WhatsApp has more than 3 billion active users across 180 countries, and the travel industry is taking advantage of that engaged audience.
Travel companies are using the platform to connect with customers in the same place they communicate with loved ones, friends and family daily. London North Eastern Railway recently launched a WhatsApp channel for passenger communications, and Air India launched a travel assistant on WhatsApp last year. Travel deal platform HolidayPirates also added a WhatsApp channel to share messages with tips, exclusive content and more.
The impact of messaging on traveler behavior has long-been discussed. In 2015, Phocuswright published a report titled “How (and Why) Mobile Messaging Will Transform Traveler Engagement.” The report followed then-Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp in 2014.
Phocuswright predicted that “messaging-savvy travelers” would soon expect travel brands to connect with them over chat to provide “personalized, on demand" service in real time.
Analysts acknowledged that it sounded challenging, but today, travel companies are increasingly using messaging services like WhatsApp to do just that.
Ten years later, travel brands’ efforts are paying off.
Using WhatsApp strategically
Craig Goodfriend is head of North America client sales for Meta Business Messaging Group, which includes WhatsApp. Goodfriend said efforts to connect with travelers on the platform are working because WhatsApp is already integrated into their day-to-day
“It’s what people are using throughout their day to chat with their friends, family and businesses they care about,” Goodfriend said. “So it’s crucial that businesses are meeting their customers where they want to be met.”
The communication platform started as an SMS alternative but now offers the ability to carry out voice calls and share text messages, photos, videos, locations and documents.
It’s crucial that businesses are meeting their customers where they want to be met.
Craig Goodfriend, Meta Business Messaging Group
Goodfriend said companies use WhatsApp to send booking confirmations and travel updates and for customer support, marketing, upsell opportunities and transactional flows.
HolidayPirates is using WhatsApp more for marketing, offering travel deals, magazines, contests and industry news to subscribers directly.
“Since switching to WhatsApp Channels in March 2024, our subscriber base has grown eightfold to over 625,000,” said Mila Genova, chief marketing officer at HolidayPirates.
“More than 4% of our traffic is now driven through this channel, contributing to a strong return on investment (ROI). Our organic growth has exceeded expectations, and we see immediate engagement, with many clicks occurring within minutes of sending a message.”
The CMO said that WhatsApp isn’t a supplement but a “core component” to its engagement strategy and customer relationship management.
“By tailoring content to our audience’s interests and sending it at times that align with their engagement habits, we create an interactive and value-driven experience,” Genova said. “Subscribers receive an average of three to five messages per week, with content carefully balanced between quality and frequency.”
Genova said that WhatsApp is so effective because of how it works—with immediacy, high user engagement and personalization.
“Messages are seen quickly, subscribers tend to act fast and the platform allows us to communicate in a way that feels personal rather than intrusive,” Genova said. “Compared to email or other CRM tools, WhatsApp achieves higher CTRs, better security and stronger ROI.”
It’s made a difference for MakeMyTrip (MMT), too, according to Raj Rishi Singh, the company’s chief marketing officer and chief business officer for corporate, flights and the Gulf Cooperation Council vertical.
“The platform now plays a meaningful role across the funnel, reflecting how messaging-led commerce, and personalization can enhance both experience and performance,” Singh said.
MMT has integrated WhatsApp throughout the traveler journey, covering inspiration, discovery, booking and post-travel engagement, according to Singh.
Dylan Tan, founder of Replyr.ai, which won a People's Choice Award at the 2025 Global Startup Pitch, said that in Asia, WhatsApp is “king.” Replyr.ai’s business is built on the back of WhatsApp, as its welcome webpage reads “Turn WhatsApp Chats into Customers with AI.”
Tan’s business integrates with WhatsApp as a chat platform where users can interact with their AI agents. Replyr.ai also integrates with tools hotels might use such as property management systems or activities booking platforms.
Any business that isn’t using WhatsApp will lose out, Tan said, adding that the messaging platform is the preferred way for consumers to reach businesses in the region, where it’s already standard practice to use WhatsApp to reach customers.
