Tips, Strategies and Examples for Impactful Travel Press Releases
Wondering how to get travelers to notice your latest offering? The travel industry is highly competitive, with countless companies vying for consumer attention. PR professionals at travel-related organizations need every tool and strategy they can get – but one of the most important remains the press release.
Travel press releases remain a key part of PR strategy because they remain a trusted source of news, while also reaching travel writers and influencers who can amplify your message. Travel decisions are often based on trust and credibility, so the earned media coverage from press releases is worth its weight in gold.
Whatever news you need to share, getting your travel press release right can be the difference between being ignored and making headlines. Here’s how.
What Is a Travel Press Release?
A travel press release is an official written statement that shares newsworthy information about a travel company, destination or service with media outlets and the public. It follows a standard format that includes a headline, dateline, introduction, body and boilerplate information about your organization. Travel press releases help you announce new tours, destinations, company milestones, awards and other news that your audience and industry will find valuable.
Key Travel Press Release Benefits
PR professionals know that strategic press release promotion does more than just get your news out—it builds your brand and drives business results. However, the benefits of travel press releases go even further.
Enhanced Visibility and Media Coverage
Press releases put your brand in front of journalists who cover the tourism industry and allow you to reach audiences who might not find you through your marketing efforts alone, making them an important part of your earned media strategy. A single press pickup can expose your brand to thousands of potential customers who already trust that publication for travel recommendations.
SEO and Increased Web Traffic
A well-optimized travel press release can boost your search engine optimization (SEO) and drive traffic to your website. When you include relevant keywords related to your destination or service, you help search engines connect your content with people searching for those terms. Plus, distributing your press release through a service like PR Newswire lends your news more authority and indexes it across multiple sites, which makes your brand appear relevant and trustworthy to search engines.
Building Credibility and Trust
In the travel industry, trust is everything. Press releases help build credibility not only with search engines, but also with journalists and the public, giving you the opportunity to highlight your expertise, achievements and commitment to quality. Travel press releases also give you a platform to highlight your company's values, such as sustainability initiatives or community partnerships, which can resonate strongly with today's conscious travelers who want to support responsible tourism.
How Travel Companies Use Press Releases
Smart PR professionals use travel press releases to achieve specific business objectives, including the following.
Promoting Destinations and Sales
When you want to shine a spotlight on a destination or attraction, press releases help you tell a compelling story about what makes it special and create buzz around a sale or promotion. Airlines frequently use press releases to announce flash sales on specific routes or seasonal promotions to popular destinations. Tour companies, cruise lines and resorts might highlight seasonal events, themed itineraries or hidden gems. Travel journalists are always looking for fresh destination content, so providing them with ready-to-use information and striking visuals makes their job easier and increases your chances of coverage.
Announcing New Tours, Packages and Routes
Announcements about new services are the perfect opportunity to generate excitement. For airlines, announcing a new route can be major news, especially when connecting previously unserved markets or increasing frequency to popular destinations. Other travel companies might introduce a new, unforgettable experience. Explain what makes your offering different from what's already available in the market—whether it's exclusive access or special pricing—and include details that help both journalists and customers imagine themselves there.
Highlighting Company Milestones and Achievements
Milestone announcements help build your brand's reputation and showcase your success. Whether you're celebrating an anniversary, announcing record growth or opening a new office, these stories show that your travel business is thriving and here to stay. Include context about your company's journey and how the milestone reflects your values or advances your mission and vision for the future.
Crisis Management and Customer Communication
During disruptions like flight cancellations, safety incidents, natural disasters, political unrest or global health concerns, press releases provide a formal channel for crisis communications. You can address safety concerns directly and outline the steps you're taking to resolve the situation, compensate customers and prevent future problems. Transparency is key—acknowledge the situation while explaining how you're managing it, and update journalists with follow-up releases.
Tips for Writing an Impactful Travel Press Release
Creating a standout travel press release requires attention to specific elements that will catch journalists' attention.
Captivating Headlines and Subheadlines
Your headline is your first and sometimes only chance to grab a journalist's attention in their busy inbox. Use strong action verbs and be specific about what makes your news interesting or different. Including destination names or unique experiences in the headline helps immediately signal relevance and excitement. A headline like "New Private Yacht Tour Reveals Hidden Greek Islands Untouched by Tourism" stands out more than a generic "New Tour Announced."
