Key International Travel Trends 2014- Tripadvisor Survey

Travelers seek authentic experiences, while vacations involving visits to historical buildings has the strongest pull in attracting them to a destination, according to the newly released Tripbarometer survey by Ipsos & Tripadvisor. The survey was conducted among TripAdvisor users, hoteliers, and other user profiles to understand the regional and global travel trends, change in consumer spend, travel patterns, and booking habits of travellers. Also an important factor is the availability of a good deal or special offer, while those who booked their last accommodation via mobile are more likely to say this, reinforcing the notion that this channel can be better capitalized. Below are the key results: International leisure trips are set to increase

• In the past year travelers have mainly taken staycations, however further flung trips are on the agenda, as in the next year international leisure trips are set to increase by an estimated 7% globally.

Novelty is valued, but cost is a hindrance

• Visiting places they haven’t been to before is the most important factor to travelers when it comes to travel choices.

• Millennials are particularly likely to deem this important, as well as those traveling with people they don’t know.
• Flight fares are the second most important factor, while price has the biggest impact on accommodation bookings.
• Both price and online reviews are perceived as having a significant impact on booking decisions by travelers and businesses.

Inspiration: Online and offline sources coexist, though online dominates

• Reinforcing the divergence of traveler needs, sources of inspiration are varied across different traveler groups.
• Online sources are most commonly used, with TripAdvisor unsurprisingly topping the list.
• Word-of-mouth is still an important source of ideas for consumers and consequently 9 in 10 travelers use offline sources.
• Millennials are impacted by a multitude of sources, including travel blogs, travel guide websites and different forms of content including photos and videos, whereas retirees show more reliance upon ratings/scores and written reviews on review sites.

Distance and age determine planning time

• Whilst the norm is to book three weeks to two months before departure, those who are last-minute bookers (booking within twoweeks of travel) tend to be younger and travel alone.
• Many booked their last trip via mobile.

Travelers are booking online, but mobile is emerging

• Two-thirds of travelers booked their last trip online, with web based travel agencies emerging as the most popular channel.
• Despite the low usage of mobile booking globally, Asian travelers are the most likely to book via mobile.

• Coupling the recognition of the increasingly social traveler and the requirement of hotels to provide free in-room Wi-Fi for travelers who want to stayconnected via mobile, businesses should look to market themselves more effectively through mobile channels.

The need to always be connected

• Free in-room Wi-Fi is the most important accommodation amenity for travelers who are deciding on where to stay, and its importance has overtaken free breakfast.

Traveller profiles and their travel preferences The study brings out travel preferences for three types of user profiles: Millennials – 18 to 34 years old:

• Currency fluctuations have an impact on 45% of this users’ travel plans, but 24% of them will research more to find the best price
• 81% of millennials want to visit a place they have never been before, and 31% choose a destination by local events
• Price conscious
• 52% of this group is highly influenced by travel blogs, and 47% are influenced by travel related pictures on social media sites

Families – 25 to 54 years old:

• Plan to take more international trips (up 5%) and fewer domestic trips (down 2%) in 2014.
• Influenced by deals and special offers

Retirees – 55+:

• Least worried about price
• Books in advance – 43% of this group books three to six months in advance
• 82% are influenced by ratings, 75% are influenced by reviews of accommodation, attractions and restaurants
• When travelling with tablets, 52% of them are more likely to use them for travel related activities

You can also check out the Infographic featuring the rise in traveler budgets, hotelier perception versus traveler reality, and other key travel trends worldwide here.