Why the Future of Travel Marketing Is Streaming, Social and Storytelling
Connected TV's (CTV) are becoming a core part of the travel ecosystem
March 2, 2026
As the global travel industry gathers in Berlin for ITB’s 60th anniversary, one shift is becoming impossible to ignore: travel discovery has moved to streaming.
Today, the focus is on how travel is discovered, marketed and experienced in a streaming-first world.
And one shift is accelerating faster than many destinations and travel brands realise:
Connected TV (CTV’s) are becoming a core part of the travel ecosystem, not as traditional advertising, but as a global engine for inspiration, partnerships and measurable growth.
Nick Manarangi, shares his thoughts ahead of ITB Berlin
Travel has always been powered by storytelling.
People don’t book trips because of static ads, they book trips because they can imagine themselves there.
Increasingly, that inspiration happens on CTV’s and streaming platforms and is becoming one of the most powerful early stages of travel discovery.
Scroll → Stream → Dream → Research → Book.
INTRAVEL is one of Insight TV’s seven global TV channels reaching audiences across UK, US, Australia, NZ, Europe and more, with our full portfolio distributed on more than 200 platforms in 63 countries and 12 languages.
From Campaigns to Content Partnerships
We are seeing tourism boards, travel brands and creators shift from short-term campaigns to longer-term content partnerships. Some opportunities include:
- Sponsored travel series
- Creator-led storytelling
- Branded programming blocks
- TV Home Screen promotion
- Destination integrations
- Themed programming events
INTRAVEL Insights played in ad break to hold attention, using trivia and facts about destinations
Recent examples include "The Great Wall with Ash Dykes" INTRAVEL campaign for UK, placing promotion on Samsung TV Plus home screen, social media collaboration reaching Ash Dykes 500,000+ followers, as well as multiple video and image creative assets shared across all platforms.
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Tourism Boards, Consulates and Countries can target audiences globally on free TV Channels on CTV's world increasing new discovery and reach.
The Travel Marketing Funnel Is Expanding
One of the key conversations at ITB this year centres on the evolution of the customer journey.
Destinations and travel brands are increasingly looking for ways to reach audiences earlier before active trip planning begins.
CTV offers that opportunity.
CTV inventory is bought programmatically using the same infrastructure as performance advertising, with targeting, optimisation and measurement built in. But the environment is very different from social or display.
Instead of interrupting users, travel brands appear within the content viewers actively choose to watch; whether that’s culinary adventures like Khanh Ong’s Wild Food, cultural journeys such as Rhys Darby in Japan, or expedition storytelling like The Great Wall with Ash Dykes.
This shifts travel marketing into the moment of inspiration.
A Multi-Screen Travel Journey
Streaming on TV is only part of the picture. Travel discovery today is also very much multi-screen.
A traveller might discover a destination while watching a travel series, follow the creator or brand on social media, save ideas on their phone, and continue researching later.
INTRAVEL extends beyond CTV into social and digital platforms, ensuring destinations and sponsors remain part of the ongoing conversation.
CTV delivers deep engagement and emotional connection. Mobile delivers frequency and daily inspiration.
Together, they reflect how modern travellers actually plan and think about travel.
Global Scale, Local Relevance
As the travel industry focuses on sustainable growth, relevance has become just as important as reach.
A recent milestone for INTRAVEL was the launch of a dedicated Australian feed across Samsung TV Plus, Fetch TV and Kogan TV+, combining global travel programming with locally resonant content.
This localisation approach reflects the direction of CTV's with global distribution paired with regional relevance.
For destinations and partners, this opens new opportunities to connect with audiences in meaningful and culturally relevant ways while still benefiting from global scale.
Supporting Sustainable Tourism Through Storytelling
Sustainability is another central theme at ITB this year.
Long-form travel content can play an important role in encouraging more balanced tourism by showcasing lesser-known destinations, promoting off-season travel and highlighting deeper cultural experiences.
Series such as DownieLive Travels by Train, which explores Canada and the United States through regional rail journeys and indigenous tourism experiences, demonstrate how storytelling can inspire more thoughtful and immersive travel choices.
Looking Ahead
As ITB celebrates six decades of connecting the global travel industry, one thing is becoming clear:
The next era of travel marketing will be defined by the combination of storytelling and performance.
Streaming and social video are becoming part of the travel ecosystem; helping destinations, creators and sponsors collaborate in new ways and reach audiences earlier in the journey.
The way travellers discover the world is evolving, and increasingly, the journey begins on the screen in the living room, and continues in the palm of their hand.
See you there!
