Over a third of travellers found to choose destination through online recommendation
Over a third of tourists apparently make the decision as to their holiday destination as a result of a recommendation made by an online acquaintance.
Research by travel search site Skyscanner found that 34% of travellers book their destination following a suggestion by someone they ‘know’ online, having surveyed 800 travellers.
The survey also found that online travel forums play a vital role in travel recommendations with 8 out of 10 respondents saying that views placed on forums were important, while 25% claimed that they were ‘very important’ or ‘definitely important’.
Meanwhile, the anonymous nature of many forums is apparently not a deterrent to trusting online comments, with 34% admitting that they had made a decision to visit a destination following a suggestion by someone they only knew online.
21% also said that pictures of destinations were the catalyst to cementing their decision.
Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner travel editor, commented: "A lot of time, money and emotion is invested in a holiday and naturally we want to minimise the risk of making the wrong decision - a recent Skyscanner survey about travellers' concerns showed that 13% were most worried about not having made the best decision when making travel arrangements online. Social media helps people to extend their research and have more confidence in the decisions they make.”
Social media was also found to be a growing tool in not only organising a holiday, but advising tourists, who consulted apps and smartphones when choosing local restaurants, bars and beaches to visit. Over half of respondents (56% also admitted to following tourist borads or travel companies through Twitter, or ‘liking’ them on Facebook.
Baldwin continued, "Travellers like to feel they have the inside track on the best places to go or the latest openings and social media lends itself well to this. Following tourist boards or using apps when on holiday allows tourists to tap into what they see as local knowledge. This is a great for the travel industry - anything that encourages travellers to get the most enjoyment out of their holiday can only be positive."