Sarah Salord, Company Director at GEC PR, a travel, lifestyle and B2B PR agency shares her insights from World Travel Market 2025.
As PR and marketing specialists in the travel, lifestyle and B2B spheres the GEC PR team were out in full force at World Travel Market in London this year – walking the floors, networking and attending talks.
The floors were buzzing around transformation and what we found was clear – the digital landscape is changing dramatically, and trust and authenticity are now the new currency when it comes to consumers purchasing from brands. In our latest GEC PR newsletter/blog, we’ve digested the key takeaways from World Travel Market to help brands understand if they’re future-proofed and digitally ready for 2026.
Travel & Lifestyle Brands: The Experience Economy Demands Authenticity
The data is clear: 56% of travellers are actively seeking new, ‘off the beaten track’ destinations. They are prioritising unique, authentic experiences and the luxury of time over material goods or crowded hotspots. ‘Value’ to a traveller now means less expense, less crowds, and more authentic connection.
Consumers are travelling for motivation, not just a place or the destination. This means, it’s important for travel and lifestyle brands to showcase experiences, people and human stories that resonate with consumers emotionally.
Travellers also need to trust a brand. Prioritising local perspectives, insider access, and first-hand experience storytelling via earned media will help position brands as a trusted voice and stand out from competitors.
B2B & Tech Brands: AI, Authority, and the New Search Landscape
Technology is no longer just a booking channel—it’s the core of planning, discovery, and customer communication. But the biggest revelation from WTM 2025 is the emerging role of PR as the new SEO fuel in an AI-driven world.
One stand-out stat from WTM showed over 80% of citations used by AI search results (e.g. Gemini/ChatGPT) are from earned media (PR mentions), not paid or owned content. B2B and tech brands need to therefore ensure they are accurately and positively covered by top-tier media to directly influence how AI-powered searches, summaries, and virtual assistants cite the brand.
The Key Takeaway?
Whether a travel, lifestyle or B2B brand, the rise of AI and new technology creates a crowded digital landscape, where trust and authenticity will be the key to standing out in 2026.
Brands must move beyond traditional marketing to capture their attention, and PR is the critical link to building that trust, ensuring your brand story is the one that is seen, heard, and cited by both consumers and AI.
If you’re interested in finding out how your brand can be featured in digital and AI-powered search results through a bespoke PR strategy, please get in touch with Fiona and Sarah at GEC PR on info@gecpr.co.uk.
For more information on GEC PR, visit www.gecpr.co.uk
