Each month, we run the scoring for a league table in a particular industry, leveraging our ASK BOSCO® Index to evaluate the performance of various retailers in both organic and paid search. This month, we focused on the market for travel.
What does the online travel sector currently look like?
Despite slow growth trajectory in late 2022 due to a drop in financial confidence, the travel and hospitality industry still has a lot of room to grow, and many people are eager to travel.
Since vaccines became widely available, the industry has seen a slow recovery as eager consumers start traveling again after two years of restrictions. Although worries about public health persist, many travellers are getting over their pandemic-related concerns.
However, the industry now faces new challenges, such as financial worries among consumers, growing concerns about climate change, and labour shortages.
To succeed in the coming year, travel, hospitality, and airline leaders should focus on improving their products, services, and prices. This will help them navigate the post-pandemic landscape more effectively.
What is the ASK BOSCO® Index?
Do you want to know how your brand compares to the competition online? The ASK BOSCO® Index is the perfect tool for measuring your digital presence and assessing the effectiveness of your investments in organic and paid media channels.
Unlike other metrics that only consider your marketing budget, the ASK BOSCO® Index takes into account your potential in both paid and organic search. It provides an accurate overview of your online performance based on your previous digital interactions by analysing data from trusted third-party sources.
What is a good ASK BOSCO® Index score? It ranges from 0 to 1000, with the average score for brands and retailers being around 575. The higher your score, the better your online performance as a retailer. Think of it as the credit score of digital marketing.
Here’s how we scored the brands
We scored ten leading UK travel companies for the month of October. Here’s how the top five ranked on the ASK BOSCO® Index league table. Download the league table below to see the full results and see who the remaining five online travel brands are.
What do these scores mean?
Sitting proudly on top of the podium this month in joint first place are Jet2Holidays and Virgin Holidays. The two travel giants are tied in first place with an impressive score of 743, a validation of their ever-growing online presence.
Jet2holidays has had an impressively successful year, having experienced a surge in demand for flights and holiday packages, which prompted them to expand their services for Summer 2023. The notable expansion includes the addition of new flights and destinations such as Girona (Costa Brava), Malaga, Chania (Crete), and Santorini, catering to a wide range of sunshine destinations across their network of ten UK bases.
Their responsive approach to meeting customer needs and ensuring a secure, ATOL-protected holiday experience has earned them recognition and praise. They were awarded the Which? Recommended Provider status and were also acknowledged by the Institute of Customer Service for their exceptional customer service during the pandemic.
Plus, Jet2holidays’ collaboration with Love Island in their VIBE campaign was also honoured at the UK Content Awards 2023, showcasing their innovative and engaging marketing strategies.
The successful partnership with Love Island has been reintroduced for the show’s tenth season, with a comprehensive campaign spanning television, digital advertising, product placement, and social media engagements. This collaborative effort reflects their commitment to engaging their audience and creating memorable travel experiences.
Virgin Atlantic Holidays has also had a rather profitable year and has successfully navigated the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, as reflected in its annual financial results for 2022.
The company reported a remarkable recovery, with total revenue reaching £2.9 billion, nearly returning to 98% of its 2019 levels.
Capitalising on the resurgence in customer demand for air travel and holidays, Virgin Atlantic strategically harnessed the ongoing interest in air freight. By exceeding revenue expectations and maintaining a £300 million annual cost-saving initiative implemented during the pandemic, the airline significantly narrowed its statutory losses from the previous challenging years of 2020 and 2021. They also concluded the year with a robust cash position of £399 million, setting a strong foundation for future growth and sustainability.
The positive financial and operational results in 2022 prove the effectiveness of Virgin Atlantic’s four-year plan, underscoring the company’s commitment to becoming the most beloved travel enterprise while ensuring sustainable profitability. With a promising outlook for 2023 and an anticipated return to profitability in 2024, Virgin Atlantic remains steadfast in its mission to deliver exceptional travel experiences.
