What is the Travel vertical in affiliate marketing?

Today we’re on the AFFHUB call and we’ve decided to talk about vacations. However, not yours. We have an interesting vertical for both beginners and experienced affiliates. 

Every year, the demand for travel services is growing, and with it, the Travel vertical in arbitration is becoming even more relevant. 

Arbitrage specialists are actively fighting against account blocking, and this vertical is white, and this is its advantage. Such ads are not blocked and it can be a good option for the period of storms.

Today we will try to dive deeper into the world of affiliate marketing and talk more about the travel vertical. 

What is the travel vertical?

Travel is a vertical that is directly related to various offers for travelers. It can be promoted in almost all traffic sources, which is definitely its significant feature. This is a TOP vertical for arbitrageurs. It is promising for both beginners and experienced buyers who know this area like the back of their hands.

However, it also has its own “buts,” which we will discuss in a moment.

“But” in the Travel vertical. What difficulties can there be?

Of course, the vertical is very common and, at first glance, profitable, but it is also worthwhile to understand that sustainable success depends on many aspects, namely

Seasonality

It all depends on the season and the places where tourists go on vacation. Therefore, arbitrageurs must study and track this topic separately in order to drive traffic and collect leads efficiently.

Instability

The travel world is directly affected by economic development and politics. Crises, lockdowns, visa restrictions – all of this instantly worsens the demand for the respective countries and niches. So it is clear that stability is unlikely.

High competition in the premium segment

The premium segment in the travel industry includes niche destinations with the highest average checks, active demand, and high rates. These are primarily air travel, travel insurance, and hotels.

It’s harder for newcomers and solo webmasters to break through in these categories because the competition is quite high. However, travel affiliates have many alternative offers: transfers, excursions, rental of transit, etc.

Traffic restrictions

Many travel affiliate programs strictly prohibit paid search and any mention of the brand in advertising. 

Interestingly, even traffic sources that are common for white-label offers may be banned here. Contextual advertising, SMS campaigns, mobile traffic – all of these can become a kind of “taboo” depending on the terms of the affiliate program.

The most common offers.

Such offers are called “white” and the cost of traffic will usually be higher than average. The majority of the travel industry’s audience comes from countries with high standards of living and solvency. 

Booking and buying tickets

This category can be considered the most widespread in the travel vertical. Every day, people buy or book, for example, long-distance tickets to get around their own country or international airline tickets. 

Apartments. 

Of course, when we travel, we need to find a place to stay. So this category includes renting an apartment or room, booking a hotel, etc.

Excursions

Tourists love excursions and entire programs that help them get acquainted with the gems of the area, especially if it’s something new to them. Therefore, this category is also no less common and profitable in the travel vertical. 

Travel insurance

Most travelers take out travel insurance to make their trip more comfortable, so this explains the demand for this category.

GEO for travel offers.

The most profitable destinations for arbitration are Tier-1 countries: USA, Canada, UK, and EU countries. Here, travelers are almost unlimited in the choice of destinations and are used to spending a lot on tickets, hotels, tours, and additional services, so these regions have the highest average check.

However, along with money, competition is growing. It is not only about arbitrageurs, but also about the fact that the local market is full of companies and services that have serious advertising budgets and have long been established in the niche.

To summarize.

The travel vertical is an interesting option for both beginners and experienced media buyers. There are many reasons for this – starting with the fact that it is a white vertical, so it will be much easier to work with it. And ending with the fact that you can get top ROI here during the season. Therefore, it is at least an interesting “fallback” option for the period of active storms.