Why International PR Matters More Than Ever for Travel Brands

Travellers research globally, compare experiences across borders and book with brands they encounter in trusted local media. At the same time, economic shifts, currency volatility, political instability and changing airline capacity mean that overreliance on a single core territory carries real risk. 

So, what does this mean? Visibility in a single market is no longer enough. Diversifying market presence has become a safeguard for sustained growth, and international PR is a strategic driver of that diversification, not just a brand awareness exercise.

Travel may be inherently international, but influence is still shaped at a regional level. Audiences place greater trust in the publications they recognise, and journalists prioritise stories that feel genuinely relevant to their readers. Cultural nuance plays a significant role in determining what is aspirational, newsworthy or commercially compelling.

What performs strongly in the UK will not always land in the same way in the US, where seasonal messaging, travel motivations and spending behaviours can differ considerably. Without thoughtful localisation, even well-crafted campaigns can struggle to gain meaningful traction.

International PR is therefore not about translating a press release. It is about shaping narratives that resonate across markets, while maintaining a consistent and credible global brand story.

The modern travel journey no longer begins in one place. Travellers now move fluidly between search engines, AI-powered results and social platforms to research destinations and experiences. Generative search tools are increasingly surfacing authoritative sources, while social media functions as a recommendation engine where trusted coverage and third-party validation play a meaningful role in decision-making.

Being visible today requires presence across a range of channels. Authority must be built across platforms and markets - but not every channel will serve every brand equally. The real advantage lies in identifying where credibility carries the most weight with your audience and focusing your time and investment there.

This is where multi-market Digital PR becomes strategically important. Authoritative coverage in priority regions strengthens domain authority, improves visibility for localised search terms and increases the likelihood of appearing in AI-driven responses and socially influenced discovery.

As search behaviour continues to evolve, international reputation, media presence and SEO performance are increasingly interlinked. 

The bottom line: brands that build credibility through trusted media coverage are more likely to appear in search results, AI-generated answers and socially driven recommendations when travellers are researching where to visit. 

One of the most common challenges we see is campaigns being developed with a single territory in mind, only for international rollout to be considered later. 

When scalability is not built into the original strategy, messaging can feel out of sync in new markets, supporting data may lack local relevance, and media coverage can be harder to secure consistently. As a result, the SEO benefits and authority gained often remain limited to one region.

By contrast, campaigns that are designed with international reach from the outset are far more likely to deliver sustained, long-term impact across multiple markets because they are planned with different audiences, media landscapes and search behaviours in mind, rather than being adjusted after launch to fit markets they were never originally built for.

At Lemongrass, international scalability is built into our strategic thinking from day one. 

By bringing international markets together under one roof, we create one clear, compelling narrative that travels seamlessly across borders. With a single team shaping strategy, storytelling and results, there’s greater consistency and stronger relationships, without the complexity of juggling multiple agencies. You can read more in our recent Pooling Budgets, Maximising Impact blog, here. 

We develop campaign concepts and data-led stories that can flex by region, while maintaining a cohesive global narrative. This allows brands to protect their positioning while adapting intelligently to local markets.

With experience delivering multi-market SEO and Digital PR strategies, we understand how search intent, media landscapes and competitive dynamics differ across territories. Our work aligns PR activity with commercial objectives in each region, ensuring visibility translates into measurable growth.

Strategy defines the opportunity, but relationships unlock it. Sustainable international authority requires both working in tandem.

Our established media networks span key travel and lifestyle markets, giving our clients access to trusted editors, journalists and contributors across Europe and beyond. Through long-standing relationships and regular attendance at major industry events such as ITB, WTM and other leading travel forums, we remain embedded in the conversations shaping the sector. This proximity ensures our storytelling is not only relevant, but resonant: delivered to the right voices, in the right markets, at the right time.

This approach is not theoretical. It is how international reputation is built in practice. Take our work with Hotel Santa Caterina as an example. 

Entering and sustaining visibility within the US luxury travel market requires more than exporting a European narrative; it demands careful positioning, cultural understanding and consistent presence within the publications that shape perception among high-net-worth American travellers.

To strengthen authority in this market, we refined Hotel Santa Caterina’s positioning specifically for a US audience, tailoring messaging to resonate with American media while preserving the integrity of its Italian heritage. Rather than pursuing isolated coverage opportunities, we prioritised influential titles and focused on building sustained recognition.

The result was long-term credibility, not one-off visibility. Hotel Santa Caterina secured Gold List placements in Condé Nast Traveler in both 2018 and 2025, alongside multiple Readers’ Choice Awards between 2017 and 2021. Continued inclusion in high-impact US roundups reinforced its standing within the American luxury landscape, with coverage consistently reflecting core messaging around location, heritage and its distinctive food and beverage offering.

This is what international PR looks like when scalability, localisation and authority are embedded from the outset.

International authority is built on precise positioning, strong media relationships and a clear understanding of how individual markets operate.

Lemongrass' inaugural US Roadshow, new for 2026

Our inaugural US media roadshow for 2026 demonstrates this in practice. By investing directly in relationships with key US journalists, we are helping travel brands strengthen overseas reputation, build in-market authority within a highly competitive landscape and secure visibility in titles that materially influence booking decisions.

Face-to-face engagement enables sharper cultural alignment, more considered messaging and positioning that resonates with American audiences rather than feeling transposed from another region. The outcome is credible in-market presence, not just coverage.

Authoritative US placements also support international SEO performance, generating high-quality backlinks and strengthening regional domain authority. Visibility therefore extends beyond the news cycle, contributing to sustained discoverability in a market where search, AI-driven responses and editorial credibility are increasingly interconnected.

While the US remains a priority growth market for many travel brands, the strategic model applies across territories. For brands entering new markets or scaling internationally, success depends on combining international scalability with localised storytelling and integrated SEO strategy.

This is where international PR shifts from awareness to infrastructure.

Our approach is particularly valuable for travel brands entering new markets, hospitality groups expanding regionally, destinations targeting long-haul audiences and brands seeking to reduce reliance on a single territory.

Ambitious travel brands are no longer asking whether they should think internationally. The real question is how to build visibility and authority in the markets that will shape future demand.

International PR is not an extension of domestic activity. It is a core component of sustainable expansion.

When campaigns are designed to travel from the outset, brands do more than secure coverage. They build meaningful presence, trusted reputation and lasting search visibility across borders.

At Lemongrass, we create campaigns ready to perform internationally.

Interested in our US roadshow this June? Let’s start the conversation.