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TEXT100 DIGITAL INDEX:
TRAVEL & TOURISM STUDY
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
• About the Study
INSIGHTS: TRAVEL & TOURISM
TOP 10 OBSERVATIONS
Sections:
General Travel Patterns
Points of Influence for Vacation
Decisions
Exploring the Role Digital Reviews &
Social Media Play in Vacation Decisions
Purchasing Preferences
Technology on Vacation
CONCLUSION
Pg 3
Pg 6
Pg 9
Pg 14
Pg 19
Pg 20
Pg 29
3
INTRODUCTION
Digital technology and the connectivity it
brings has disrupted the way decisions
are made – from getting informed and
the transaction itself to the experience
and how it is shared. This is evident in
many industries and has resulted in new
business models emerging to capitalize
on new opportunities and ways to
engage, influence and win consumers.
The travel and tourism sector is one that
has clearly been disrupted by digital
technology. To gain current insights into
the key trends and influences in the four
major segments of the consumer
decision cycle: inspiration, decision,
purchase, and experience, Text100
commissioned a survey to examine how
digital technologies have contributed to
fundamental changes in the tourism
industry.
This research aims to offer a better
understanding of how travelers decide
on destinations, plan the finer details of
their trip, as well as the technology they
use and how they share their
experiences. Armed with these insights,
travel-related companies can develop
more targeted and integrated consumer
outreach ultimately leading to richer
consumer experiences.
While today’s consumers base their
vacation decisions on far more digital
and physical touch-points than ever
before, the core values that drive
tourism – quality service, authenticity,
and experiences worth talking about –
remain the same. Integrating service
offerings across platforms in a manner
that speaks directly to how consumers
already inspire, decide on, purchase and
experience their travels is paramount.
We have extracted ten key observations
from the survey findings that zoom in on
leisure travel patterns, points of
influence and preferences, as well as the
use of digital technology and impact of
social media.
Overall we found that consumers are
making travel decisions by
simultaneously assessing information
from an unprecedented variety of
channels both digital and non-digital.
Because of this, travel operators and
communications professionals alike must
increasingly integrate their efforts across
platforms, focusing more on actual
purchasing behaviors and motivations
than sales and promotions have done in
the past.
4
ABOUT THE STUDY
The first installment of the Text100 Digital Index on
Travel & Tourism seeks to understand trends along
the consumer decision cycle and provide a
benchmark of the key trends globally and across the
US, Europe (EMEA) and Asia Pacific (APAC) specifically
on where the Internet and social media platforms are
gaining greater influence.
• The findings are based on online interviews with
4,600 respondents across 13 countries where all
had traveled for leisure purposes in the last 12
months or intended to do so in the next 12
months.
• Countries: Australia, China, Denmark, France,
Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Singapore, South
Africa, Spain, Sweden, UK and US.
• Conducted by Redshift Research.
INSIGHTS: TRAVEL & TOURISM TOP 10 OBSERVATIONS
6
GENERAL TRAVEL PATTERNS
To lay the foundation for this study, it is important to understand the general trends around
vacation travel – where people tend to travel, the length of the break and the main impetus
for choosing a destination.
Growth of the stay-
cation (domestic
vacations) where in the
last 12 months more
vacations have been taken
within the country rather
than international vacations. US
respondents travel less outside their
country than other regions.
7
More frequent but shorter Within-country vacations are much more
frequent, but they are also shorter in
duration. Around 80% of all local vacations
are a week or less in duration, whereas a
trip abroad is more likely to be two weeks
or longer (41%). Across the regions,
travelers in the US are more likely to take
short vacations as compared to travelers in
EMEA. Weekend breaks are a lot more
popular in the US at 26%, which is higher
than the global average of 15% of travel.
In APAC and EMEA, more than a third of
travelers preferred to take one week
vacations.
8
When asked what was the reason underpinning choice of location or activities.... Unsurprisingly, value for money is one of
the main reasons for choosing locations or
activities. However, considerations such as
relaxation, the call to experience
something different and recommendations
by friends were also key reasons for
choosing a particular location or vacation
activity. Interestingly, over 40% of
travelers globally also chose a vacation
activity based on how fun it looked.
US travelers see relaxation as a more
important choice factor than the other
regions when choosing their vacation
destination.
Travelers from APAC put a greater weight
on recommendations from friends and on
the convenience factor. They also consider
special needs suitability/requirements and
are generally more into Eco-tourism.
US travelers rate ‘fun’ highly as an option
of choosing a vacation, while EMEA
travelers are more focused on knowledge
enrichment and escapism and are
comparatively less worried about
convenience than the other regions.
