While travel media networks aren’t new—Marriott has had one for years—the burgeoning commerce media landscape is ripe for travel and hospitality brands to secure their share of ad dollars.

• US travel industry digital ad spend will reach $7.73 billion this year, an 8.9% increase YoY, per our forecast.
• Though it only represents 2.6% of total digital ad spend, travel ad spend will climb through 2026, potentially spurred by new travel media networks.

The newbies: Expedia and United Airlines have launched their own media networks this year.

In May, Expedia introduced Expedia Group Media Solutions, an evolution of its Expedia Media Solutions business launched in 2007.

• Expedia was the No. 1 digital travel agency site in July 2024, with 48.3 million unique visitors, according to data from Comscore.
• The network will offer on-site search and display ads, as well as off-site ads via YouTube and connected TV (CTV).
• CTV is a smart channel for Expedia to include—the travel industry has a higher average engagement rate per impression (1.2%) on CTV than both retail (0.9%) and finance (0.7%), according to December 2023 data from Brightline.

In June, United Airlines launched the airline industry’s first media network, offering ad inventory in airports, online, via its mobile app, and seatback screens.

• Seatback screens can be a powerful tool for airline media networks to complement messaging that consumers see in the airport or across digital channels.
• Time spent in the airport, on mobile apps, and in-flight can add up to 3.5 hours of attention time per traveler, according to United.

The OG: Despite launching in 2022, there’s limited information available about Marriott’s media network.

• When it was announced, Marriott revealed the network, powered by Yahoo, would offer inventory across its owned channels, including display, mobile, video, email, and digital out-of-home (in-room television and digital screens).
• After Yahoo shut down its server-side provider business in 2023, Marriott transitioned the network to Google, as reported by Skift.
• As of February 2024, Marriott’s media network was in “high demand” from advertisers, according to Nicolette Harper, global vice president of media, per Skift.
• But Skift found no evidence of non-Marriott branded ads in hotels or across its digital sites.

The bottom line: Travel media may still be in its early stages, but it probably won’t stay there for long. However, travel media faces competition from established retail media networks, as well as from a wave of financial media networks that have also launched this year.

To succeed, travel networks must leverage their unique points of differentiation, whether it’s engaging more effectively with audiences via CTV like Expedia hopes to or reaching a captive audience via seatback screens like United.

This was originally featured in the Retail Media Weekly newsletter. For more marketing insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.