“In the travel industry, we help hotels automate that entire journey from booking up until the guest arrives at the property,” Tan said. “Our AI agents interact naturally with every customer, answering questions, following up, pulling data from internal tools and even escalating pressing issues to human teams.”
Tan continued: “In countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and [regions like] Hong Kong, it’s completely normal to message a hotel, tour operator or host on WhatsApp, just like you would text a friend. So instead of asking travelers to download another app or go through a helpdesk portal, we meet them where they already are.”
WhatsApp’s future in travel
Meta wants WhatsApp to be the “best way” for businesses and people to connect. To do that, Goodfriend said WhatsApp plans to continue to build “great experiences” within chat.
“Recently, we’ve made it possible for people to browse a business’ website right within WhatsApp or even book a seat on a flight or train,” Goodfriend said. “In the future, we’ll also explore how AI can help businesses increase efficiency and be a true extension of their team.”
It’s still early on with AI, but Goodfriend said Meta believes the technology could unlock major business opportunities in terms of customer support and business integrations.
WhatsApp Channels enable us to innovate in travel deal distribution and build stronger connections with our audience.
Mila Genova, HolidayPirates
And while WhatsApp is bullish on the travel industry’s presence on its platform, companies are looking ahead with regard to integration value, too.
“WhatsApp Channels enable us to innovate in travel deal distribution and build stronger connections with our audience. We’ve seen firsthand that delivering value in real time—through flash sales, price drops and curated offers—creates loyalty and drives traffic in a way no other channel currently matches,” Genova said. “This strategy reflects our commitment to meeting users where they are and enhancing their travel discovery experience.”
With that in mind, HolidayPirates is looking to explore more targeted channels. It is also looking at expansion across additional markets and audience segments as it works to improve personalization and engagement.
Additionally, WhatsApp is looking for more travel companies to take advantage of its offerings.
“Our focus right now is making it really easy for any travel company to get up and running on WhatsApp—either directly with us or through one of our many partners—and providing them with the tools they need to connect with their customers and build a really valuable and engaging messaging experience for them,” Goodfriend said.
But like most ventures with technology, there are roadblocks when working with WhatsApp.
The primary hurdle for HolidayPirates lies in engagement and retention, according to Genova.
She said that unlike direct messaging, notifications are automatically turned off for users following a WhatsApp channel. That means the company needs to entice users to enable notifications and to encourage them to visit the channel regularly to see time-sensitive details.
“Another constraint is the missing capability for segmentation and targeted content delivery,” she said. “Personalized and relevant content is known to significantly boost conversion.”
With the current structure, HolidayPirates is unable to segment its audience based on known preferences such as favored destinations or deals. So, the company is limited to generic broadcasting.
For Replyr.ai, the biggest challenge is the need to build in accordance with Meta’s rules.
“There are real platform constraints around automation, message flows and approvals, which means we have to be very creative in how we design an ‘AI agent’ experience without breaking policy,” Tan said. “It forces good discipline, but it also means innovation sometimes moves slower than we would like.”
Exploring SMS alternatives
While it may be “king” in some parts of the world, there are SMS alternatives, and the industry isn’t exclusively relying on WhatsApp.
Tan said Replyr.ai also integrates with Dubai-based Telegram but conceded that usage is “still very niche” for B2C businesses in the region of the world he operates in.
“For wider Asia, we’re exploring local messaging platforms like LINE for markets such as Taiwan, Japan and Thailand,” he said. “iMessage and Signal are not on our roadmap because here they’re simply not where consumers talk to businesses.”
HolidayPirates is looking into other options, too.
Genova said that the brand has modern messaging protocol rich communication services (RCS) on its radar. The company has engaged in a soft launch to understand the technology’s potential when it comes to delivering interactive content and deals to travelers’ phones.
“We are also using Telegram in specific markets where the platform has high user penetration and where we have seen consistently positive engagement and response rates from our subscribers,” Genova said.
Other brands are also taking interest in messaging platforms.
Travel trade platform Travel Pursuit launched a Telegram channel in 2022, and Marriott, Hyatt, Shangri-La and Sheraton hotel brands have also used Chinese messaging platform WeChat.