Cutting the Hype
While enthusiasm is good, overhyped language can damage your credibility with skeptical journalists. Stick to factual statements about what makes your destination, tour or company truly special. Travel journalists appreciate honest information they can trust, not marketing fluff they'll need to filter out. A straightforward approach is important in an industry where travelers are increasingly wary of overpromised experiences.
Engaging Visual Content
Travelers instinctively want to see destinations and offerings, not just hear about them. That’s why compelling photos, videos or infographics can increase engagement with your travel press releases. Choose images that showcase the emotional appeal of your destination or experience—the stunning views, unique activities or memorable moments travelers will have. Journalists are looking for ready-to-use visuals, so making sure your multimedia content is high-quality and available for editorial use makes their job easier.
Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Every travel press release should guide readers toward a specific next step that aligns with your business goals. This might be visiting a dedicated landing page, signing up for a special offer or contacting your team for booking information. Make your CTA clear and compelling by focusing on the value to the reader rather than just what you want them to do.
Effective Travel Press Release Examples
Looking at real-world examples can help you understand what works for travel press releases.
Spirit Airlines
Spirit Airlines filed for bankruptcy in November 2024 and has used press releases throughout the process to keep the public and stakeholders updated on progress. This example announces their emergence from financial restructuring with a positive focus on future growth. The release smartly emphasizes the company's stability and renewed commitment to affordable air travel, reassuring both passengers and investors about the airline's future.
Example: Spirit Airlines Emerges from Financial Restructuring
Nobu Hospitality
Luxury travel brand Nobu leverages press releases to enhance its brand as well as make important announcements. This example travel press release announces their first venture in the Netherlands and showcases the elevated, thoughtful details that set their brand apart. The release also strategically highlights how this expansion fits into their global growth plan, emphasizing a strong vision for the future.
Example: Nobu Hospitality Launches Its First Venture in the Netherlands
Upgraded Points
Travel website Upgraded Points offers guides, tips and updates to help people travel more affordably. To drive brand awareness and encourage media pickup, they often create proprietary studies with interesting and useful stats. This example includes specific findings about the most romantic U.S. destinations, complete with data points that journalists can easily reference in their coverage. A handy infographic makes the content even more shareable and media-friendly.
Example: Upgraded Points Reveals the Ultimate U.S. Honeymoon Towns
The Villa Group Resorts
The Villa Group Resorts is well-known for its all-inclusive properties in Mexico, but they still don’t want to miss an opportunity for press release coverage. This travel press release example highlighting the Condé Nast Traveler award nominations builds credibility through third-party recognition. It includes a smart call to action that encourages readers to vote for the awards, driving even more brand awareness.
Example: Six Villa Group Resorts in the Running for the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards
Send Travel Press Releases Like a Pro
Press releases remain one of the most effective tools for travel companies. They help you control your narrative, reach journalists who can amplify your message and build credibility with potential travelers. With the right approach to content, distribution and follow-up, travel press releases can generate meaningful coverage that drives bookings and builds your reputation.
PR Newswire offers travel companies a trusted path to media coverage with distribution to over 440,000 newsrooms, websites, and journalists in more than 170 countries. Our team understands what makes a travel press release compelling and can help optimize your release for maximum impact.
Ready to take your travel company's press releases to the next level? Sign up with PR Newswire today and start getting the media coverage your brand deserves.
FAQs
What should be included in a travel press release?
A travel press release needs to include a captivating headline that grabs attention and key details about your destination or offering. You should also include engaging visuals like high-quality photos or videos, a strong call-to-action and clear contact information for media follow-up.
Can small travel companies benefit from press releases?
Absolutely! Small travel companies can boost visibility and gain credibility through targeted press releases that highlight their unique offerings. Press releases are a cost-effective way to reach niche audiences and position your small travel business as an expert.
How often should travel companies issue press releases?
The frequency depends on how much newsworthy content you have to share. When you have key offerings, special events or company milestones, consider consistent travel press release use to help keep your brand visible. But quality matters more than quantity—only send releases when you have something genuinely interesting to announce.
Crafting a travel press release that gets attention starts with choosing a timely and interesting topic that resonates with your audience. Luckily, there are plenty of newsworthy angles in the travel industry. Find the right subject for your press releases with our guide to 10 Newsworthy Reasons to Send a Press Release.