Tourism brands cut down ad spends on TV by 38%, Digital by 10% in 2024

India's travel and tourism sector witnessed a significant dip in advertisement expenditure in 2024. According to a report by Excellent Publicity, in association with TAM Media Research, the television ad spends dropped by 38% between January and December 2024 compared to the same duration in 2023. The travel and tourism companies also cut their digital ad spend by 10% in 2024.

In contrast, the sector ramped up its advertisement and promotional activity on print media by 36% in 2024.Notably, print media remained the preferred advertising medium for the travel and tourism sector for two consecutive years. The share of ad activities in print media rose from 37% in 2023 to 52% in 2024. The share of ad spends on digital media dropped by 10% year-on-year in January and December 2024, while on television, it reduced by 38% in the same period, the report mentioned.

On television, Emirates Air Line emerged in the top spot on television ad spends between January and March 2025 at Rs 138 crore with a 67.5% share. Turkish Airlines shelled out approximately Rs 29 crore on TV ads, followed by La Travenues Technology (Rs 10 crore), Turkey Toursim (Rs 7 crore), UP Toursim (Rs 6 crore), Air India, Qantas Airways, Jharkhand Toursim Development, TravelxpIndia (Rs 2 crore) each, and Malaysia Tourism (Rs 1 crore), respectively until March 31, 2025. The top-10 advertisers accounted for 97.5% of total Tourism & Travel sector ad spends in January-March this year.

On print media, Veena Patil Hospitality spends the highest, approximately Rs 55 crore, capturing 15% share in January-March 2025. State tourism boards, such as, Gujarat spent Rs 55 crore, West Bengal Tourism Rs 35 crore, Uttarakhand Tourism Rs 6 crore on print media commercials in the same period. More than 800 travel & toursim related advertisers splurged on print ads.

In contrast, MakeMyTrip secured the first position in digital ad spend with Rs 48 crore in the January to March period in 2025. Travel platform Agoda remained the second-highest spender in digital ads at Rs 29 crore, followed by the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage at Rs 28 crore. Air India's digital spend stood at Rs 19 crore in the first three months of 2025, while Qatar Airways spent Rs 15 crore in the same duration.

"Today’s travelers are no longer satisfied with surface-level experiences; they seek meaning, connection, and authenticity. This shift is redefining how destinations and brands engage with their audiences. Traditional promotion tactics are giving way to storytelling, community-driven content, and digital-first experiences that resonate on a deeper level. The travel and tourism industry is evolving, and those who adapt to this change by prioritizing relevance over reach will lead the next wave of growth in this sector,"Vaishal Dalal, Co-founder & Director, Excellent Publicity said.