9
POINTS OF INFLUENCE FOR VACATION DECISIONS
THIS SECTION LOOKS AT THE DIFFERENT POINTS OF INFLUENCE ON
DECIDING THE VACATION DESTINATION AND FINER DETAILS OF THE TRIP
Recommendations from family / friends came in front as the top influence on the
choice of a vacation destination (63%) ahead of Internet searches (55%).
This also stands true for informing the finer details of the trip.
10
While the Internet has become more
influential than travel agents when
choosing a vacation, 39% of travelers still
use traditional travel agents. Online travel
sites and tourist board websites are also
visited quite often at 46% and 41%
respectively.
What is surprising is that travel agents are
still consulted quite often, especially on
finer details of people’s trips – a trend
which speaks to the more specialized
nature of travel agents today.
11
Only a third of those polled agreed that
mileage/loyalty point program deals
influenced their choice of vacation
destination. Deal sites are also low in
usage in making a decision on destination,
yet sales and promotion are fourth on the
list of what influences the decision on
where to go on vacation, leading to the
conclusion that more linkage is required
for mileage/loyalty point programs and
promotional sales to rise as a vector of
influence.
44% of respondents strongly
agree/agreed that Internet reviews by
travel bloggers helped with the initial
decision of vacation destinations, with the
most
trusted sources of vacation research
coming from vacation makers themselves.
This is followed by 37% online travel
forums, 27% Facebook, 24% Youtube/
Vimeo, 22% Pinterest.
When asked what is the single most
important source of information critical to
the decision process, 37% of respondents
selected recommendations from friends
and family. Nearly half of 18-24 year olds
consider family and friends’
recommendations as the most important
factor, compared to only a third of 65+’s.
Interestingly, the importance of individual
providers’ websites increases with age.
12
Drilling down to social media as a point of
influence, it is interesting to note that
APAC travelers stand out in terms of their
use of social media platforms to inform
their leisure travel decisions. Especially in
China and India, Internet and travel
reviews have a greater impact on initial
decision of vacation destination at 71%
and 69% respectively for China and 59%
and 53% respectively for India. Malaysia
also comes in higher than the global
average on this front.
13
INSIGHTS
Campaigns to influence choice of vacation
destinations need to be integrated across traditional,
web and social media platforms with key focus on the
target audiences’ direct circle of influence – their
friends and family. Online information is gaining in
prominence with traditional travel agents becoming
less important comparatively but still relevant. Blogs
were the most highly rated of the social media
platforms on their influence on destination choices
and finer details of the trip. This is likely due to the
level of trust in the source as well as accessibility of
information. Loyalty programs are less likely to
influence decisions, but sales/promotions ranked
fourth in factors that contribute to a destination
decision.
These trends are evolving rapidly as younger
generations who are more comfortable with the
internet and social platforms age.
Digital disruption is not as dramatic at the point of
destination decision and the vacation planning
phase.
14
Globally, over half the travelers polled
have used Facebook, Twitter and other
social media platforms to get travel
inspiration with APAC respondents
leading.
EXPLORING THE ROLE DIGITAL
REVIEWS & SOCIAL MEDIA
PLAY IN VACATION DECISIONS
15
Information on prices/room rates and
surrounding attractions is what people
look for first and foremost when
searching online for travel information.
US travelers searched more for
information on quality of facilities and
cleanliness, while APAC travelers looked
for information on special
packages, weather and accessibility. They
are also more concerned about the
political stability of the destination, as
compared to the other regions. Travelers
in EMEA searched for information on
quality of service and facilities, weather
and cleanliness.
16
Breaking down into regions, travelers in
APAC have much less trust in travel
columns and have a slightly increased
preference for professional travel guides
comparatively. Segmenting by gender,
men are more likely to trust professional
reviews, while women prefer vacation
reviews.
Independence of reviews is very
important The independence of reviews is seen as
very important and this is linked directly
to trust and believability. Independence
is judged on balance of comments. As
such, reviews written by a person
involved in tourism (authority on the
subject or someone who openly
represents an organization) were seen as
less independent.
GLOBALLY, WEBSITES WITH VACATION REVIEWS WERE THE
MOST POPULAR FOLLOWED BY PROFESSIONAL TRAVEL
GUIDES AND TRAVEL COLUMNS.
17
In terms of demographics, more frequent
travelers make the most use of social
media networks and those aged 25-34 are
the most likely to use social media
networks to get ideas and inspiration for
their travel plans.
