Click here to view a 9-minute video of the key findings.

Click here to download a PDF of the slides.

Audio represents just 4% of the $4 billion dollars of travel category advertising. However, new studies reveal audio should represent a much greater proportion of the travel intenders media plan.

Key findings:

• Heavy AM/FM radio listeners and podcast listeners are similar in profile to travel intenders; Heavy linear TV watchers? Not so much
• Despite this, travel category spend on linear TV is over 4X AM/FM radio and podcasts
• A wide variety of podcast genres and AM/FM radio programming formats reach those who intend to travel in the next year
• Sports AM/FM radio listeners over index on major travel categories including hotels, lodging, airlines, and cruise lines
• Two Westwood One Sports case studies for a flagship hotel brand and a mid-range hotel brand reveal significant brand equity growth due to AM/FM radio campaigns

MediaRadar reports of the four billion dollars spent in the travel category, 18% is devoted to linear TV and only 4% to AM/FM radio and podcasts

MRI-Simmons: The profile of travel intenders closely matches that heavy audio listeners; Heavy TV watchers? Not so much

Compared to those who intend to travel in the next twelve months, heavy AM/FM radio listeners and podcast listeners have very similar age profiles, employment, presence of children, household size, and income levels.

Heavy linear TV viewers look nothing like travel intenders. Heavy linear TV viewers are much older, far less likely to employed, much less likely to have kids and 3+ people in the household, and have much lower incomes than travel intenders.

62% of travel intenders are 18-54, a very challenging demographic for linear TV

Linear TV is reach challenged against the key 18-49 travel demographic. Nielsen’s Q3 2025 Comparable Metrics Report reveals linear TV’s weekly reach among 18-49s is only 52% compared to 84% for AM/FM radio.

A dollar spent on linear TV will see only 17 cents impacting 18–49s.

A wide variety of AM/FM radio programming formats and podcast genres reach travel intenders

Sports AM/FM radio listeners over index on major travel categories including hotels, lodging, airlines, and cruise lines

Compared to the average adult, sports AM/FM radio listeners are much more likely to frequent major hotel chains like Marriott, Omni, Fairfield, and Hilton.

Similarly, sports AM/FM radio listeners over index for traveling on major airlines like JetBlue, United, American Airlines, and Delta.

Across cruise lines like Disney, Norwegian, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival, sports AM/FM radio listeners are more likely to book than the average adult.

Westwood One Sports Case study: A flagship hotel brand generates significant brand equity increases with Summer Olympic Updates sponsorship

Those exposed to Westwood One Sports Olympics reports have an +80% increase in familiarity for the flagship hotel brand, a +25% increase in brand favorability, +28% lift in brand consideration, and an +80% increase in ad recall.

Westwood One Sports case study: A mid-range hotel chain experiences substantial mid-funnel brand equity growth among those exposed to Westwood One’s NCAA College Football coverage

Those exposed to Westwood One’s NCAA play-by-play broadcasts of NCAA football have a +50% greater familiarity with the hotel brand, a +32% increase in brand familiarity, and a +34% growth in brand consideration.

Key findings:

• Heavy AM/FM radio listeners and podcast listeners are similar in profile to travel intenders; Heavy linear TV watchers? Not so much
• Despite this, travel category spend on linear TV is over 4X AM/FM radio and podcasts
• A wide variety of podcast genres and AM/FM radio programming formats reach those who intend to travel in the next year
• Sports AM/FM radio listeners over index on major travel categories including hotels, lodging, airlines, and cruise lines
• Two Westwood One Sports case studies for a flagship hotel brand and a mid-range hotel brand reveal significant brand equity growth due to AM/FM radio campaigns

Click here to view a 9-minute video of the key findings.

Pierre Bouvard is Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group^®.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.