7 Promotion Ideas For Travel Accessory Brands

With 82% of millennials using social media for travel inspiration before booking trips, travel accessory brands have a massive opportunity to capture attention—and wallets. In a market projected to grow from $2.22 billion in 2024 to $3.68 billion by 2032, the brands that stand out are those combining creative promotions with strategic visitor identification to convert browsers into buyers.

Key Takeaways

• Influencer campaigns deliver proven ROI: Horizn Studios achieved 3.4M reach with 241 pieces of content, while Travelon generated 25M+ impressions and 5x brand search increase
• User-generated content drives 4x higher click-through rates than traditional brand content at a fraction of the cost
• TikTok campaigns show exceptional results: RIMOWA's first campaign achieved 55.7M impressions—1,351x higher than originally scoped
• Promotional products create lasting brand exposure: 82% of consumers keep useful promotional items, with an average retention of 8 months
• Experiential marketing at airports and travel hubs builds emotional connections and drives social amplification
• Affiliate programs offer low-risk, pay-for-performance models with trackable ROI through unique codes and links

Why Travel Accessory Brands Need Smarter Promotion Strategies

The travel accessory market faces unique promotional challenges. Purchase decisions often happen months before trips, average order values vary dramatically from $20 organizers to $500+ luggage sets, and buyers research extensively across multiple touchpoints before committing. Traditional one-size-fits-all promotion tactics fall short when dealing with diverse customer segments ranging from budget travelers to luxury globetrotters.

The market's rapid growth creates both opportunity and intense competition. While overall sales climb toward $3.68 billion, brands compete for attention across an increasingly fragmented digital landscape where younger buyers prefer social discovery while traditional shoppers seek detailed product reviews and specifications.

Data-driven approaches now separate winners from the rest. Brands that capture and activate first-party data through visitor identification gain sustainable competitive advantages as third-party cookies disappear and privacy regulations tighten. The ability to identify anonymous browsers, retarget across devices, and personalize campaigns based on actual behavior determines promotional success in today's market.

1) Launch Strategic Influencer Partnership Campaigns

Influencer marketing remains one of the most effective promotion strategies for travel accessory brands, with 70% of consumers using social media to research destinations before booking.

Why It Works

Travel influencers bring built-in credibility and audiences already interested in travel gear. Their content feels authentic rather than promotional, which drives higher engagement and conversion rates.

Proven results from travel accessory brands:

• Horizn Studios achieved 3.4M reach with 241 pieces of content across micro and macro influencers
• Travelon generated 25M+ impressions and 5x brand search increase through influencer partnerships
• Away has seen significant returns from influencer marketing, with one campaign generating an estimated $531,000 in revenue and another achieving an 11% engagement rate

How to Implement

• Target niche creators: "Look beyond 'anywhere' travel influencers. Zero in on niches: cozy-cottage obsessives, budget road trippers, haunted-history buffs, luxury seekers," advises Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland
• Mix micro and macro influencers: Micro-influencers (10K-100K followers) often deliver higher engagement rates while macro influencers provide broader reach
• Create long-term partnerships: Ongoing relationships feel more authentic than one-off sponsored posts

To maximize these partnerships, capture and identify website visitors who arrive from influencer campaigns but leave without purchasing.

Opensend Integration

Opensend Connect identifies high-intent visitors in real-time, capturing 5x more emails than traditional methods to retarget via email, social, postal, and more.

Tools You'll Need: Influencer platform, email service provider, visitor identification software Expected ROI: 15-30% improvement in influencer campaign conversion within 90 days

2) Build User-Generated Content Campaigns

User-generated content (UGC) campaigns leverage your existing customers as brand ambassadors, creating authentic content that resonates with potential buyers.

Why It Works

UGC-based ads drive 4x higher click-through rates than traditional brand content, and 85% of consumers find visual UGC more influential than brand-produced photos.

Away's UGC success story:

• Their #TravelAway campaign generated 15M organic impressions annually
• The brand grew to 670K+ Instagram followers largely through UGC strategy
• Low cost compared to traditional photography and content creation

How to Implement

• Create a branded hashtag: Make it memorable and easy to spell
• Incentivize participation: Offer discounts, feature customers on your channels, or run monthly photo contests
• Curate and repurpose: Use the best submissions in paid ads, email campaigns, and product pages
• Build community: Respond to and engage with every submission

Combine UGC campaigns with email marketing strategies to nurture participants into repeat customers.

Opensend Integration

Opensend Reconnect unifies fragmented consumer identities across devices using a proprietary identity graph, enabling personalized marketing flows.

Tools You'll Need: Social media management platform, hashtag tracking tool, email automation Expected ROI: 20-40% reduction in content production costs while increasing engagement

3) Create TikTok and Social Media Challenge Campaigns

TikTok has become a powerhouse for travel accessory brands, with U.S. sales surpassing $9 billion and exceptional viral potential.

