Travel & leisure

Stay ahead of changing expectations, motivations and mindsets

From first to final touchpoint, understand what really drives today's travellers.

Travel and leisure brands are navigating fast-changing customer needs, emerging travel trends and growing pressure to deliver standout experiences at every touchpoint. Whether it’s the rise of experience-led getaways, solo adventures or sustainable tourism, customers are seeking more personalised, purpose-driven journeys. AI is increasingly shaping how trips are researched and booked, while pop culture and major events are turning destinations into social moments.

Against this fast-moving backdrop, your research needs to go beyond intentions and uncover real behaviour – quickly and clearly. At Researchbods, we work with leading brands across travel, tourism and hospitality to explore what travellers truly think, feel and do. Whether through focused ad-hoc projects or ongoing Insight Communities, our travel market research helps you create standout experiences, shape products that connect and respond with confidence at every stage of the journey.

Expert view

“Travel is all about experiences – and for brands, the challenge is knowing what truly matters to travellers. It’s not just about where people go, but why they choose a destination, what excites them along the way and what transforms a good trip into a great one. Understanding this helps brands deliver experiences that travellers actively seek out and return to.”

Rachel Walsh, Associate Insight Director

Rachel Walsh,

Associate Insight Director

How we help you stay on top of emerging needs

Create communications which land

Ensure your marketing delivers impact and relevance. From brand campaigns to social snippets, we help you refine creative and messaging so it truly resonates with travellers.

Get rapid insights on relevance and appeal of new propositions, including experience-led, sustainable, and flexible travel trends.
Test creative, copy and messaging across channels (social, video, TV).
Measure memorability, clarity and emotional impact.
Check alignment with evolving customer values and expectations, including eco-conscious choices, personalised experiences and pop-culture-driven travel.
Understand what drives brand ‘fame’ and consideration.
Gauge immediate interest in new campaigns and offerings.
Track and strengthen distinctive brand assets to ensure long-term recognition.

Optimise the customer experience

Design frictionless, engaging journeys – from planning to post-trip. We capture traveller feedback at every stage of the journey to help you create standout experiences, online and offline.

Map omnichannel booking experiences to identify friction points, incorporating AI-driven insights for smoother planning and booking.
Understand traveller needs across digital and in-person touchpoints, including emerging “bleisure,” solo and flexible travel patterns.
Bring together CRM, loyalty and survey data for a single customer view.
Ensure loyalty programmes reflect what customers actually value.
Run user testing to make sure every interaction is simple, intuitive and enjoyable.

Deliver standout value

Offer what matters most. We help you dig into what your customers really care about and what they’ll pay more for.

Test new routes, experiences, offers and packages before launch, including immersive stays and culturally rich experiences.
Gather fast feedback on menus, itineraries and upgrades.
Pinpoint upsell opportunities throughout the customer journey.
Explore attitudes to experiential travel, local immersion and cultural connection.
Understand shifts in brand loyalty and how to build trust in a rapidly evolving travel landscape.

Insight with impact

Whether you need quick-turnaround concept testing or long-term strategic insight, we’ll tailor the right solution. Our travel market research blends quant and qual techniques, advanced tech and a consultative approach to give you clear direction and better decisions.

Here’s how we can support you

Insight

We combine rich human understanding with smart, agile technology to deliver insight that doesn’t just inform – it transforms

Insight Communities

Always-on insight from the people who matter most to your business

The high stakes of expanding without insight

Our solutions

We give you the clarity to act with confidence – whether it’s optimising digital experiences, understanding customers and markets, validating new products, refining brand strategy or maximising campaign performance. We turn complex insights into practical actions that drive growth and impact.

Product innovation

Evidence-based validation of concepts and pricing, eliminating guesswork before launch.

Comms & campaigns 

Performance insight that predicts responses – driving conversion as well as engagement.

Brand strategy

Strategic insight into brand perception gaps – so you can strengthen advantages and eliminate weaknesses.

Market understanding

Early intelligence on market disruption – so you can adapt strategy before change becomes obvious.

Customer understanding

Strategic insight into customer motivations – helping you influence decisions, not just track demographics.