Lessons Learned from 3M Trips

After three million trips planned through Vacaay, we've seen it all—from whirlwind weekend escapes to once-in-a-lifetime round-the-world odysseys. And with each itinerary, we’ve gained valuable insights into how, where, and why people travel.

Here are a few standout lessons that continue to shape our platform, refine our recommendations, and help our tourism partners connect with high-intent travellers at the right time.

1. Planning is Emotional, Not Just Practical

Travel planning isn’t purely functional—it’s deeply emotional. The best-performing content on our platform isn’t just informative; it sparks desire. People don’t plan trips because they need to—they plan trips because they want to feel something.

2. Personalisation Drives Action

Generic inspiration doesn't convert. Personalised suggestions based on user behaviour, demographics, and interests consistently lead to stronger engagement and more downstream bookings. The more relevant the content, the greater the intent to travel.

3. Visuals Speak Louder Than Words

The right image doesn’t just complement a destination—it sells it. We’ve learned that powerful visuals dramatically increase save rates, list curation, and eventual bookings. Whether it’s a secluded beach or a boutique hotel, the first impression matters.

4. Discovery is Just as Important as Booking

Most travellers don’t come to Vacaay with a set destination in mind. They’re here to discover. That’s why top-of-funnel inspiration plays such a critical role in the travel journey. It’s not about pushing deals—it’s about sparking dreams.

5. Longer Trips, Deeper Spend

As borders reopened post-COVID, we noticed a shift toward longer, more meaningful holidays. People are travelling less often, but spending more. This behaviour benefits destinations that cater to immersive, high-quality experiences over short-stay mass tourism.

6. Lists Are the New Itineraries

Travellers aren’t building rigid itineraries anymore—they’re curating flexible, experience-driven lists. Whether it’s “Beach Bars in Mykonos” or “Road Trip Through the Rockies,” our users are building thematic collections they can share, edit, and book around.

7. High-Intent Behaviour Is Predictable

We’ve identified clear behavioural markers that indicate booking intent—like saving POIs, curating lists, sharing plans with friends, or revisiting the same destination multiple times. These signals allow us to serve perfectly timed content and offers.

The Takeaway

Three million trips later, one thing is clear: travel is changing, and so is the way people plan it. The more we learn, the more we can help tourism boards, hotels, and operators reach travellers with the right message, at the right moment.

‍