Using YouTube for marketing your activity or attraction

With over 2 billion logged-in monthly users, it's a platform that can't be ignored, especially in industries where visual appeal is paramount, such as travel and tourism.

YouTube presents an opportunity for tourism businesses to expand their reach and engage with a global audience like never before. By harnessing the power of visual storytelling, tourism entities can showcase the unique experiences, landscapes, and cultures they offer.

Why is YouTube Important for Tourism

Travel is a sensory experience. Before tourists commit to a destination, they often want a taste of what's in store. YouTube videos provide an immersive preview, allowing potential visitors to virtually explore landscapes, cityscapes, and key attractions. It's the closest thing to being there without booking a ticket.

With the potential for videos to go viral, even smaller tourism businesses can gain significant visibility, levelling the playing field and offering a competitive edge in a saturated market. In essence, YouTube offers a dynamic and interactive avenue for tourism businesses to not only market themselves but also to build lasting relationships with a community of enthusiastic travellers.

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YouTube Statistics

• There are over 2 billion monthly active users on YouTube.
• It is the second-largest search engine in the world, second to Google
• An average of one billion hours of video is consumed on the platform every day.
• Every minute, there are around 500 hours of video content uploaded to YouTube.
• Mobile devices are the main devices used to access and consume video content on YouTube.
• YouTube users tend to find that YouTube ads are more relevant to their experience, compared to TV ads or other online platforms.
• Many consumers use YouTube to research products and services. Over 90% of users said they've discovered new brands or products on YouTube.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts is the platform’s response to the rise of short-form video content. They have quickly risen in popularity, earning more than 30 billion daily views. This is YouTube’s attempt to appeal to this type of content consumption and stay relevant as a content distribution platform.

Here’s a quick summary of how they work:

• YouTube Shorts are short, vertical videos that are 60 seconds or less in duration.
• YouTube provides a set of creation tools that allow users to easily create Shorts, including options to string multiple video clips together, adjust the speed, set a timer, and add music from YouTube's library.

Shorts provide an excellent opportunity for content creators and tourism brands to reach new audiences, especially among younger users who prefer quick and engaging content.

YouTube Stories

YouTube Stories is a feature introduced by YouTube to engage with its community in a way similar to "stories" on other social platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, although they last for 7 days as opposed to 24 hours. The Stories feature is currently only available to creators with 10,000 subscribers or more.

YouTube Demographics

• India has the largest YouTube audience, followed by the United States and Brazil.
• English and Spanish are amongst the most popular languages used on YouTube
• 77% of internet users aged between 15-35 are on YouTube.
• 73% of internet users aged between 36-45 are on YouTube.
• 70% of internet users aged between 46-55 are on YouTube.
• 67% of internet users aged 56+ are on YouTube.

These statistics underscore YouTube's potential to engage with diverse age groups and demographics globally. Its wide reach also proves incredibly useful for travel and tourism businesses that are seeking to build their online presence.

Tourism and YouTube Top Tips

Take a look at the different types of travel content on YouTube, this will help inform your strategy and generate ideas for your marketing campaign.

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