Where to Put Your Digital Marketing Budget in 2025: The Most Effective Channels for Destination Marketing
In today’s highly competitive travel market, DMOs must allocate their budgets strategically to capture traveler attention and convert interest into bookings. As we look ahead to 2025, social media marketing and influencer partnerships stand out as the most impactful investments for destinations looking to thrive. According to industry reports from CrowdRiff and other leading sources, these channels are essential for reaching and inspiring today’s travelers.
But how much of your overall budget should be dedicated to digital marketing, and what portion of that should focus on social media? Let’s explore the data and real-world success stories to show why social media and influencers should be at the heart of your strategy.
Budgeting for Digital Marketing Success
Experts recommend that 50%-60% of your overall marketing budget be allocated to digital marketing efforts. Within that, 25%-35% should go specifically toward social media and influencer partnerships.
Why this focus? Social media is where travelers seek inspiration and discover their next destination. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook allow DMOs to connect directly with audiences, showcase stunning visuals, and engage through authentic influencer content.
This allocation aligns with findings from CrowdRiff’s State of Visual Marketing Report, which consistently highlights social media as a top-performing channel for driving traveler engagement and decision-making. With travelers increasingly influenced by what they see online, it’s no longer enough for social media to be a secondary effort—it must take center stage.
Why Social Media and Influencers Work
Social media’s impact on travel marketing is unmatched because it:
Inspires at Every Stage of the Journey: From the initial spark of curiosity to the planning phase, travelers turn to social platforms for ideas, inspiration, and recommendations. Social media ensures your destination is visible and appealing at these critical moments.
Builds Authentic Connections: Influencers add credibility and relatability to your marketing efforts. By showcasing your destination through trusted voices, they create content that feels genuine and inspires trust among travelers.
Delivers ROI-Driven Results: With precise targeting options, social media ensures your budget reaches the right audience at the right time, driving measurable outcomes.
Keeps Your Destination Top of Mind with Remarketing: Remarketing is a crucial aspect of social media and an essential complement to all other marketing channels. By targeting travelers who have already interacted with your content—whether they visited your website, watched a video, or engaged with a post—you ensure your destination remains top of mind during the critical phase of inspiration. This consistent presence strengthens the impact of all your marketing efforts, from broadcast campaigns to paid search, email, and social ads, creating a cohesive and effective strategy that drives travelers toward conversion.
For example, Visit Iceland’s "Inspired by Iceland" campaign blended humorous, shareable social content with influencer collaborations to reimagine Iceland as a playful, must-visit destination. The result? Over 6.5 million video views and a significant uptick in tourism inquiries.
Another standout is Visit California, which partnered with influencers to showcase personalized itineraries on Instagram, driving a measurable increase in visitor numbers from target markets.
Other Key Digital Marketing Channels
While social media is critical, a well-rounded digital strategy incorporates additional channels to create a cohesive, multi-touchpoint approach. Here’s how to allocate your remaining digital marketing budget:
Paid Search & Programmatic Advertising
Paid search and programmatic campaigns capture travelers with high intent, ensuring your destination appears at the right moment in their decision-making process.SEO and Content Marketing
Investing in SEO ensures your website ranks for key search terms, while high-quality content builds authority and keeps your audience engaged.Email Marketing
Often overlooked, email remains one of the most effective tools for DMOs. This is your low-hanging fruit—an audience that has already shown interest and is easier to convert than new prospects. By segmenting your list and crafting personalized, timely offers, you can drive bookings while maintaining a high ROI.
Real-World Success Stories
Tourism Australia’s #HolidayHereThisYear campaign offers a great example of how to leverage social media and influencers. By tapping into Instagram and Facebook with influencer-generated content, the campaign inspired domestic travelers to explore their own backyard, resulting in a $3.4 billion boost in tourism revenue.
Similarly, Visit Norway’s focus on sustainable tourism led to collaborations with niche influencers on Instagram Stories and YouTube. These efforts increased web traffic by 22% and sparked a surge in eco-tourism bookings.
Final Thoughts: Double Down on Social
In 2025, digital marketing isn’t just a piece of your strategy—it’s the foundation. By allocating 25%-35% of your overall marketing budget to social media and influencer partnerships, you’ll position your destination to engage travelers where they’re most inspired and drive conversions like never before.
Want to see how these strategies can work for your destination? Let’s collaborate to build a social media digital marketing plan that delivers real results.