HolidayPirates charts new course with 625,000-strong WhatsApp following
HolidayPirates Group is a social-driven online travel marketplace that curates and shares value-packed travel deals to millions of followers across Europe and beyond.
A travel deals company ranked among the most popular in Europe has set a new benchmark for direct-to-consumer marketing, turning WhatsApp into a high-performance traffic channel.
HolidayPirates Group, which operates in 10 countries and seven languages, has grown its WhatsApp Channels audience from around 82,700 in March 2024 to more than 625,000 subscribers: an eightfold increase in less than a year and a half.
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The travel marketplace’s rapid rise follows its early adoption of WhatsApp Channels, a feature that allows businesses to broadcast content to followers without the noise of group chats. The company’s formula? A mix of curated travel deals, flash sales, contests, and travel news, all delivered in formats that feel instant, personalised, and relevant.
More than 4 percent of HolidayPirates’ traffic now comes directly from WhatsApp Channels at no additional cost, with click-through rates and ROI outperforming other customer relationship management tools. The Spanish channel leads subscriber numbers with more than 190,000 followers, followed by Italy (121,500) and the DACH market (118,000).
Chief Marketing Officer Mila Genova said WhatsApp Channels had become a “key part of our strategy, based on meeting users wherever they are and in formats they actually use.”
The brand keeps its message frequency tight (around three to five a week) and focuses on quality over volume, knowing that followers often act within minutes of receiving a deal.
HolidayPirates is also testing targeted sub-channels, including family travel in the DACH region and city-specific flight offers in Spain, tapping into micro-audiences for even more personalised marketing.
With travellers increasingly expecting real-time updates and value-driven offers, the HolidayPirates approach shows how messaging apps could become a vital part of the accommodation and tourism sector’s marketing mix.
