One of the recurring themes we mention in our reports and guides is that emails sent to smaller segments tend to perform better. And it makes sense. Generic messages that go to your entire database feel impersonal and aren’t likely to tap into guests’ interests.

But when you craft messages that are tailored to a specific group of people, your odds of success improve dramatically. The results from 2022 prove it. In fact, the average open rate was nearly 50% for emails sent to fewer than 5,000 guests. This segment size was also the only one that had a measurable average conversion rate compared to all other segment sizes.

Globally, performance actually declines more and more as the segment size gets bigger. So, focus your attention on creating messages that are tailored to specific audience segments. You’ll be more likely to capture their attention, upsell effectively, and drive direct bookings.

Finally, it’s worth noting the growth in the total number of emails sent in 2022. Globally, more than 655,000,000 emails were sent in 2022 — this is a 57% increase from the previous year.