18
INSIGHTS
When looking at digital reviews, first and foremost
travelers want information around prices and the
surrounding attractions within the vicinity of their
intended destination. This suggests that reviews
might benefit from including more content from
independent / peer sources like vacationers and
incorporate a rating on value for money aspects to
aid consumer decisions. As the independence of the
review and trust levels are important considerations,
individual providers’ campaigns should offer tools to
encourage reviews but not unduly influence the
positivity of the review.
19
Travelers in APAC are more likely to click
on online links and ads to purchase
accommodation or transportation tickets.
US travelers were the least likely to
purchase accommodation and
transportation tickets from tourist board
websites in comparison to the other
regions. Comparatively, EMEA travelers
were least likely of the regions’ travelers
to use online travel websites for
accommodation/transport and tickets to
attractions/activities.
PURCHASING PREFERENCES
KEY DIFFERENCES IN THE ONLINE PURCHASING PREFERENCES BETWEEN TRAVELERS FROM THE THREE REGIONS
INSIGHTS
The insights tell us that while there
are similarities on how travelers gain
inspiration and select vacation
destinations and what to do while on
vacation, there are key differences
on how they fulfill the plans and
chose to transact. It would pay to
consider these variables when
planning activations or campaigns
that are global or regionally focused
or when considering which
purchasing trends to build upon or
encourage.
20
TECHNOLOGY ON VACATION KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH FAMILY/FRIENDS IS BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT USE OF MOBILE DEVICES WHILE ON VACATION
21
It’s a global trend that travelers place
great importance on keeping in touch
with friends and family with their mobile
device. People from APAC use their
mobile devices much more on vacation
than anywhere else, particularly doing
work-related emails.
CHECKING SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS ON A
MOBILE DEVICE IS MORE COMMON THAN
CHECKING THE NEWS
22
Over 50% of people are likely to
download travel apps related to their
vacation before they go. Overall, APAC
travelers have a much greater tendency
to download travel apps with only 11%
not using them compared to 38% of US
travelers. This correlates with the number
of people with smartphones/tablets.
The most popular app is (by 15%) Google
Maps. Taking Google Maps out, the more
generic ‘maps’ and ‘Tripadvisor’ become
the most prominent apps to be
downloaded before going on vacation.
City guides, local weather, restaurant
finder apps and public transportation
apps are also very popular while on
vacation.
MAJORITY OF TRAVELERS DOWNLOAD TRAVEL APPS
BEFORE GOING ON VACATION WITH MAPS BEING THE
MOST POPULAR
23
INSIGHTS
Having Internet connectivity on devices such as
smartphones, notebook computers and tablets while
on vacation is crucial for staying in touch with loved
ones. Travelers in the APAC region relax less on
vacation than their counterparts in EMEA and NA,
with nearly a quarter still checking work emails whilst
on vacation.
The majority of people download apps before they go
on vacation and the most popular have to do with
location (where people can save time in finding
desired places) and weather (people can plan their
activities depending on the weather).
Interestingly, people use mobile devices more for
social media especially to stay in contact with friends
and family than keeping up-to-date with current
affairs. This shows that people like to stay on track
with their social life back home even while
vacationing but are less concerned comparatively
about news and current affairs.
24
Interestingly, nearly half the respondents
would be persuaded to get more involved
in social media on vacation if free WiFi
was available. A quarter of people stood
firm and could not be persuaded to use
social media while on vacation.
WIFI CONNECTIVITY IS CATALYST
25
Independent of location, consumers
highlighted certain common values when
traveling, including a desire to share and
base decisions on honest, compelling
content about individual travel
experiences.
Positive experiences are more likely to be
posted, with APAC seeming to post the
most positive comments.
There are also clear variations in what
travelers share online regarding their
vacations. APAC travelers enjoy
commenting about shopping and fine
food more than anywhere else.
EMEA travelers comment about
historical sites more than the other
regions, which correlates to their interest
in them. The same can be said about US
travelers and their comments on
museums and galleries as well as
amusement/theme parks.
POSITIVE EXPERIENCES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE POSTED
26
Sharing self made videos or photos are
the most popular action during and post
vacation. 25% of respondents are
proactively writing reviews after a
vacation versus 20% during the vacation
itself.
APAC travelers are much more likely to
interact on social media networks while
on vacation such as sharing blog posts or
news stories related to their travel
destination, “liking” the location on a
social media network and checking-in at a
physical location. However, US
vacationers are much more likely than
vacationers in other regions to write a
review on a travel related forum while
on vacation.