Why It Works

Short-form video content showcasing travel accessories in action captures attention and drives purchase intent. The platform's algorithm rewards engaging content regardless of follower count.

Exceptional campaign results:

• RIMOWA's first TikTok campaign achieved 55.7M combined impressions—1,351x higher than originally scoped
• Samsonite achieved 3x ROAS with 11% engagement rate
• LuckyTrip app hit #1 in UK Apple App Store with 85K+ downloads in just 3 weeks
• TUI generated 4.2M video views with 7.84% view-through rate
• Traveloka achieved 80% marketing efficiency increase through TikTok

How to Implement

• Create packing challenges: Show creative ways to use your products
• Partner with travel TikTok creators: Focus on authentic, native-feeling content
• Use trending sounds and formats: Adapt your messaging to current trends
• Showcase product durability: Travel accessories benefit from "put it to the test" content

Track visitors who come from TikTok campaigns using smart retargeting strategies to convert interested browsers.

Opensend Integration

Opensend Connect captures TikTok traffic in real-time, identifying 25-35% of anonymous visitors for immediate multi-channel retargeting.

Tools You'll Need: TikTok Business account, video editing software, tracking pixels Expected ROI: 30-50% improvement in social media campaign conversions

4) Run Seasonal and Limited-Time Promotions

Seasonal campaigns create natural urgency and relevance that generic promotions can't match.

Why It Works

Aligning your promotions with specific travel seasons, holidays, or cultural moments makes your offer feel timely rather than like a generic ad. This approach creates buying urgency while providing relevant context.

Strategic timing examples:

• Spring break (February-March): Target college students and families
• Summer vacation season (May-August): Focus on outdoor and adventure gear
• Holiday travel (November-December): Emphasize gift-giving and family visits
• Back-to-school/business travel (September): Target professionals and students

How to Implement

• Align with travel seasons: "Fall Foliage Escapes," "Summer Festival Season," "Holiday Travel Prep"
• Create limited-time bundles: Package complementary products at a discount
• Use countdown timers: Add urgency to promotional landing pages
• Integrate with affiliate marketing: Use limited-time promo codes for trackable results

Capture high-intent visitors during promotional periods with Opensend Connect to convert them with follow-up offers even after they leave your site.

Opensend Integration

Opensend Personas creates AI-powered persona cohorts based on real purchase and behavioral data for smarter targeting during seasonal campaigns.

Tools You'll Need: Email automation platform, countdown timer software, promotional code generator Expected ROI: 40-60% increase in conversion rates during promotional periods

5) Launch Branded Merchandise Giveaways

Promotional products create lasting brand impressions that digital ads simply can't match.

Why It Works

Travel-related promotional items get used repeatedly during trips, creating ongoing brand exposure. The statistics are compelling:

• 82% of people keep useful promotional products
• 85% remember the advertiser after receiving a promotional product
• Products are kept an average of 8 months

High-impact travel promotional items:

• Luggage tags: High visibility, frequently used
• Travel pillows and blankets: Appreciated on long flights
• Portable chargers: Essential for modern travelers
• Packing cubes and organizers: Practical daily use
• Reusable water bottles: Eco-friendly and functional
• Packable bags and hammocks: Lightweight, adventure-focused

How to Implement

• Partner with travel events: Distribute at trade shows, travel expos, and airport activations
• Create contest entry requirements: Collect email addresses in exchange for entry
• Bundle with purchases: Offer free branded items with orders over a certain threshold
• Use as influencer gifts: Send PR packages that creators will showcase

As Mediaboom notes, "From customized luggage tags and travel pillows to eco-friendly water bottles and exclusive apparel, branded merchandise can transform ordinary items into powerful brand ambassadors."

Opensend Integration

Opensend Connect captures contact information from giveaway participants, building your email list with engaged prospects for long-term nurturing.

Tools You'll Need: Promotional product supplier, contest management software, email collection forms Expected ROI: 25-40% of giveaway participants convert to customers within 6 months

6) Create Experiential Marketing Activations

Experiential marketing creates memorable moments that build emotional connections with your brand.

Why It Works

Physical brand experiences at travel touchpoints reach consumers when they're most receptive to travel-related messaging. These activations also generate social media content and word-of-mouth marketing.

Prime locations for travel accessory activations:

• Major airports: Singapore Changi, London Heathrow, Miami International, Toronto Pearson
• Cruise terminals and train stations
• Travel trade shows and conferences
• Festival and event venues

Successful experiential examples:

• Changi Airport transformed layovers into memorable adventures with Jewel's indoor waterfall and interactive gardens, increasing dwell time and retail sales
• Miami International Airport's Super Bowl LIV interactive games reached millions through social media coverage

How to Implement

• Create multisensory experiences: "Engaging multiple senses—such as scent, sound, visuals, and touch—helps consumers better remember the brand and associate it with a distinctive atmosphere," according to experiential marketing research
• Design for shareability: Include photo opportunities and branded backdrops
• Offer product trials: Let travelers test bags, organizers, and accessories
• Capture contact information: Use tablet sign-ups for follow-up marketing

Connect experiential campaigns with digital follow-up using personalized email marketing to maintain relationships with engaged consumers.

