2022 is proving to be a big year for the travel and tourism industry. After nearly two years of pandemic-related hiatus, global leisure and business flights have risen to levels not seen since 2019, showing that a ‘major recovery’ is underway for the industry (source: CNBC).
That being said, brands worldwide have now started to amp up their summer advertising as families and businessmen worldwide pack their bags and enjoy a trip outside of their homes. Our list of Most Viewed Video Ads for Summer Travel in 2022 illustrates the long-awaited travel renaissance.
A warm welcome back
“The events of the pandemic have made travellers all the more appreciative of being able to travel freely when we can,” explained Huw and Rossella Beaugie, founders of luxury villa company The Thinking Traveller. “Travellers missed out on key milestone moments last year, so in a bid to make up for lost time we will see ‘once in a lifetime’ trips taking precedent. People will want to put in the miles to reconnect and we’ll see big reunion trips with loved ones as people revaluate what’s important” (source: Forbes).
It’s hard to disagree when you look at the numbers: global leisure flight bookings soared 25% above pre-pandemic levels in April, despite rising inflation and the increased travel costs (source: CNBC).
But it’s not all good news—for some, 2022 is also becoming the year of unprecedented travel delays, with Canadians airports and airlines seeing the worst of it (source: TravelOffPath).
Nevertheless, our list of Most Viewed Video Ads for Travel 2022 is an optimistic take at what the rest of the year holds in store for everyone looking to get away.
Top 10 Most Viewed Summer Ads: Travel 2022
| Rank | Brand | Campaign | Release date | Views |
| 1 | United | This Is A Sci-Fi Story, Without The Fi | 05/16/2022 | 14,373,201 |
| 2 | Hotels.com | Find Your Perfect Somewhere | 04/21/2022 | 5,869,692 |
| 3 | Southwest Airlines | Our Flight Crews Know How To Roll With It | 04/15/2022 | 2,800,000 |
| 4 | VRBO | Chef Esther Choi Serves Up Delicious Korean BBQ | 05/19/2022 | 1,900,000 |
| 5 | Booking.com | AYANA Resort | 04/11/2022 | 1,200,000 |
| 6 | United | Juneteenth Flight | 06/19/2022 | 721,154 |
| 7 | Alaska Airlines | Star Wars Transport to the Disneyland Resort | 05/04/2022 | 530,304 |
| 8 | Airbnb | Explore La Muralla Roja | 07/03/2022 | 371,000 |
| 9 | American Airlines | A Message From Robert Isom, American’s New CEO | 03/31/2022 | 344,127 |
| 10 | VRBO | Glacier National Park | 04/23/2022 | 344,000 |
*Data collected by AcuityAds True Reach™ insights platform from April 1, 2022 – July 5th, 2022
Our favourite summer ads for 2022
Hotels.com — Find Your Perfect Somewhere
Although many ads tried to properly encapsulate the feeling of travel that consumers have been missing these last few years, Hotels.com took a unique approach. It focused on unique, boutique experiences like “single-origin coffee over a game of chess” instead of something more broadly applicable to everyone, reminding consumers that they can find the perfect trip for them.
United — Juneteenth Flight
2022 marked the second year that the U.S. has observed Juneteenth as a federal holiday. To celebrate this occasion, United chose to highlight black pilots, flight attendants, customer service representatives and other members of their community alongside more prominent black figures like 95-year-old Activist Opal Lee and Captain Tomica Adams. The ad’s intention to demonstrate the brand’s purpose in “uniting the world” in more ways than just transportation reminds us that brand affinity goes beyond just a company’s services or products — Communicating what a brand stands for can be just as important in winning the hearts of consumers.
VRBO — Chef Esther Choi serves up delicious Korean BBQ
VRBO invited celebrity chef and owner of Mŏkbar, Esther Choi, to talk about her experience taking her friends on a weekend getaway to Florida —and it did not disappoint. Esther shared her top tips for making her favorite family meal: Korean BBQ! The intimate and seemingly unedited way the video was shot helps the viewer imagine their own getaway with friends and the appeal of a home cooked meal, even while on vacation; something most hotels can’t offer.
Check it out here: Chef Esther Choi Serves Up Delicious Korean BBQ
Wanna learn on how to step up your summer advertising game? Check out our best summer ad strategies for 2023.
