• by Craig Witt , Columnist, July 11, 2018

Summer is upon us, and Americans are getting ready to travel with family and friends. Perhaps no group is more ready to go than U.S. Hispanics.

U.S. Hispanics represent more than $56 billion in leisure travel annually, according to recent industry research. That, along with being the fastest-growing demographic in the U.S., makes Hispanics an ideal target for summer travel marketing campaigns.

Airlines, hotels, rental car agencies and other travel-related companies should be engaging this market. Research shows that nearly 80% of this demographic takes at least one vacation a year, and 17% takes at least three vacations a year. 

U.S. Hispanics’ curiosity to see the world drives their desire for travel. In fact, 90% would travel for a year without pay if money weren’t a concern, 8% higher than non-U.S. Hispanic respondents.

To engage this growing population segment, companies must account for cultural trends when communicating on various channels, including social media, flagship websites and more.

Go Mobile or Go Home

To reach this market, companies must go where their customers are. For U.S. Hispanics, that means mobile. For instance, 45% prefer to access the Internet via smartphone, compared to U.S. average of 38%. Those companies that haven’t adapted are already choking on the dust of their more proactive competitors.

When it comes to mobile-based booking and research, the industry has already hit a tipping point: Nearly 52% of U.S. digital consumers are now booking trips through their mobile devices, one study said. Another showed that nearly one-third of business and leisure travelers use their mobile devices to make last-minute bookings.

Localized Online Engagement means More Customers

Beyond translating their mobile-friendly websites or mobile apps, airlines, hotels, and other travel-related companies can capitalize on U.S. Hispanic traveler’s spending power by following a few other industry-leading best practices, including:

• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – More than half of smartphone users discover new companies and products when conducting searches on their smartphones. Providing mobile-friendly experiences through in-language sites with responsive design is critical.

• Localized On-Site Search – Localized on-site search (OSS) technology directs customers to what they’re looking for on multilingual websites more quickly, which reduces bounce rates and boosts conversions.  Companies should make the OSS capability of their multilingual sites as responsive as that of their flagship site, and it should be optimized for frequently searched keywords that reflect the interests of local consumers.

• Translation and Localization – Companies can go a long way toward building customers’ trust and loyalty by making personal contact with them in their preferred languages.  Often, that contact happens through personalized, dynamic content generated while the customer is online, such as email responses and booking confirmations, or through personal contact offline with regional sales teams, such as inquiries and requests for further information.

• Special Symbols – The correct spelling of names may include a tilde and/or an accent. Since the traveler’s name must match the ID they’re using to travel, it’s imperative that systems accept these language-specific symbols.

Traveling is a highly personal experience. Customers want to feel comfortable and cared for. They’re looking for brands that make them feel understood and appreciated—brands that help them feel right at home, even when they’re halfway around the world.

With the number of U.S. Hispanic travelers rising, it’s critical for organizations to target them effectively and efficiently. Doing so will result in increased engagement and ROI with this tech-savvy demographic.H