Leading Travel & Tourism Brands in the UK: Q4 2024 Analysis

Introduction

The Travel & Tourism sector witnessed substantial digital engagement in the UK during Q4 2024, with prominent players like Google Maps, Booking.com, and Trainline.com Limited at the forefront. Utilizing Sensor Tower's comprehensive data, this analysis delves into the performance and trends of these major brands across their websites and apps. Sensor Tower's unparalleled insights into web, app, and advertising data provide a unique perspective on cross-platform user behavior.

Google Maps

Google Maps remains a dominant force in navigation and travel assistance.

• Audience Trends: The website, maps.google.com, maintained stable monthly visits ranging between 270K and 280K from October to December 2024. Despite a slight dip in December, the monthly true audience remained robust, consistently exceeding 45M.

• App Engagement: The Google Maps app experienced slight fluctuations, with monthly active users ranging from 45M to 46M, highlighting a strong preference for mobile navigation.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Minimal monthly ad spend was noted, with a small spike in December, focusing on Facebook, generating around 28K monthly impressions.

Booking.com

Booking.com continues to be a powerhouse in travel bookings, showing notable trends in Q4 2024.

• Audience Trends: The website, booking.com, experienced a gradual decline in monthly visits from 165M to 153M towards the end of the year. Monthly true audience figures decreased slightly from 15M to 14M.

• App Engagement: The Booking.com app maintained a steady monthly active user base, with users hovering around 6.5M to 8M.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Booking.com invested heavily in advertising, with monthly spend peaking at over $10M in September. Major channels included Instagram and Facebook, yielding billions of monthly impressions.

Trainline.com Limited

Trainline.com Limited showcased resilience in the competitive travel market.

• Audience Trends: Visits to thetrainline.com remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 29M and 32M monthly. Monthly true audience figures remained around 12M.

• App Engagement: The Trainline app enjoyed consistent engagement, with monthly active users consistently above 11M.

• Ad Spend & Channels: A significant monthly advertising push was observed, with spend exceeding $3M in October, predominantly on Instagram and Facebook, achieving hundreds of millions of monthly impressions.

Conclusion

The Travel & Tourism sector in the UK continues to thrive, with leading brands like Google Maps, Booking.com, and Trainline.com Limited effectively leveraging digital platforms to engage users. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data offerings, including Web Insights, App Performance Insights, and Pathmatics, provide unparalleled insights into the dynamic digital landscape, essential for understanding cross-platform user interactions. Sensor Tower's consolidated data offers unique advantages for decision-makers looking to navigate the complexities of digital engagement and advertising strategies.