IDEAS IN ACTION
Despegar.com in the Media
Despegar in the Media
Despegar consolidated its presence in Mexico as a leading tech platform transforming how people plan, book, and experience travel.
Strategic media coverage charted the evolution of digital tourism, highlighting online booking growth, technological innovation, and shifting traveler habits.
Messaging Framework & Evolution
Despegar’s communications strategy was anchored in three core pillars
Digital Transformation in Travel
Positioning Despegar as a digital travel benchmark.
Traveler Experience Innovation
Leveraging technology to simplify and elevate every stage of the journey.
Regional Expansion
Strengthening Despegar’s presence and reach across Latin America.
Before 2020
Market Leadership
The 2017 initial public offering (IPO) reinforced Despegar’s standing as one of Latin America’s premier travel tech companies.
2020–2021
Resilience & Recovery
The pandemic posed unprecedented reputational and operational hurdles for the travel sector. During this period, communications shifted toward managing cancellations, industry recovery, and highlighting business adaptability.
2022 Onward
Growth & Transformation
As tourism rebounded, media coverage returned to a positive trajectory—focusing on booking growth, demand recovery, and the role of technology in elevating the travel experience.
Traveling to the Super Bowl Can Cost Up to 100,000 Pesos
Capitalizing on pre-Super Bowl momentum allowed Despegar’s travel data to be transformed into actionable insights for a high-intent audience. By breaking down costs for flights, lodging, transportation, and tickets alongside budgeting tips, internal platform data was turned into a practical story. Initially published in Milenio, the story was picked up by outlets like Pasillo Turístico and Telediario, broadening the conversation across sports, travel, and national news audiences.
Star Wars Day: 5 Destinations Every Fan Must Visit
| Linking travel content to high-profile cultural moments expanded Despegar’s editorial reach beyond traditional tourism. For May the 4th, destination recommendations were framed around Star Wars, connecting travel inspiration with pop culture. Published in Forbes Mexico, this piece positioned Despegar in front of lifestyle and entertainment audiences alongside traditional travel readers. |
Despegar.com Recommends 4 “Pueblos Mágicos” for the Second Long Weekend of the Year
| Long weekends provided a key opportunity to connect Despegar with active travel planning windows. Featuring a curated list of four Pueblos Mágicos, the platform’s inventory was turned into a timely, practical guide for domestic getaways. The piece highlighted destinations, activities, and real-time lodging prices, reinforcing the brand’s utility for travel inspiration and planning. |
Holiday Sun & Beach to Ring in the New Year
The year-end season offered an ideal opportunity to align Despegar with warm-weather getaways and holiday travel searches. The strategy turned destination recommendations into timely editorial content for travelers seeking December vacation ideas. Coverage in La Razón connected the brand with travel inspiration during one of the peak travel booking windows of the year.
Five Stylish Destinations to Treat Mom This Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day provided an opportunity to shift Despegar’s narrative from transactional purchases toward the value of gifting experiences. The curated destination list presented travel as a meaningful gift option for a major consumer holiday. Coverage in Publimetro brought the campaign to a broad metropolitan audience, connecting Despegar with everyday cultural and consumer trends.
Champions League 2023: How Much Does It Cost to Attend the Final in Istanbul from Mexico?
| Major international sporting events provided an opportunity to move Despegar’s messaging from travel inspiration to concrete trip planning. For the Champions League final in Istanbul, the brand provided detailed estimates for flights, accommodation, food, and incidental expenses, turning raw data into a practical budget guide for Mexican fans. Published in El Financiero, this piece reinforced Despegar as a reliable source of practical info for international event travel. |
Cancun Ranks Among the Most Searched Destinations for Domestic Travelers
Despegar’s proprietary search data turned traveler behavior into compelling insights for business media. By highlighting Cancun as a top-searched destination for domestic travelers, the brand contributed a data-backed perspective to the conversation on domestic tourism. Published in El Economista, this coverage cemented Despegar’s standing as an authoritative source on traveler trends and preferences.
5 Tips for Choosing a Responsible Tourism Destination
The growing conversation around sustainable travel provided an opportunity to position Despegar beyond transactions and within broader discussions on better travel habits. By converting responsible tourism recommendations into an actionable consumer guide, the brand delivered value-driven content over traditional self-promotion. Coverage in El Informador associated Despegar with deeper conversations about the evolution of the travel industry.
International Tourism: Foreign Exchange Inflows Grow in Q1, Exceeding Pre-COVID Levels by Over 20%
During the recovery of international tourism, Despegar’s data and outlook allowed the brand to contribute to national economic coverage. Incorporating its perspective into El Financiero linked platform metrics with macro indicators of tourism recovery and demand growth, positioning Despegar as a key voice in broader discussions on Mexico’s economic health.
Disney Travel Bookings Jump 36%
Transforming booking data into stories about consumer behavior demonstrated the editorial value of Despegar’s proprietary insights. A 36% surge in bookings to Disney destinations served as a key indicator of international leisure travel momentum, earning coverage in Merca2.0. This data-led approach turned corporate metrics into a compelling narrative for marketing, consumer, and travel audiences.
“Hello? Despegar.com Speaking…”
To build long-term brand equity, it was essential to move beyond pricing and destinations to showcase the human and technological experience behind every booking. This corporate feature explored Despegar’s broader value proposition, focusing on customer experience, evolving support channels, and traveler relationships. The resulting feature added a corporate and reputational dimension to the brand’s business press presence.
Airbnb Rooms Relaunch; New Regional Digital Media Branding Agency for Despegar
Expanding the brand’s regional marketing strategy presented an opportunity to position Despegar within specialized trade media. Coverage highlighted digital brand initiatives and regional agency partnerships, introducing Despegar’s narrative to trade professionals outside traditional travel media. Presence in Merca2.0 reinforced the company’s corporate and marketing presence.
User Experience Takes Despegar to New Heights
Technology served as a central positioning pillar to differentiate Despegar from transactional travel platforms. Coverage highlighted the user experience and underlying technologies addressing traveler needs, including personalization, machine learning, and mobile developments. Placing this story in Expansión reinforced Despegar’s association with innovation, UX, and digital transformation.
Recruitment and Upskilling Challenges for New Tech Talent
Digital transformation created an avenue to position Despegar as an employer of choice within the tech ecosystem. Executive participation allowed the company to share its perspective within broader industry discussions on talent acquisition and development. Coverage in El Economista expanded Despegar’s footprint into topics surrounding talent, innovation, and digital transformation.
Viajes Falabella Acquired by Despegar
The acquisition of Viajes Falabella provided an opportunity to communicate growth not merely as a corporate transaction, but as an expansion of Despegar’s Latin American value proposition. The PR strategy placed the news across key regional outlets, framing the deal within the company’s regional expansion strategy while highlighting an enriched service offering.
Tripled Investment and Expanded Global Tour Portfolio: Despegar’s Latest Bets
New investments and expanded inventory provided a strong foundation for a narrative centered on growth and diversification. The expansion of international tour offerings was featured in Forbes Mexico within the context of market evolution, linking business initiatives directly to strategic growth.