Opensend Integration

Opensend Connect syncs with event lead capture systems, automatically adding experiential marketing participants to segmented email campaigns.

Tools You'll Need: Event space rental, product samples, lead capture tablets, email integration Expected ROI: 35-55% of event participants become qualified leads

7) Build Affiliate and Referral Marketing Programs

Affiliate marketing offers a low-risk, pay-for-performance model perfect for travel accessory brands.

Why It Works

You only pay for actual results—sales, sign-ups, or downloads. Creators become invested in promoting your products because their earnings depend on it.

The affiliate advantage:

• Amazon-fueled curation: Creators act as "digital personal shoppers" recommending travel gear
• Trackable ROI through unique links and codes
• Scalable from small budgets to enterprise programs

How to Implement

• Offer competitive commissions: Typically 5-20% depending on product margins
• Create unique promo codes: As Aspire recommends, "Give influencers limited-time promo codes or affiliate links. Consumers benefit from a little discount, influencers get rewarded with commission, and you drive mass sales"
• Provide marketing assets: Make it easy for affiliates to promote effectively
• Track and optimize: Use platforms that provide detailed performance analytics

Use conversion optimization strategies to maximize sales from affiliate traffic.

Opensend Integration

Opensend Connect identifies affiliate-referred visitors who don't convert immediately, enabling retargeting to maximize partner ROI and your sales.

Tools You'll Need: Affiliate platform, tracking software, payment processor, marketing assets Expected ROI: 25-45% increase in affiliate-driven revenue with visitor identification

How Opensend Powers Travel Accessory Brand Promotions

Running promotions is only half the battle—capturing and converting the visitors those campaigns attract is where the real revenue lies.

Opensend helps travel accessory brands identify and convert high-intent website visitors who arrive from promotional campaigns but leave without purchasing. Processing 7B+ events daily from over 100,000 US-based sites, Opensend captures shoppers that traditional methods miss.

Core Products for Travel Accessory Brands

Connect: Identifies high-intent visitors in real-time, capturing 5x more emails than traditional methods to retarget via email, social, postal, and more

Reconnect: Unifies fragmented consumer identities across devices using a proprietary identity graph, enabling personalized marketing flows

Revive: Replaces bounced emails with active addresses automatically, preventing churn and increasing customer lifetime value

Personas: AI-powered persona cohorts based on real purchase and behavioral data for smarter retargeting campaigns

Why It Matters for Promotions

When you run influencer campaigns, TikTok challenges, or seasonal promotions, traffic spikes—but most visitors leave without converting. Opensend captures these engaged visitors so you can:

• Follow up with personalized email campaigns
• Retarget on Meta and Google with custom audiences
• Activate abandonment flows for visitors who showed purchase intent
• Build first-party data you own for life

With plug-and-play integrations for Shopify, Klaviyo, and other major platforms, Opensend installs in under 5 minutes. The platform is fully compliant with US laws including CAN-SPAM and CCPA, with end-to-end encryption protecting all data.

Explore Opensend's success stories to see how brands are achieving 6X to 48X ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can travel accessory brands effectively use user-generated content for promotions?

Create a branded hashtag campaign encouraging customers to share photos of your products in use during their travels. Incentivize participation with discounts, features on your social channels, or contest entries. UGC drives 4x higher click-through rates than brand-created content and provides authentic social proof at a fraction of traditional content costs.

What are the benefits of using an identity resolution platform for promotional campaigns?

Identity resolution platforms like Opensend help you capture visitors who arrive from promotional campaigns but leave without purchasing. This allows you to follow up with personalized emails, retarget on social platforms, and convert engaged browsers into customers—maximizing the ROI of your promotional spend.

How much should travel accessory brands budget for influencer marketing?

Influencer marketing budgets range from $1,000 for micro-influencer campaigns to $100,000+ for macro-influencer partnerships. Start with micro-influencers (10K-100K followers) who often deliver higher engagement rates at lower costs. Scale based on results, tracking metrics like engagement rate, traffic generated, and attributed sales.

What makes TikTok effective for travel accessory promotions?

TikTok's algorithm rewards engaging content regardless of follower count, giving brands viral potential with relatively low investment. Travel accessory brands like RIMOWA have achieved 55.7M impressions—1,351x higher than originally scoped—through creative campaigns. The platform's short-form video format is ideal for showcasing products in action.

How long do promotional product campaigns create brand exposure?

Promotional products are kept an average of 8 months, with 82% of people keeping useful items. For travel accessories specifically—luggage tags, portable chargers, packing cubes—the exposure extends through multiple trips, creating repeated brand impressions with both the recipient and fellow travelers who see the products in use.