Targeting Travellers Online in Brazil

An increasing number of Brazilians purchase travel services online, and this presents a notable opportunity for advertisers in this sector. In this article we will look at the consumer profile of online tourists in Brazil and where to target this audience.

Online Travel Market in Brazil

The market for tourism and travel in Brazil has historically been associated with the business model of travel agencies, which provide consumers with the complete planning, accommodation booking and sales of tickets at premium costs.

Although the market for travel agencies is still relevant in the country, new models introduced by online services have changed the perception of a large portion of Brazilian consumers on how to approach travelling with lower costs. For this public, the internet currently serves as their travel planning assistant, the sales channel for tickets and reservations and the main source of information on the locations they wish to visit.

One of the largest shifts for this market has been the introduction of airline ticket and accommodation price comparison websites, which have quickly expanded as of the last few years in Brazil and promoted the sales of these services online. A survey from credit scoring company SPC Brasil found that 42% of Brazilian consumers buy travel services online, while research from market intelligence provider eMarketer indicates that revenue for this sector should grow from BRL 11.4 million in 2014 to BRL 17.7 million in 2018.

Research from ticket price comparison service Viajanet indicates that 22% of airline tickets sold in the country are related to business travel, while the remainder are related to the segment of leisure tourism. The large number of Brazilian consumers buying and researching about travel services presents substantial opportunities to online advertisers, who are able to track these users and present the most relevant offers depending on the destination and type of travel experience they are interested in.

Profile of Online Travel Consumers

A survey conducted by credit scoring company SPC in 2015 regarding online purchases in Brazil presents some profile traits of the country’s online travel service consumers. Their research shows that online consumers are more prone to purchase travel tickets and book accommodation themselves rather than buy preset travel packages. This is an indication of their preference to find the best offers prior to buying travel services.

Ticket Purchases

According to the survey, 41% of Brazilian men and 29% of women buy travel tickets online in Brazil. Consumers from all age groups from 18 to over 50 years buy these tickets at similar rates, and there is a significantly higher rate of purchases for the upper social classes and highly educated individuals.

Accommodation Booking

Similarly to ticket buyers, Brazilian consumers who book travel accommodation online in Brazil are in most cases highly educated individuals that belong to the upper A and B social classes. Younger consumers are most prone to book reservations, with individuals aged 18 to 34 displaying a 27% higher rate of purchase of these services when compared to individuals over 50 years.

Mobile Users

A study from market analyst ComScore indicates that, as of 2014, 12% of traffic to travel sites in Brazil came from mobile devices. Considering the majority of this public makes purchases on desktop computers, retargeting engines can be especially useful to track these users across multiple devices and present relevant advertising up until the moment of checkout.

Main Outlets and Forums for Online Travelers

Although there are a number of large-sized media outlets in Brazil covering the sector of tourism, the main source for information on travel for a large portion of the country’s consumers are the numerous forums dedicated to this sector:

• Viagem: One of the oldest and most popular publications for tourism content in Brazil, which is published by Grupo Abril and also has a strong presence on the social network Facebook
• Revista Viajar: Brazilian publication focused on the tourism segment with six years in the market
• Falando de Viagem: Online publication that also has its own community section where users review locations and venues, and a forum dedicated to the discussion of the most popular travel destinations
• Melhores Destinos: Online publication with a popular forum and a dedicated section for users to post in-depth reviews of their own travel experiences
• Mochileiros: Online forum focused on the discussion of backpacking techniques and destinations
• Portal das Viagens: Forum dedicated to the discussion on the best travel destinations and best ticket deals