Branded podcasts are quietly working for tourism boards
Branded podcasts get dismissed as a vanity format until you look at the numbers: 30+ minutes of engaged attention per listener, brand recall 3-5× higher than display, and a passionate niche audience that converts above average. Tourism boards are starting to take note.
What's working
The winning format isn't 'destination announcers reading a script'. It's a curious host travelling the destination and interviewing locals, operators and unexpected characters. Think travel podcast as documentary series, not as audio brochure.
Visit Norway, Switzerland Tourism and Austria.info have all launched their own; Visit Scotland's 'Mòr-fhàiltedh' series cracked the UK podcast travel charts in 2025.
The economics
A 10-episode season costs €40-80K to produce. Distribution is mostly free (Spotify, Apple, Google podcasts). Promotion via social and newsletter adds another €15-30K. The total is well below most destinations' video spend.
ROI shows up not in clicks but in branded search lift, newsletter subscriptions and qualitative survey data on perception change.
What to avoid
Don't make it about the destination. Make it about the people, the stories, the unexpected angles. The destination is the setting, not the star. Audiences smell tourism-board content from a mile away.
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