Travel Trends

Visual trends analysis:

Travel

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Part 1: Discovery

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Contents Introduction 3 Shaping visual trends in travel

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The emergence of discovery 5 STA Travel’s “Move” campaign 6 Shangri La’s “In Our Nature” campaign

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“In Our Nature” continued 8 Kerala Tourism’s “Your Moment is Waiting” campaign

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California Tourism’s “Misconceptions” campaign

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“Misconceptions” continued 11 Conclusion 12 Sources 13

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Starting at the beginning

Inside this report • Macro-level dynamics - A point of view on what has the emergence of discovery as a visual communication trend for travel companies • External campaigns - A connect the dots approach to the external environment and recent brand campaigns that reflect discovery as a communication approach.

• How to apply this research - Ways in which global travel marketers can leverage the visual language trends outlined here within their own campaigns

This report, a visual trends analysis that focuses on travel, is based on an analysis completed by the Getty Images Creative Research Team.

We analyzed thousands of search terms and imagery concepts from our global database to distill three key visual communication trends that fall under the travel umbrella: Discovery Simplicity/slowing down Exceptional service

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Visit our travel page

This report is focused on discovery.

Want more? Have a read through our travel industry trend reports on simplicity/slowing down and exceptional service.

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Shaping visual communications in travel The global travel market Escape. Reunion. Adventure. Heritage. As consumers, we indulge in travel for a variety of reasons – at times, to revisit favorite places and experiences; at others, to reject familiarity, to venture beyond the confines of the world we know. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated the value of travel spending in 2011 to reach 9% of total global gross domestic i production, which equated to US$6 trillion.

Despite seemingly gargantuan discretionary spending, travel has not been immune to the ill effects of the weakened consumer confidence of recessionary times. Late last year, the WTTC downgraded global travel growth (expressed as direct real GDP growth in $USD) from 4.5% to 3.2%, while 2012 is forecasted to bring a mere 3.3% annual increase, down from ii previous estimates of 5.1%. In comparison, the International Monetary Fund estimates that total 2012 world output will grow by 4%, indicating that travel has yet to keep pace with overall global iii economic activity.

Three emerging trends When they purchase travel, consumers buy experiences – not tangible goods. For this reason, visual language is an invaluable tool to help prospective visitors imagine what lies ahead should they embark on a journey.

Our exploration of imagery sought by travel-centric marketers worldwide reveals three key visual trends that define the category: discovery, simplicity/slowing down and exceptional service.

Discovery will be highlighted in this report, with reports on simplicity/slowing down and exceptional service to come.

Discovery key trends

Meeting new people, visiting places that are less exploited, and seeing familiar places in a new light.

Think far-flung cities, exotic locales, and the road less traveled.

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The emergence of discovery The prominence of discovery as a trend in the visual language is a direct extension of living in the Information Age. The more we learn, the more we want to know. The internet has converted yesterday’s tourists into today’s photojournalists.

Thanks to the power of the web, travel photographs and reviews gain a worldwide audience, and would-be travelers who can’t afford to hop a flight are continually able to discover fascinating new people and places thanks to the increasing dissemination of travel experiences.

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Not just away, but off the radar

Going solo

Discovery isn’t just about catching the travel bug, but about personality traits as well – receptiveness to seeing places in a new light, the confidence of an independent spirit, and the upending thirst for firsthand knowledge of the world in which we live.

The CEO of global tour organizer Cox and Kings (which itself boasts “Over 250 years of Discovery”), Thomas Stanley, corroborates this notion when he describes “Ends of the Earth” as an upcoming travel trend for 2012. According to Stanley, “more and more, modern travelers are craving locales iv that are way off the radar.”

Visuals featuring solo travelers – a group that v is estimated at 35 million adults - comprise a significant portion of our top-selling travel and tourism imagery. The freedom of traveling alone is unparalleled, offering not just the opportunity to immerse ourselves in exotic locations by taking the road less traveled, but to meet like-minded travelers along the way.

Solo travelers also experience introspection as they reconnect with themselves in unique locations, a travel trend that’s been glamourized by author Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir turned movie Eat, Pray, Love. Solo travel involves a sense of going away to go within – the notion that leaving all that ties us down (jobs, relationships, cell phones and computers) behind can help us find ourselves again.

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Part 1: Discovery

On the move Move.

STA Travel

Worldwide travel organization STA Travel, whose mission is “to make travel affordable and attainable vi,” recently showcased discovery within its “Move” campaign.vii The campaign depicts a young man as he makes his way from location to location, thoroughly enjoying immersion in solo travel.

Cleverly executed much like a video flip book, where individual image frames are animated in rapid succession, the spot takes us around the world, shot by shot.

The result? Communication that is half photography, half footage, and wholly captivating.

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Where discovery meets fantasy In Our Nature Shangri La

In direct contrast to the realistic, straightforward approach adopted by travel companies such as STA Travel is the idea of discovery as fantasy. Shangri La Hotels incorporates a sense of fantasy to enliven its brand promise, “To embrace a stranger as one’s own” within the recent promotional viii video “In Our Nature.”

The video cinematographically conveys the story of a man alone on a journey. He becomes lost in a frigid tundra and eventually falls asleep, lulled by the soundtrack of unfamiliar creatures and blistering winds.

He awakes to find himself in direct contact with the “natives” – a pack of ferocious looking but affectionate wolves that have surrounded him in his sleep, lending their coats to keep him warm.

Within the video, Shangri La effectively communicates that embracing discovery while braving paths less trodden can yield breathtaking surprises and an unexpected sense of comfort.

