Why email is still the most powerful marketing tool for airports and venues

Forget ‘old school’ – email is still your airport or venue’s smartest marketing strategy.

Over the past decade, marketing has been dominated by social media. But if your airport or venue is relying on social media marketing alone, you’re building on borrowed land.

Algorithms shift. Platforms fall out of favour. Accounts can be hacked or shut down without warning – and if that happens, your audience disappears with them.

Email is different. You own your list. You own the relationship. And in a privacy-first, increasingly cookie-less world, that ownership isn’t just a nice addition – it’s your competitive edge. With first-party data and smart automation, email empowers your airport or venue to connect directly with customers, deliver personalised experiences, and turn every interaction into measurable revenue.

And the best part? Email marketing isn’t just effective but consistently more powerful than any other channel. Let us prove it to you…

Why email marketing still wins

Email marketing delivers an impressive ROI, averaging $32 per $1 spent for travel and hospitality, and up to $42 in other sectors. Compare that with social media’s $2.80 ROI or PPC’s $2 per $1 spent, and the advantage is clear.

What makes email so effective? It provides direct access to an opted-in audience, avoids algorithm minefields, and enables personalised messaging at scale. This combination turns marketing spend into predictable revenue faster than any other digital channel.

From acquisition to activation

Harnessing the power of email marketing begins with collecting quality, opted-in customer email addresses. In a privacy-first world shaped by GDPR and the decline of third-party cookies, building a trusted, consented first-party data pipeline is no longer optional – it’s essential.

Airports and venues have multiple opportunities to capture email addresses and marketing consent, such as:

• Booking funnels (flights, parking, lounge reservations)
• Wi-Fi sign-ups within terminals / venues
• Competitions and in-terminal / venue promotions
• Onsite kiosks and customer service interactions

Each of these moments is an opportunity to turn anonymous footfall into identifiable, contactable customers. When this first-party data is collected thoughtfully and used responsibly, it powers hyper-personalised campaigns that resonate with each customer’s preferences and behaviours. The payoff is clear: brands leveraging first-party data for marketing see up to 2.9x revenue lift.

With a robust, compliant system like Rezcomm, email moves beyond generic broadcasts, enabling hyper-targeted journeys that respond to each visitor or passenger’s behaviour and preferences, while keeping data privacy and consent at the core.

Real-world use cases: How email drives revenue & loyalty

Smart airports and venues are now using email to orchestrate dynamic lifecycle-driven marketing that keeps customers engaged before, during, and after their journey or visit.

Here are some prime examples of how targeted email campaigns can boost revenue and loyalty:

Abandoned booking recovery: Nudge customers who didn’t complete their reservation with a timely reminder or special offer. The aim? To capture bookings that would otherwise slip away.

Pre-travel / visit reminders and upsells: Send personalised emails with relevant add-ons such as parking, lounge access, or Fast Track before the trip or visit.

Real-time disruption alerts: Keep passengers and customers informed during delays or cancellations, providing reassurance and alternative options.

Loyalty nudges: Reward frequent travellers and visitors with targeted offers, exclusive promotions, or points reminders that boost repeat bookings.

Parking renewals and upgrades: Automated emails reminding customers to renew or upgrade parking reservations, capitalising on convenience and impulse.

Each of these uses first-party data smartly to deliver the right message at the right time, transforming email into a revenue-driving, service-enhancing tool for airports and venues.

Proof it works: The stats behind successful email marketing

Email isn’t just effective in theory – the results speak for themselves. Across a recent client email campaign powered by Rezcomm, we’ve seen:

• 52% average open rate (well above industry benchmarks)
• 14% click-through rate
• Over 2.5 million unique sends in 30 days
• 41,803 unique clicks across campaigns

These figures show that when email marketing is backed by first-party data and automation, it doesn’t just build relationships but drives measurable engagement and revenue at scale.

The strategy shift: from broadcast blasts to automated journeys

We’re pleased to say that the days of one-size-fits-all, send and hope for the best email blasts are over. The future of email marketing lies in automated, segmented, behaviour-driven journeys that work quietly in the background, guiding and nurturing prospects and customers through every stage of their experience.

This is made possible by automated sequences triggered by booking events or customer actions, tailored to their journey or visit, such as:

• A welcome series immediately after sign-up or first booking/reservation
• Pre-visit reminders and personalised upsell offers in the days leading up to the event or trip
• Day-of notifications with real-time updates like gate, terminal, or event information
• Post-visit thank you messages with feedback surveys and incentives for future bookings

Rezcomm Marketplace is designed to handle exactly this, boosting engagement, cutting down manual work, and driving revenue growth for both airports and venues.

Proof it works: Real revenue from real campaigns

In July alone, one Rezcomm client delivered 4 weeks’ worth of campaigns targeting opted-in, first-party audiences. Here’s what we achieved:

That’s a combined 37,176 clicks and $1.14 million in revenue, in a single month.

But these results aren’t magic. They come from email working as part of a wider, integrated marketing ecosystem.

Email within the wider ecosystem

The July campaign performance demonstrates the power of connecting email to other systems. When email sits at the centre of an integrated ecosystem, every customer interaction becomes an opportunity to engage, personalise, and drive revenue.

Rezcomm makes this possible by linking email data with key operational and marketing platforms.

• CRM: provide a 360-degree view of customer journeys
• Reservations: trigger timely campaigns based on bookings
• Purchases: reveal upsell and cross-sell opportunities
• Loyalty programmes: reward frequent travellers and encourage repeat visits
• Business Intelligence (BI): track every send, click, and dollar generated

By activating first-party data in this way, email moves beyond generic broadcasts. Each campaign is targeted, timely, and relevant, turning insights into engagement, and engagement into measurable revenue.

What this means for airports and venues

When email is embedded in a wider ecosystem, airports and venues benefit from:

• Data activation at scale: segment customers by behaviour, bookings, and preferences
• Automation that drives ROI: set up once, then let Rezcomm deliver the right message at the right time
• Visibility and control: track every send, click, and revenue figure in one unified dashboard

Owning your data means owning the relationship, and, as the July results show, owning the revenue.

Key takeaways for Email Marketing in 2025 and beyond

Third-party cookies are disappearing, privacy regulations are tightening, and owning first-party data isn’t just smart, it’s essential. Email is the gateway to that data, and when powered by Rezcomm Marketplace, it becomes your airport or venue’s ultimate marketing weapon.

Stop chasing fleeting social media trends and borrowed audiences. Build your own direct, trusted relationships with passengers and visitors through data-driven, automated, and fully integrated email marketing.

Book a demo with Rezcomm and unlock the power of first-party data and automated email journeys that convert.