Ever wanted to know how much time travellers put into researching their trips, where they go, and what inspires and influences them? A new global study sheds light on the travel content consumption habits of holidaymakers, and some of its findings may come as a surprise.
Most notably, according to Expedia Group’s Path to Purchase research, the average traveller spends 303 minutes (equal to more than five hours) poring over travel content over 45 days prior to booking.
The research also revealed that consumers view an average 141 pages of travel content during the 45 day period, with travellers viewing around 2.5 pages per day early on in the window before growing “exponentially” in the few days prior to booking, ending with 25 page views on the day of purchase.
OTAs (80 per cent), search engines (61 per cent), social media (58 per cent), airline sites (54 per cent), and meta travel sites (51 per cent) are travellers’ top resources, per the research.
Meanwhile, three in five (59 per cent) respondents admitted to not having a specific destination in mind or considered multiple destinations when first deciding to take a trip.
This is where inspiration, advertising, or the right travel advisor help, comes into the equation.
According to the research, nearly four in five (77 per cent) travellers use social media for inspiration in the path to purchase, while one in five (19 per cent) are influenced by advertising.
Thought process
“The traveller path to purchase is often complex, and full of twists and turns,” Expedia for Business SVP and CMO Cheryl Miller said.
“This research highlights just how much thought and consideration travellers put into planning a trip in the weeks leading up to booking, as they seek to niche and refine their choices.
“This means there are many opportunities to connect with travellers before they make their decisions, underlining the importance of partnership, given that it’s essential to show up across multiple touchpoints and beyond your owned brand channels, as frequently as possible along this path.
“By providing actionable insights to help reach, inspire, and engage travellers during their path to purchase, we’re pleased to provide B2B travel partners with the tools required to convert their guests and customers.”
Conducted by Expedia Group and Luth Research, the consumer survey took into account the opinions of 5,713 adults in seven markets, including Australia, who booked online travel within the last six months.
Meanwhile, another study has revealed some of the risks and considerations Australians identify as important and essential when choosing a holiday spot abroad.
In Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG) Leisure’s 2023 Travel Intention customer survey, nearly nine in ten (88 per cent) respondents said they intended to holiday abroad within the next 12 months.
