Few media spaces offer such a rich emotional and contextual backdrop as travel and lifestyle. That was the consensus among the media and marketing leaders who gathered at NDA’s Cannes roundtable in partnership with Tripadvisor. Chaired by New Digital Age Editor Justin Pearse, the session explored how brands can meaningfully engage consumers at moments when they are most open, most inspired, and most receptive to new experiences.
Participants included: Will Parrish, Chief Strategy Officer, VCCP Media; Jason Foo, Founder and CEO, BBD Perfect Storm; Dino Myers-Lamptey, Founder, The Barber Shop; Tara Hughes, VP Client Management, Jellyfish; Kenya Peters, Global Operations Manager, APM Agency; Justin Reid, Senior Director Media, Tripadvisor; Will Frappell, Chief Growth Officer, Charlie Oscar; and Tim Tootal, Co-Owner, Bandstand.
“Travel is inherently emotional,” said Tara Hughes. “People aren’t just looking to be informed. They’re looking to be inspired.” That sentiment set the tone for a lively discussion that highlighted both the promise and the pitfalls of travel as an advertising environment.
A cleaner, more open mindset
Unlike much of the digital media landscape, travel offers a relatively positive, less cluttered environment. As Foo pointed out, “There’s no doomscrolling, no fake news, no thieves. Just people in an open state of mind, looking forward to something.”
This mental openness, added Dino Will Parrish, makes travel uniquely potent for advertising. “You’re not forcing the door open. It’s already ajar. The challenge is to personajlise that doorway in a meaningful way.”
Yet that optimism is tempered by the complexity of the travel decision journey. As Kenya Peters observed, “There’s a point where decision fatigue kicks in. The consumer is bombarded with too many offers, too many sub-packages, and just gives up.”
Beyond the obvious touchpoints
One recurring theme was the vast ecosystem of brands that can credibly participate in the travel journey. As Will Frappell noted, “It’s broader than you think. Pet care is a great example. If you’re a millennial with a dog, your holiday planning starts with the question: what do I do with my dog?”
That creates opportunities for adjacent, non-endemic brands to play a useful role. Tripadvisor’s Justin Reid shared how Mars Petcare partnered with the platform to create pet-friendly filters and reviews, helping pet owners make informed travel decisions. “It’s a perfect brand fit,” Reid said. “It’s not just pets allowed, it’s truly pet-friendly.”
Creative vs programmatic: The balance brands must strike
While media buying has leaned heavily into performance-driven, hyper-targeted campaigns, roundtable participants advocated for a rebalancing toward context, creativity and brand building.
“The obsession with performance has gone too far,” said Foo. “We’re so focused on speaking to Dino, at the expense of creating a brand that resonates with everyone.”
Tara Hughes agreed, citing econometric modelling work at Jellyfish: “We’ve seen that context really matters, especially in premium environments. The best performance doesn’t always come from precision-targeted ads, but from upper-funnel media in high-quality travel content.”
The role of creators, AI, and community
Influencer content remains a key part of the landscape, but several participants questioned whether it has become too formulaic. “A lot of travel creator content looks the same,” said Frappell. “It loses distinctiveness. The challenge is how to embed a brand narrative authentically without making it feel like an ad.”
In contrast, the group expressed excitement about the rise of AI tools to help consumers plan trips more efficiently. Reid shared a personal example: “I used a travel AI tool to generate an itinerary for Japan. My wife was amazed. Even my cousin who lives there said it was pretty good.”
Tim Tootal added, “AI is impressive, but it shouldn’t replace the joy of organic discovery. It can assist the journey, not replace the magic of spontaneity.”
Still, the group agreed AI cannot replace the emotional richness of human storytelling. “That’s where creator content and community come in,” said Myers-Lamptey. “People want to see someone like them experiencing the trip.”
Unlocking the value of high-attention spaces
Ultimately, the consensus was that brands need to think more deeply about how they show up in high-attention environments like travel. It is not just about reach, but resonance.
“We’re all guilty of chasing short-term performance,” said Frappell. “But if you want long-term effectiveness, you need to be where people are engaged and emotionally invested. Travel does that better than almost any other category.”
And as Reid put it, sometimes the most powerful brand strategy is simply being present in the right place at the right time. “Travel is a time when people are happy. They’re leaning forward. That’s a moment every brand should want to be part of.”
The roundtable closed with agreement that travel media is not just a destination for endemic brands. It’s an emotional territory that offers fertile ground for any brand that can offer value, relevance and meaning—whether that’s a hotel, a dog food brand, or a bank looking to make spending abroad easier.
And with the continued rise of AI planning tools, influencer content, and creator-led narratives, the opportunity for brands is not just to follow the itinerary, but to shape the journey itself.
