New survey reveals the do's and don'ts of tourism marketing, according to travellers

As the mid-year holiday period is here, a growing number of tourism and destination marketing campaigns are coming under fire, with consumers demanding greater transparency and authenticity in travel campaigns. 

According to the latest Getty Images & iStock VisualGPS Consumer survey, 69% of consumers say they care if images are created on a computer or were taken “in the real world”. The new research surveyed a nationally representative sample of 500 respondents across Australia and New Zealand on their attitudes and behaviours towards travel, technology and culture.

With two-thirds of respondents unable to tell if an image or video has been manipulated, the survey reveals heightened concern on the authenticity of content in Australasia. This is leading to calls for greater transparency on content creation, with 89% of consumers saying they want brands to be upfront if an image or video has been altered in their campaigns. 

When it comes to the travel industry in particular, people are more likely to view a travel company positively if it uses real imagery versus modified or altered imagery depicting a holiday destination. The travel industry is one of the top three industries most likely to experience negative backlash from the use of manipulated images, with 40% of all respondents saying it would negatively impact their opinion of the brand.

The new survey comes after a tourism campaign for the Philippines faced backlash when stock images from other countries were used to promote the nation as a holiday destination. The campaign is the latest high-profile example of national tourism agencies using content featuring landscapes and cityscapes from other countries to attract tourists to their own. 

“This backlash demonstrates people's desire for realism. Our data tells us they are looking for images and videos that reflect real local culture, real people and real experiences,” said Kate Rourke, head of creative insights, Asia Pacific at Getty Images & iStock. 

When it comes to destination and tourism campaigns, another factor that can influence purchasing decisions for travellers in Australia and New Zealand is “seeing people like me”. According to the survey, 79% of respondents want to see visuals and videos that depict travellers who look like them and their family and friends enjoying the destination.

“Travellers in Australasia value unique and personalised travel experiences which allow them to explore their own personal interests. With travellers favouring local culture over well-known attractions, this is where real and custom stock content showing different people and locations in campaigns can really help travel brands attract a wider audience,” said Rourke.