Reading reviews is an essential stage of the travel planning journey – so much so that half of the global TripAdvisor community wouldn’t book a property if it didn’t have any reviews. As the world of online travel reviews continues to grow and evolve, so too does the way reviews are consumed.
TripAdvisor has created a short animated video revealing how travellers use the site to make plans, compare options and book travel. The video showcases key findings from a recent Phocuswright study, commissioned by TripAdvisor.
Reading reviews is an essential stage of the travel planning journey – so much so that half of the global TripAdvisor community wouldn’t book a property if it didn’t have any reviews. As the world of online travel reviews continues to grow and evolve, so too does the way reviews are consumed.
According to the Phocuswright study, TripAdvisor users are reading multiple reviews across several options before making a decision on where to stay, visit or eat. In fact, 79% of TripAdvisor users will read at least 6-12 reviews across 4-10 properties before deciding where to stay.
And when it comes to piqueing the interest of the TripAvisor community, the reasearch also illustrates that businesses with lots of reviews to choose from, fresh anecdotes from customers and thoughtful responses from staff are more likely to appeal to users. With the results revealing that four in five TripAdvisor users believe that hotels which respond to reviews care more about their guests.
In fact, the entire travel planning journey is changing. In a constantly connected world with endless options and mutiple platforms to choose from, global TripAdvisor users are indicating that they are looking for a streamlined way to research, organise and book their trips. According to the findings 63% of TripAdvisor users want one convenient location to read reviews, compare prices and book.
“The majority of our users are coming to TripAdvisor not just to read reviews but also to compare options for their trip, make an informed decision and book,” said Barbara Messing, cmo TripAdvisor. “With travelers now finding the end to end solution they need on the site, peer generated reviews are as important as ever. Just as we continue to encourage our community to share their travel experiences, we remind businesses of the importance of engaging with travelers and responding to those all-important reviews.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
