Google Travel Study 2013

traveler_research-studies.pdf.

Must read for anyone in tourism marketing. Many surprises for me. For example. with so many booking via OTAs I was surprised to learn that only 47% considered OTA their top activity on the net. 60% used search and hotel website fared well at 58%.

So why then are so many buying through an OTA? Well they go there to comparison shop. Yep! Price is top of the list of priorities when  a hotel. Ugh are hotels now becoming a commodity and who is to blame for that? I suspect we all know.

Also the study looks at behavior of travelers at all stages of the sales cycle, not just the buyers.

Video continues to grow as a media that all travelers look at and video made by hotels and suppliers accounted for 62% ranging above Trip Reviews.

2013-traveler_research-studies.pdf.