jarvie, Snap’s head of marketing science
for travel. “Clients that integrate AR into an overall campaign reach
incremental customers, and most importantly, connect with these customers in an
active, leaned-in environment.”   

“Snapchatters engage with AR by choice by
selecting it from their Lens carousel, making it a high-intent format that
naturally influences travel decision-making and sharing-based behavior with
family and friends. Snapchatters also spend more time engaging with
AR experiences than a typical video, which is why we see AR positively impact
travel bookings.”    

Recommendations from friends and
family consistently rank
among the top sources for travel research, according to Phocuswright. For example,
more travelers rely on recommendations from people they know compared with any
other source. And when travelers turn to social media for travel inspiration,
they are more likely to be influenced by people they know than celebrities or
influencers. In contrast to social networks that focus on amassing followers,
Snapchat is designed primarily to help users stay connected with their close
friends and family. And Snapchatters who engage with AR are often eager to share
the experience with the people they love.   

Snapchatters are more likely to share AR
filters/Lenses through chat with friends/family (78%) than any other method,
according to Kantar Research. Additionally, Snapchatters who view a Snapchat AR filter/Lens through chat are more likely to take
action afterwards compared with any other
method.   

The power of AR in
the marketing mix  

AR can be a highly effective way for
travel brands to stand out in the crowded online travel marketplace. But adding
AR to the mix doesn’t mean travel companies should abandon
other types of online marketing. In fact, while AR can be used on its own,
research shows that it is even more effective when used in combination with
other marketing methods available in Snapchat’s ad product suite. For example,
when exposed to AR ads in combination with video ads, 78% of Snapchatters are at least somewhat likely to take
action, making the combination more
effective than AR ads on their own (71%) or video ads on their own (69%),
according to Kantar Research.   

Serving as an example, Priceline
recently leveraged an AR Lens as part of its recent
brand campaign on Snapchat, which also included more traditional video formats,
and were able to effectively lift awareness for their campaign messaging. 

“We launched our Snapchat partnership
with a Priceline-branded AR lens, using the native and most famous element of
the Snapchat platform to entertain and engage users,” said Lesley Klein, senior
vice president of strategy and brand marketing at Priceline.

“Building on that early engagement, we
were one of the first Snap Star Collab Studio partners, and our resulting
influencer content generated some of the highest completion rates seen for Snap
Ads. It’s been an exciting evolution to see how we can leverage both AR and
influencers together to bring Priceline to life across the channel.” 

Snapchat realizes that developing AR
creative can often seem daunting for brands, and they handle the heavy lifting
to make it turnkey to come up with effective AR concepts.

“At Snap, we help our clients tap
into our team of AR experts to assist with initial concepting all the way
through actual AR creative builds,” said Kelly Covato, U.S. head of travel for Snap.

“We can help travel brands translate their overall campaign or creative
messaging into an immersive AR experience. For example, if you’re a hotel
brand, we can transport guests to your lobby or even give them the feeling of
being in one of your destinations or experiences all through the power of the
camera in their pocket.”  

Conclusion   

While traditional online travel
marketing such as video targets a largely passive audience, augmented reality inspires
engagement via immersive content worth sharing. AR has the potential to
influence the travel journey from the first spark of inspiration to travel
planning to the trip itself. Since those who engage with AR are highly
motivated to share it with friends and family, the impact spreads among users’
trusted networks – a key source for travel inspiration.  

While AR shines on its own, including
it as one part of a complete marketing strategy can further boost its
effectiveness. With a highly engaged audience of travelers and deep expertise in augmented reality, Snapchat is
the leader in helping travel companies leverage AR to influence the travel journey.