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Social Media Revolution is Spear Headed by MiddleAged Travellers

Thursday 08 Apr 2010 3:22pm

Any idea who is molding customer perceptions of the best in hotels and travel destinations both at home and abroad? Would it shock you if I told you it was travelers in their mid 40s?Travel agency use is way down. Most people are now booking their own trips and eliminating the middle man. A lot of what's prompting this is social media. Brochures, travel advertising and mail inserts are no longer having the impact they once did. New research shows that it's online reviews on various sites from real people are influencing consumer opinion and travel dollars. People looking to book trips would much rather take the word of a stranger, with no vested interest whatsoever, than believe a travel agent, who will profit from the consumer's decision. Studies show that the entire travel industry is undergoing a complete makeover and social media revolution. A study sampling 1375 individuals showed that lots of customers go online and book their flights and travel accommodations direct through the company they plan to use. And they make the decision about where to go and who to use to get there upon the suggestion of their peer travelers. This study was conducted by the Social Travel Report, which is produced by an independent media agency called Total Media. Brits especially view the internet as a high tech word-of-mouth recommendation. To them, it's on par with asking your friends and family for feedback and advice on where to go and where to stay. They are far more likely to hold in the opinion of a stranger online in high regard. Travel agents are seen as not as trustworthy since they make their living off the consumer's travel dollar. Tour operators, and presenters on television travel shows all have a vested interest and get paid to give you a specific opinion. But internet reviews on websites and social media sites are just average people telling you what they think. They earn nothing and profit nothing from your decision to take their suggestions. This study concluded that 70% of travelers utilize the internet to plan and book their travels. This is much higher than the 23% of us who do so by phone. Those who use travel agents? Only 8% of travelers. When surveyed, 25% of British travelers reported that they had consulted online reviews written by total strangers to plan their vacations. This is much higher than the 14% who checked out online ads and the 13% who watched television travel shows and the 11% who read travel magazines. Only 9% had consulted television ads or direct mail. At this time, more people have gone online and written reviews for hotels, airlines or destinations than the number of people who have shared that same information with someone face-to-face.

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