The survey into how brands (merchants) use affiliate marketing found that travel marketers spend an average of 16 per cent of their online budget in the channel to drive 18 per cent of their online sales.
Sponsored by buy.at, the survey also reveals that 84 percent of marketers in the travel sector say that affiliate marketing drives a high or medium volume and 56 percent report it is very cost effective for customer acquisition compared with 35 percent saying paid search is very cost-effective and just eight percent for display advertising. None of the travel brands surveyed consider affiliate marketing to be not 'cost-effective' but over half thought online display advertising is not cost-effective and over two thirds think mobile advertising is not cost-effective.
This follows the news that 71 percent of travel companies have increased their spend on affiliate marketing over the past two years and around a quarter of travel firms, have at least doubled their investment in the channel. 63 percent intend to increase their spend in the channel over the next two years.