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Part 1: Discovery

The stranger as neighbor In Our Nature Shangri La

The campaign in print As an extension of the campaign, Shangri La’s print advertising further leverages fantasy as a vessel for communicating discovery. Built upon the idea of embracing the stranger as neighbor, the campaign features ethereal imagery that conveys the warmth and fulfillment awaiting travelers who dare to discover. One can imagine jumping into the scenes, where the destination both literally and metaphorically becomes larger than the traveler himself.

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Where fantasy meets reality Your Moment is Waiting Kerala Tourism

Your moment is waiting

Finding your moment

India’s Kerala Tourism attempts to merge fantasy and reality with its “Your Moment is Waiting” campaign. The three-minute video features a woman traveling through the Indian state while intimately encountering the many native peoples and customs that distinguish it.

According to BR Swarup, the creative director behind the ad, longitudinal research indicates that travelers to Kerala experience “something that alters their mindspace,” providing the inspiration for the campaign. In Swarup’s words, “Your Moment is Waiting” is all about this trigger – this moment. The film takes you through Kerala, raw and refined, sensual and spiritual, flowing slowly, languorously, stirring memory with desire, mixing the real with the surreal, leaving you quite certain your moment is waiting out here in ix Kerala, God’s own Country. Full of high-resolution footage and music that is part tribal, part enchanting, the video effectively conveys an excitement about discovery that only Kerala can offer.

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Making old new again

Misconceptions California tourism

Discovery also inspires the notion that old places can become new again. This is especially important for destination marketers, as an everchanging set of external circumstances – such as natural disasters, political uprising and unfavorable economic conditions – can quickly convert a x hotspot into a nightmare.

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Taking the pulse of a city The Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index(SM) study provides an annual pulse on the health of city brands. The study engages citizens in ten countries around the world in order to understand how major cities are perceived in terms of Presence, Place, Pre-requisite, People, Pulse and Potential. Based on these metrics, the study identifies the top cities for 2011 as Paris, London, Sydney, New York, Los Angeles, Rome, xi Washington D.C., Melbourne, Vienna and Tokyo.

Leveraging the “what’s old is new” dimension of discovery in visual communication is a technique used often within location-based branding initiatives. California’s tourism organization deployed discovery language within its “Misconceptions” campaign in 2010.

The program included a television commercial featuring California natives such as actress Betty White, musicians The Jonas Brothers and Jason Mraz, and socialite Kim Kardashian, each of whom dispelled a misconception about his/her home state, while a backdrop of stunning landscape imagery brought their claims to life.

A clever blend of pop culture, cheeky copy and diverse imagery, the spot begs even the most seasoned of California visitors to consider which part(s) of the state are still to be discovered.

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Part 1: Discovery Misconceptions California tourism

The online execution

The print execution

The campaign continues on the “Visit California” webpage, where in-your-face still photography featuring the stars of the commercial invites potential visitors to learn more about the destinations featured in television and print advertising. This thoughtful extension of the visual assets creates consistency and allows for deeper engagement between the brand and the consumers.

California’s 2011 print-based advertising has been broadly featured, including within American magazines and British transit environments. The print arm of the campaign features local superstars – including athletes, culinary experts, and entrepreneurs – all of whom are seen showcasing unexpected facets of their personal lives as it pertains to being a Californian.

As the sponsor organization says, “Where [Visit California’s] television campaign relies on a mix of motion, sound and dialogue to bring the California brand personality to life, the print campaign relies on hero imagery that elevates each person’s accomplishments in a fun and xii whimsical way.” Again, “Visit California” successfully communicates the idea that places that may seem familiar are riddled with subtle facets that await our sense of discovery.

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Conclusion Travel marketers spanning a range of services can capitalize on the trend of discovery as described within this report. The following guidelines suggest ways in which travel brands can create successful visual communications surrounding travel and discovery.

Channeling the spirit of discovery in your communications •G enerate awareness of unknown destinations and reposition locations perceived as mundane by using visual cues that center around fantasy •S elect imagery that appears photojournalistic to appeal to solo travelers to help them envision documenting a journey of their own

• Consider the aesthetic value of music and light to create the ideal ambience, especially when creating communications that lean heavily towards a natural and whimsical feel • Help consumers picture themselves as visitors by including detailed landscape shots that make it easy to imagine themselves there

Top visual concepts for discovery 1. Discovery and adventure

There’s more This report on the topic of discovery in our visual trends analysis of travel is just one of three. Like what you’ve read here? Check out our complimentary reports on slow/simple and exceptional service.

2. Escape and freedom

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3. Tranquility and contemplation

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Part 1: Discovery Visual trends analysis:

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Travel

Sources i

http://www.wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/traveltourism2011.pdf, p. 2

ii iii iv v vi vii viii ix x xi

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http://www.wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/MonthlyUpdate_November_2011_V2.pdf http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/02/pdf/text.pdf http://www.justluxe.com/luxe-insider/trends/feature-1654876.php http://travelmarketreport.com/leisure?articleID=6512&LP=1 http://www.statravel.com.au/sta_company_information.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BrDlrytgm8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mQK1gNYDyQ http://www.campaignindia.in/Article/233509,your-moment-is-waiting-says-new-kerala-tourism-tvc.aspx http://www.travelpulse.com/global-travel-tourism-growth-set-to-slow-for-2011-2012.html http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tokyo-earns-strong-image-despite-earthquake-and-tsunami-in-2011-anholt-gfk-roper-city-brandsindex-125742068.html http://industry.visitcalifornia.com/media/uploads/files/editor/2_BrandAd_Print_BB%281%29.pdf