Amid the ongoing shift toward digital experiences in travel, brands have had to adapt and innovate their strategies around customer data and loyalty.

Historically, loyalty programs have been the most effective way for companies to corral their best customers and keep them in their ecosystems. On one hand, travel and hospitality brands are simplifying their loyalty programs because tiers and status levels have become overwhelming. At the same time, marketing is getting infinitely more complex as brands try and stay top of mind, especially with leisure travellers. Loyalty programs focused on lifestyle are becoming more common, which require an intimate understanding of individual customers.

Travellers are now more likely to be loyal to brands that provide them with personalized experiences and effectively demonstrate an understanding of their needs, with or without “official” membership status. By leveraging artificial intelligence, especially new applications for generative AI, travel brands that use data to develop a unified view of the customer will be able to provide more personalization, deliver better service, and increase loyalty, leading to greater customer lifetime value.

1. Executive Summary
2. Introduction: Rethinking Travel's approach to loyalty
3. Controlling the data deluge
4. Q&A: What Is a CDP and why should travel brands be using one?
5. Case Study: Vail Resorts' Pillars for Personalisation
6. Using AI to personalise the travel experience
7. Conclusion