Travel brands must build trust to close APAC’s ‘confidence gap’, study finds

Singapore – Travel marketers across Asia-Pacific have a new opening to convert booking intent into sales, according to a study released by omnichannel outcomes platform Teads, which finds that consumer trust, not inspiration, has become the main barrier to travel bookings.

The research shows that 79% of APAC consumers have travelled or plan to travel in the next 12 months, yet only 60% feel confident selecting their next leisure destination. Nearly two-thirds of respondents compare multiple destinations before booking, with most spending between one week and three months researching their options, a shift the study attributes to higher travel costs, wider destination choice and an overwhelming volume of travel content across social media, creators and AI-powered recommendations.

“Travel demand has returned, but consumer decision-making has become far more complex,” said Luke Donkin, Industry Director at Teads, “travellers have more inspiration, more information and more choice than ever before, yet rising travel costs mean every booking feels like a bigger commitment. The opportunity for marketers today isn’t simply inspiring people to travel, it’s building the confidence that helps consumers choose one destination, airline or hotel over another.”

Teads describes the pattern as a “Shortlist Economy”, in which destinations no longer compete against every possible holiday option but instead compete to earn a place in a traveller’s final consideration set. The longer decision window gives marketers more opportunities to build trust and familiarity throughout the planning journey, rather than relying on a single moment of inspiration to win the booking.

The study also found that trust is concentrated in a narrower set of sources than discovery is. Among consumers planning to travel in the next 12 months, 80% trust recommendations from family, friends and travel agents, while 72% trust travel websites and blogs. Premium editorial environments and long-form video proved significantly more effective than social content alone at building confidence and credibility, the study found.

“Consumers aren’t struggling to discover destinations, they’re struggling to decide between them,” Donkin added, “brands that invest in trusted, high-quality environments throughout the planning journey are better positioned to build familiarity, reduce uncertainty and ultimately influence booking decisions.”

For destinations, airlines, hotel groups and tourism organisations, the findings suggest a shift in marketing focus is needed, from maximising impressions toward creating high-attention experiences that build trust across the consumer journey.