Singapore – Marketers in Southeast Asia (SEA) are prioritising retention (65%) and brand building (64%), according to a report from partnership management platform impact.com. The report highlights how businesses and consumers are navigating the travel industry amidst changes in preferences and consumer expectations.
impact.com’s report highlights how many SEA marketers still prioritise online advertising to drive bookings, trusted only by 27% of Singaporean and 18% of Australian travellers. This reliance on less trusted channels amidst rising ad costs and competition underscores the need for marketers to rethink their strategies.
Peer recommendations and word-of-mouth referrals emerged as top influences for travel-related purchases, trusted by 62.5% of travellers in Singapore, 67.5% in Australia, and 75% in China.
In Singapore, a significant 68% of travellers place their trust in review and comparison sites, aligning closely with China (72%) and surpassing Australia (59%). This presents an opportunity for brands to strategically embed affiliate links within relevant travel content and guides to capture consumer intent.
Meanwhile, savvy travel brands are increasingly working with influencers, affiliates, online travel agencies (OTAs), and premium publishers to elevate their partnership strategies. While 27% still rely on OTAs and aggregators to reach high-intent audiences, high commission fees leads them to re-evaluate.
Some marketers (25%) see affiliate marketing as a growing priority, attracted by its performance-based structure that rewards partners on successful bookings. It also caters to consumer demand for cashback, loyalty perks, and discounts.
A significant number of marketers intend to focus on online advertising (27%) and OTAs (28%). However, some are starting to shift to channels like affiliate marketing (15%) and influencer marketing (11%).
The report also highlights that 45% of Singaporean travellers trust affiliates while 63% favour influencers. These trust levels reach 50% and 68% in Australia, and 59% and 75% in China, respectively.
Adam Furness, managing director APJ at impact.com, said, “The modern consumer demands trust, transparency and authenticity, and they turn to their communities and trusted sources of information to guide their purchasing decision. The brands that thrive are balancing acquisition with retention and community-building through partnerships with affiliates, influencers, publishers, customer advocates and more. This report highlights how partnerships can help marketers increase revenue and build valuable connections with travellers through authentic content, recommendations and reviews.”
