Published on
September 15, 2025
Clear Channel Outdoor, working alongside Nielsen, has released a pioneering study that quantifies the measurable influence airport advertising exerts on frequent travelers and demonstrates its indispensable contribution to the travel and tourism economy. With airline passenger numbers reaching record levels worldwide, the findings illustrate how strategic messaging in terminals not only captures attention but also catalyzes specific, observable responses, delivering measurable returns to brands while concurrently driving incremental demand for the wider tourism value chain.
Frequent Flyers Take Action: A Game-Changer for Brands
The study found that 83% of frequent flyers are aware of the advertisements they encounter while traveling through airports. Of these travelers, a remarkable 75% take some form of action post-advertisement, whether it’s visiting a brand’s website, making a purchase, or even signing up for promotional offers. This high level of engagement indicates that airport advertising isn’t just about awareness; it’s directly influencing consumer behavior and driving sales.
The Influence on Travel Purchases and Services
Notably, the research reveals that 79% of travelers are open to trying new products at airports, and 63% show interest in signing up for travel rewards programs. This data points to a significant opportunity for brands in the travel and tourism industries to promote their products and services. As travelers seek new experiences and opportunities during their journeys, airport advertisements provide a prime platform for targeting these potential customers with relevant offers.
Nearly half of the respondents, 47%, expressed interest in engaging with branded selfie stations—a creative and immersive way for brands to connect with travelers and enhance their airport experience.
Business Travelers: A Prime Audience for Airport Ads
The study also shines a spotlight on business travelers, a key demographic that responds exceptionally well to airport advertisements. Among business travelers, 56% recall seeing ads, with 49% taking action, including downloading apps or sharing promotional content with colleagues. Airports, therefore, offer a valuable space for brands targeting professionals who have purchasing power and decision-making authority within their companies. This audience is not only large but also highly receptive to information that enhances their travel experience and meets their business needs.
The Role of Airport Advertising in Tourism Growth
As air travel continues to rebound, the impact of airport advertising extends beyond the terminals, with a notable influence on the tourism industry. Airports serve as gateways to cities, regions, and countries, and the advertisements within them play a key role in shaping perceptions of local attractions, tourism services, and regional hospitality. By promoting local destinations and events to an international audience, airport advertising can directly contribute to tourism growth and encourage travel to new destinations.
Clear Channel’s airport advertising network spans over 60 U.S. airports and 115 private jet terminals, reaching an impressive 52% of U.S. air travelers. With more passengers passing through these hubs each day, the opportunity to influence travel-related decisions and direct attention to local tourism offerings has never been greater.
Innovative Advertising Strategies: Digital and Experiential Activation
Clear Channel’s success in leveraging airport advertising stems from their use of digital displays, experiential activations, and data-driven targeting. These innovative strategies allow brands to create dynamic and personalized experiences for travelers.
- Digital Displays: Real-time updates and dynamic content on digital billboards provide travelers with essential information, including flight statuses, airport services, and promotions. This instant communication improves the traveler experience while offering brands an opportunity to deliver timely and relevant messages.
- Experiential Activations: From pop-up events to interactive installations, brands use experiential activations to engage travelers in a more immersive way. These unique brand experiences leave lasting impressions on consumers, driving brand recall and increasing the likelihood of follow-up actions.
- Data-Driven Targeting: With the help of advanced data analytics, airport advertisers can tailor their messages based on passenger demographics, behavior patterns, and travel history. This level of precision ensures that advertisements are not only seen but resonate with the right audience at the right time.
Airport Advertising’s Growing Influence on Travel and Tourism
Clear Channel’s latest analysis quantifies why airport advertising has become indispensable for the global travel and tourism sector. By nudging frequent flyers—through immediate calls-to-action like completing purchases or opting into loyalty programs—airport ads now deliver measurable business gains across multiple categories, not just travel brands.
As air traffic volumes recover and passenger wait times grow, advertising that lives within the terminal is primed to drive increasing ROI. Sophisticated, always-on digital networks, immersive brand activations, and geo-targeted messaging let marketers scale reach and sharpen relevance. For tourism boards and local suppliers, this environment represents an unmatched stage to spotlight destinations, showcase attractions, and convert passersby into future visitors, collectively yielding lasting boosts to visitation statistics and regional GDP.
Image Credit: Clear Channel Outdoor
