RIYADH, Saudi Arabia.- Creativity is emerging as a key commercial advantage for tourism growth, according to IDEAS That Travel, a new report released by TOURISE in collaboration with LIONS Advisory. The study explores how tourism brands and destinations can stand out in an increasingly competitive and fragmented environment shaped by social media and artificial intelligence.

The report draws on an online survey of 8,374 consumers across 13 markets who had traveled internationally in the previous 12 months. Conducted in December 2025, the research was complemented by interviews with global industry leaders and an analysis of marketing research and case studies.

One of the main findings is that tourism advertising is struggling to differentiate brands and remain memorable. Sixty percent of travelers say travel advertisements look similar, while 43% find it difficult to distinguish between travel brands. In addition, 50% cannot remember the last tourism advertisement they saw, and a further 7% are unsure.

Despite these challenges, travel demand remains strong. Thirty-nine percent of respondents expect to travel more in the next 12 months than they did in 2025. That figure rises to 51% among Gen Z travelers and 47% among Millennials.

Artificial intelligence is changing destination discovery

The report also highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence in holiday planning. Fifty-five percent of travelers already use AI tools to plan trips, while 62% expect to use them more frequently over the coming year.

According to the study, long-term brand building is essential for maintaining visibility in digital environments powered by large language models. The report attributes 63% of LLM visibility to long-term brand equity, compared with 22% linked to current marketing activity and 11% associated with citation volume.

The findings suggest that destinations need to build awareness and preference before travelers enter the booking funnel. This requires distinctive messaging, relevant content, creator partnerships and credible experiences that strengthen consumer trust.

An US$11 billion advertising investment gap

Global advertising spending across travel and transport rebounded to an estimated US$32.4 billion in 2025. However, the sector's share of voice remains below pre-pandemic levels.

Restoring that share to 3% would require global travel and transport advertising expenditure to reach US$43.4 billion by 2027, representing an additional US$11 billion over two years.

The report emphasizes that growth will not come from increased spending alone. Tourism brands must also invest more strategically in social media, video, creators and entertainment-led formats, where travelers increasingly develop their interests and preferences.

To help the industry respond, IDEAS That Travel outlines a framework built around five drivers of effectiveness: Investment, Distinctiveness, Engagement, Authenticity and Seamlessness. Together, these principles aim to improve visibility, create memorable brand associations, strengthen trust and deliver a more connected traveler experience.

The report includes case studies from Airbnb, Tourism Australia, Visit Sweden, Visit North Carolina and Southwest Airlines, demonstrating how these principles can be applied in practice.

“Travelers are discovering destinations earlier and through more channels than ever,” said His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Tourism and Chairman of TOURISE. In this changing landscape, he emphasized, creativity, distinctiveness and trust are becoming increasingly important for destinations seeking attention and preference.

Paul Coxhill, Chief Operating Officer and President of LIONS, also highlighted creativity's potential to drive business growth in a sector closely connected to emotion, experience and memory.

The report concludes that tourism brands best positioned for future growth will be those that bring storytelling, creators, AI, media and the traveler experience together within a consistent strategy.

The full report is available on the official TOURISE website.