27
More than a third of respondents said
they would create or share content online
if they thought it would be of interest to
family and friends.
But then again, travelers could also be
persuaded via loyalty discount schemes
(“what’s in it for me?”).
CONTENT THAT IS DEEMED INTERESTING TO OTHERS IS AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN PERSUADING PEOPLE TO CREATE
MORE ONLINE CONTENT AND GET MORE INVOLVED IN
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING SITES
CONTENT THAT IS DEEMED INTERESTING TO OTHERS IS AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN PERSUADING PEOPLE TO CREATE
MORE ONLINE CONTENT AND GET MORE INVOLVED IN
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING SITES CONTENT THAT IS DEEMED INTERESTING TO OTHERS IS AN
IMPORTANT FACTOR IN PERSUADING PEOPLE TO CREATE
MORE ONLINE CONTENT AND GET MORE INVOLVED IN
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKING SITES
28
INSIGHTS
The impact of online platforms and social media
networks in the travel tourism space is becoming
more pervasive. This can be seen by the growth in
travel related apps which drive check-ins, likes, and
posts. This trend is likely to continue and industry
players must understand motivating factors and
harness the power of online engagement by
connecting communities based on interests. Also an
interesting trend to follow will be how industry
players evolve their outreach and activations with
travelers with an integrated, authentic and influential
approach locally, regionally and globally.
29
The study’s data suggests that travel and
tourism operators need to center their
core business strategies around customer
service based on this type of market
insight. Our data details the channels
through which travelers are making
decisions and purchases and these
channels differ greatly according to
location and age. The travel and tourism
industry must make decisions based on
insights particular to their own
businesses, particularly by developing
market-specific buyer persona profiles
based on research, workshops and
analysis, rather than aiming for sweeping
conclusions about “travelers” as a whole.
Our research also suggests that
businesses stand to gain significantly if
they can deliver proactive and immediate
customer service, with additional benefits
stemming from integration across
channels and platforms. Many industry
leaders, including several of Text100’s
clients, have begun integrating social
media with other channels to drive
successes in this area. Finally, the data
confirms that customer decisions are
increasingly – though not exclusively –
based on content created and shared by
peers. By offering customers the
technological infrastructure needed to
create, share and receive content about
travel experiences, businesses can
leverage this growing social capital to
establish themselves as operators of
choice in an increasingly fragmented
industry with rapidly declining barriers to
competition and entry.
In short, travel and tourism operators
need to engage their leads and customers
with multichannel integrated
communications, aiming to foster loyal
brand communities based on a traveler’s
natural desire to talk about and
recommend good experiences.
CONCLUSION
30
TEXT100 DIGITAL INDEX:
TRAVEL & TOURISM
The Text100 Digital Index: Travel &
Tourism study was conducted by Redshift
Research in October 2012 and consists of
4600 online interviews spanning 13
countries. All respondents had traveled
for leisure purposes in the last 12 months,
or intended to do so in the next 12
months. Responses were balanced across
regional, age and gender demographics.
This study is part of Text100’s Digital
Index series, which aims to deliver
insights specific to a range of industries
experiencing rapid change as a result of
digital technology adoption.
ABOUT TEXT100
We are the I.D.E.A. agency. We help our
clients understand what matters to their
audiences and create integrated stories to
participate in conversations that inspire
action. As a global communications
consultancy, we use our I.D.E.A.
consulting process to develop audience-
focused campaigns that are insightful,
creative, impactful and focus on digital
environments as well as traditional media
and influencers. We have a global staff of
more than 500 and a direct presence in
30 cities worldwide.
We work with many of the world’s elite
brands and industry pioneers in travel
and tourism, entertainment, technology,
telecommunications, healthcare,
automotive and energy all of whom
engage Text100 to think differently and to
be innovative in today’s fast moving
communications world. Our client roster
includes British Airways, KAYAK.com,
AirBnB, Sofitel, MTV, Food Network,
Facebook, IBM, Skype, Cisco, Vodafone,
PayPal, and Lenovo.
Our Text Factor makes us different and
has been praised around the world. We
have been recognized as the leading
Digital Consultancy in APAC, the Best
Midsize Agency to Work For in the US,
and one of the UK’s Best Small
Companies. For more information about
Text100, please visit
http://www.text100.com.
ABOUT
31
CONTACTS
ANNE COSTELLO Regional Director (APAC)
Tel: + 61 2 9956 5733
CECILE MISSILDINE Regional Director (EMEA)
Tel: +33 1 56 99 71 32
ROWAN BENECKE Regional Director (US)
Tel: +1 212 331 8445
