How to Apply Behavioural Science for Better Results in Travel

At Capuchin, our behavioural science approach has reduced cost per acquisition by 39% for one brand, driven referrals of 4,000 new high-value customers in a week for an another, and used price psychology to double conversion for a premium-priced brand.

The psychology of travel

Would you like to sleep in a transparent bubble in the middle of the desert? It can be yours for £800 a night.

At least, that’s the going rate for a luxury “glamping” experience in Jordan.

It might sound like a lot for one night under the stars, but it’s consistently booked out months in advance.

The popularity of unusual, high-cost experiences is a great example of how consumer behaviour – even in big-ticket categories like travel – is driven by emotion, bias, and irrationality. In this case, novelty bias, scarcity, and social proof are all at play.

It was understanding behavioural science that helped double conversion rates for a multichannel brand, and deliver over 4,000 high-value customers in a single week for a mass premium brand.

Behavioural science is no longer optional in travel – it’s how you gain a competitive edge. Without it, you risk losing out to brands who understand what truly drives behaviour.

The truth is, all of us – including your customers – are cognitive misers. That means we have limited attention, and even less patience for complexity. In a world of endless options, deals, and distractions, research suggests we’re only consciously aware of around 0.0004% of what our brain is processing at any given time.

So we don’t make decisions by carefully weighing every destination, deal, or hotel. We rely on quick, intuitive shortcuts called heuristics. And those shortcuts can be influenced – with the right behavioural tools.

Even when people spend thousands on a trip, or plan months in advance, they often decide emotionally and intuitively. For example, one study showed that people often choose familiar destinations they’ve recently seen in media – not because they’re safer or better, but because they’re top-of-mind. That’s the availability bias.

Here are five examples of how to nudge behaviour in travel:

🌅 Anticipated Utility – We get pleasure from thinking about a trip, so how we frame and visualise it really matters. Inspiring imagery and storytelling help create emotional buy-in long before booking.

⏳ Present Bias – We favour immediate rewards over long-term benefits, so instant perks or flexible booking options can be more persuasive than future savings.

⭐ Social Proof – Travel is a high-stakes, low-frequency decision. That’s why reviews, testimonials and visible popularity cues (like “most booked this week”) play such a powerful role.

🧭 Choice Overload – Too many options overwhelm the brain. Curated suggestions, filters, and clear recommendations help reduce friction and improve conversion.

🪧 Framing Effects – Nudges like “Only 2 rooms left at this price” or “People like you booked this hotel” combine loss aversion with social relatability to push decisions over the line.

How does it work?

Whatever your challenge, we’ve most probably faced it – or something very similar.

From leisure to business travel. From package holidays to boutique stays. From long-haul adventure seekers to last-minute weekenders.

Whether your audience is families, solo explorers, sustainability-minded millennials, or digital nomads looking for their next base.

Whether the goal is acquiring new travellers, increasing loyalty, upselling experiences, or making sustainable choices the default…

Wherever you’re going – we’ve probably helped a brand like yours get there.

Example 1 - Reveal new opportunities

We show you the real traits, motivations and triggers that drive your market. We quantify the value of commercial opportunities, then precisely detail the best ways to address them based on their psychological makeup – even down to specific ideas, words, language, images and colours that will be most persuasive.

We used this approach to reduce one brand’s CPA by 39%.

Example 2 - Be more persuasive

We create greater appeal for what you offer, based on how your audiences consider and mentally process decisions in your category. We do this using bespoke psychological research techniques like psychodynamic qualitative interviews or implicit testing.

We used this approach to double conversion for one multichannel brand.

Example 3 - Shift behaviour

We identify psychological motivations and triggers at the most crucial points in the customer journey. We use our understanding of cognitive biases to create behavioural “nudges” to shift your audience’s behaviour.

We used this approach to add 4,000 customers in a week for a mass premium business.

Ready to Nudge?

Wherever there’s behaviour to change, we can help.

Share your challenge, and we’ll show you an agile, effective way you can start applying behavioural science.

Talk to us today about how you can start scientifically improving results.

Still more questions? Just ask.