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Online Travel

Top-Spending Travel Brands for U.S. TV Advertising So Far This Year

Dan Peltier

Photo Credit: Southwest Airlines was the top travel brand advertiser during the first quarter of 2016. Pictured is a still from one of its U.S. TV commercials, "Nothing Up Our Sleeves." Southwest Airlines

Skift Take

The first quarter is a popular time for travelers to start planning spring break and summer travel. Based on TV spending estimates for the first quarter, it's clear that the top spending brands such as Southwest Airlines, Trivago.com and Royal Caribbean are bent on getting Americans enamored with the thought of summer vacations.

Spending for the top 10 travel brands on U.S. national TV advertising increased about 33 percent year-over-year for January to March, with the top 10 spenders in 2016 spending a total $238.7 million compared to the $178.6 million the top 10 spenders shelled out last year, according to estimated spending data from iSpot.tv. Expedia.com, for example, spent 85 percent more on national TV advertising in the U.S. so far this year than it did during the same period in 2015. Royal Caribbean also spent about 48 percent more than last year, as the cruise line's president recently told Skift that the brand is "America's cruise line," and is trying to prove it. But it was Southwest Airlines that outspent all other travel brands in U.S. national TV advertising during the first three months of 2016 ($51.4 million) when cons

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