The most effective destination brands connect on a human level long before a booking decision is made. Anticipation activates reward systems in the brain, fueling motivation. And as an addiction specialist might tell you, dopamine activity can be stronger at the anticipation of a reward rather than during the experience itself. 

So the inspiration phase of travel is a powerful opportunity to create – and prime – emotions. Excitement, nostalgia, belonging and aspiration all help to create or reinforce memory structures and positive sentiment. Humans are naturally drawn to discovery and new stimuli but adventurous travel segments are likely to be especially responsive to the novelty bias in this phase.

Expedia Group’s Science of Wanderlust states that short-form video is particularly good at this – it influences decisions nearly 3 times more than static imagery. Emotionally rich, narrative-driven content creates desire by helping audiences imagine future travel experiences. What’s more, we’re programmed to pay attention to movement. 

TV, social media and brand websites remain among the strongest influences on travel predisposition. So destination brands need to create and prime emotion early, but this is also a helpful reminder to invest in owned channels. As more planning moves to AI, social channels and brand websites will become more important for distinctiveness, storytelling and trusted information.