How Personalised Email Marketing Based on Site Behaviour Transforms the Travel Experience
By Kara Trivunovic, SVP, CX Studio. In the travel and hospitality industry, personalised email marketing has become a powerful tool for engaging potential travellers and guiding them through the decision-making process. While it’s tempting to focus on simply driving bookings, an opportunity exists to position your brand as a trusted advisor in the decision process, serving as a resource in decision-making about their next destination or travel experience.
While travel brands tend to leverage engagement behaviour pretty effectively, one source of data is frequently overlooked: Site behaviour.
Every action a user takes on your site—whether it’s browsing specific destinations, searching for amenities, or abandoning a booking—provides critical insight into their interests and intent. By harnessing this data, travel and hospitality brands can create email campaigns that not only encourage bookings but also build meaningful relationships with customers, positioning the brand as a resource they can trust.
Let’s explore how personalised email campaigns driven by site behaviour can help brands understand customer intent, deliver unique experiences, and become a go-to guide in the traveller’s journey.
Understanding Interest and Intent Through Site Behaviour
The key to effective personalization lies in understanding what your users are interested in, when they are interested, and how close they are to making a booking decision. Site behaviour offers a window into this intent by revealing patterns that tell you what’s on a customer’s mind, even when they haven’t explicitly communicated it.
For example, a user may repeatedly search for hotels in Bali without ever completing a booking. This consistent behaviour signals a high level of interest in that specific destination, but it might also indicate uncertainty or hesitation in making a final decision.
By analysing site behaviour like this, brands can segment users not just by demographic data, but by intent. This segmentation opens up new possibilities for email campaigns that don’t simply push for an immediate booking, but rather guide users through the discovery process with valuable, personalised content.
Personalised Content to Address Hesitation and Provide Value
Once you have recognized the intent, it is time to deliver a more valuable and educational experience for the guest. Using this intent to inform a messaging strategy that creates trust between your brand and the customer.
Let’s take the intent above. Now, instead of sending the same standard “Finish Your Booking” email, brands can adopt a more thoughtful approach, creating content that addresses the user’s concerns or provides additional information that can nudge them toward a decision.
Our traveller has shown distinct interest in Bali but hasn’t booked yet. Rather than a generic reminder, or abandon booking message, deliver a personalised email campaign that focuses on overcoming common blockers to booking a trip like this:
- Why Travel to Bali Now?: An article or guide on the best times to visit, hidden gems, or unique experiences in Bali that they may not have considered.
- What Makes Bali Unique?: Personalised recommendations on cultural events, beaches, or eco-friendly resorts based on the user’s browsing patterns.
- Local Tips and Insights: Share insider tips from locals or travel influencers, making your brand a trusted source for travel advice rather than just a booking engine.
- Hotel or Resort Comparisons: Perhaps this traveller can’t decide which hotel to book, but would be interested in comparisons or deeper reviews
This approach not only drives engagement but also helps the traveller feel like the brand understands their needs and is helping them make the best decision for their trip.
Using Behaviour to Trigger Unique Brand Experiences
Site behaviour data allows brands to move beyond transactional emails and create meaningful touchpoints throughout the customer journey. This can include sending helpful information at the right moment or sparking interest in experiences that a user may not have considered.
For instance, if a user shows repeated interest in a specific destination, like luxury ski resorts in the Alps, the brand can trigger a series of emails designed to educate and inspire, not just around the Alps, but also highlighting other destinations that may be of interest that they haven’t yet considered:
- Destination Spotlight: An initial email could include an in-depth guide to the Alps, highlighting not just resorts but the entire experience—activities, restaurants, cultural sites, and local tips; but can also pull in a community voice that references “Those that love the Alps, also love the Italian Dolomites.”
- Unique Experiences Email: Follow up with a deeper dive into unique, personalised experiences, such as guided snowshoeing tours, private chef dinners, or luxurious spa treatments at a particular resort the user has browsed.
- Travel Inspiration Based on Preferences: If the user’s site behaviour also indicates an interest in luxury amenities, the email could feature exclusive deals or packages focused on indulgent offerings at various Alpine resorts.
This kind of value-driven communication builds a relationship that transcends the single goal of booking. Instead, it positions the brand as a resource the user can rely on for thoughtful recommendations and expert advice—ultimately fostering trust and brand loyalty.
Content Hierarchy and Emphasis in Emails
One often overlooked aspect of personalised email campaigns is how site behaviour can influence the structure, hierarchy, and emphasis of content within an email. When brands know what their customers are looking for, they can prioritise content in emails to reflect those interests.
For example, a user who has been browsing eco-friendly travel options should see content in the email that speaks directly to those interests at the top—think featured eco-resorts, sustainable travel tips, and green travel packages.
Meanwhile, other elements of the email, such as last-minute deals or unrelated destinations, can be deprioritised or excluded altogether. This ensures that every interaction feels personal and tailored to the recipient’s preferences.
Beyond Booking: Creating Value-Driven Relationships
Ultimately, travel and hospitality brands should view personalised email campaigns as a way to foster long-term relationships, not just to push for immediate bookings.
By using site behaviour to understand intent, create targeted content, and deliver personalised experiences, brands can shift from being a transactional service to becoming a trusted partner in the traveller’s journey.
When a brand can recommend the perfect destination, offer valuable insights, and guide customers toward making the right decision for them—whether that decision happens now or in the future—it builds loyalty and trust.
Customers will remember that thoughtful email that provided tips on travelling to the Alps or the resort they hadn’t considered in Bali, and they’ll be more likely to book with you when the time is right. Effectively using site behaviour can increase short-term results, but also has positive long-term impact.
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