From Booked to Boosted: The Travel Marketer's Guide to Maximizing Bookings and Revenue

Summer travel is ramping up, which makes this a critical moment for marketers to do two things—drive new bookings and enhance the trips already on the calendar.

The window between booking and departure is familiar territory, but there’s still untapped potential. Travelers are actively finalizing plans and open to timely offers that make their experiences smoother, more personalized, or more memorable. Whether it’s a thoughtful upsell, a relevant add-on, or a well-placed recommendation, the right message at the right moment can deliver outsized results.

In this blog, we’ll break down how to use this window to capture more revenue, strengthen loyalty, and turn confirmed trips into even bigger wins.

High-Impact Ways to Maximize Bookings

This post-booking period is the perfect time to deliver personalized, convenience-driven offers that create value for the traveler and impact the bottom line—all with the help of Movable Ink’s platform. 

• Surface Upgrades at the Right Time - A better seat. A room with a view. Lounge access. These perks often get overlooked at booking but become a lot more tempting as departure or check-in approaches. Instead of spending time manually segmenting, automatically highlight upgrades for travelers who are eligible or haven’t already booked a premium option. Cruise lines are a perfect example; McKinsey notes that ancillary purchases including shore excursions, beverage packages and casino spending now account for 30% of total cruise revenue. 
• Personalize Local Experience Suggestions - Whether it’s food tours, spa packages, family-friendly excursions, or nightlife hotspots, use customer data to recommend activities based on who’s traveling and where they’re headed. According to American Express’ Global Travel Trends Report, 68% of respondents agree that they like to leave unplanned time in their trip to experience local culture and activities.
• Make Getting Around Easy - Don’t make travelers search for the basics. Use their arrival details to proactively suggest transportation options that fit their plans. This is also a great moment to include a dynamic checklist in your messaging—showing what they’ve already booked and flagging what’s left to complete. From rental cars to transit passes to ride-share credits, these helpful nudges double as high-convenience, high-conversion upsell opportunities.
• Offer Early Check-In or Late Check-Out - These small additions can make a big impact, especially when timed just right—and marketers don’t need to manually segment or build to make it happen. Flight arriving early? Dynamically prompt eligible guests with the option to check in ahead of schedule. Last-day pool plans? Recommend a late check-out so they can enjoy every last minute. Add a small discount or loyalty perk to make the offer even more compelling.
• Create a Sense of Urgency - Use time targeting to create a sense of urgency or add countdown timers, low inventory flags like “only 2 seats left” messaging to drive action. Even if it’s a sunset cruise or spa treatment, scarcity and time sensitivity work. In fact, Skift notes that 52% of customers will decide to “ book now” if they are getting a special price. ‍
• Tie Offers to Real-Time Conditions -Boost relevancy in your communications based on real-time conditions. Promote hot drinks and rain gear when it’s stormy, or surface outdoor excursions and seasonal treats when the forecast is clear. With dynamic content that updates after the email is sent, key messaging banners can reflect local weather in the moment—so your content always feels timely, personalized, and one step ahead.

How Leading Travel Brands Are Making It Happen

These brands are putting strategy into action by using personalization, timing, and convenience to enhance traveler experiences and drive more value from existing bookings.

Accor: Elevating Ancillary Sales with Personalized Recommendations

Accor took post-booking engagement a step further by launching an ancillary newsletter tied to major travel moments, including the Paris Olympics. The campaign delivered personalized restaurant and spa recommendations based on location data, helping travelers enhance their stay without needing to search on their own. 

Even when location data wasn’t available, fallback messaging ensured every customer received relevant offers. By aligning content with known preferences and trip timing, Accor drove a 54% lift in click-through rates and positioned themselves as a true partner in the full travel experience.

Hawaiian Airlines: Making Inter-Island Travel Feel Effortless

To encourage travelers to explore more of Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines introduced a dynamic map feature that adapts based on the customer’s itinerary. The visual map made it easy to see how simple it is to hop from island to island, encouraging add-on bookings and extending the overall trip. 

By removing friction from the planning process and surfacing relevant opportunities based on each traveler’s destination, the airline saw a 9% lift in engagement.

P&O Cruises: Turning Loyalty Progress into Onboard Value

P&O Cruises focused on helping customers see the value of their loyalty program before they even set sail. The brand sent personalized animated recaps showing travelers their current tier, points earned, and exactly what benefits were within reach—from exclusive discounts to champagne on arrival. 

By visualizing progress in a simple, rewarding way, P&O kept customers engaged and motivated to spend more during their upcoming cruise.

Today’s travelers aren’t just looking for a place to stay or a way to get there, they’re looking for a curated overall experience. That’s why the period after booking is such an important touchpoint. It’s a chance to simplify decisions, offer thoughtful enhancements, and build stronger brand affinity without pushing a hard sell.

When brands prioritize relevance and ease, customers respond. Whether through personalized perks, helpful suggestions, or loyalty nudges, small moments can add up to a bigger impact—for both the traveler and the business.