Five are the top five sources that travellers use for travel inspiration, according to research conducted by Booking.com.
According to the findings of the survey, which was conducted among a sample of 32,300 people in 32 markets, looking at what travellers want most from their travels in 2024, travellers rely primarily on information discussed (45%), social media (39%), search engine results (35%), booking sites (35%) and travel guides (29%) to fuel their travel plans.
According to this data, Booking.com shows hotels how they can increase their bookings by encouraging them to take the following actions:
– Get people talking about your hotel
Globally, the advice of friends and family is the number one source of travel inspiration. It took the number one spot last year, which it retains this year.
The simple conclusion from this is that every stage of a guest’s hotel experience is important. Surprise and delight your guests with a seamless journey and thoughtful extras and they will tell their loved ones all about their holiday.
With 45% of travellers worldwide seeking guidance from their peers when planning a trip, your hotel will be at the forefront when someone in your guest network is looking for their next travel treat.
Better yet, think about how you can create moments that can be “Instagrammable” and you’ll likely earn your place on your guests’ social media platforms as well.
– Convert positive experiences into social media posts
Our research shows that social media should be taken seriously when attempting to enhance your hotel brand.
As well as occupying the second spot in the top five for travellers from around the world, the data also suggests that social media could take the coveted top spot soon enough. Millennial and Gen Z travelers place social media as their number one influence.
So let’s take a closer look at this data. Friends and family are still having an impact here, with 63% of travellers who trust social media for inspiration citing the content of their loved ones as the reason. Ads on social media follow in second place with 46%. In third place are smaller, more niche social media influencers.
This is great news. They suggest that you could engage with a smaller name on social media and get more value for your money than if you had attracted a popular influencer. It also proves that investing in social media advertising and encouraging happy guests to post reviews on their own social media channels is likely to further boost traffic to your hotel business.
– Find a shortcut to search engine success
For 35% of travelers worldwide, search engine results play a key role in their travel planning. So the big question is, how can you gain a ranking position that will get them to pay attention to you? As an independent hotel or even a hotel chain, the competition is fierce and can literally be a struggle.
In fact, according to industry research, 27.6% of users click on the first result of a Google search. While interaction with results in positions 8-10 in the rankings is fairly consistent, it declines fairly quickly from there. All of this means that unless your hotel is near the top, your hotel is unlikely to attract 35% of users on that platform.
Rest assured that, as a Booking.com partner, you automatically benefit from all the performance marketing tactics we employ. From search engine optimization (SEO) to pay per click (PPC) advertising activities, we do everything we can to direct more traffic to your listings, giving your hotel the exposure it deserves.
– Take advantage of Booking.com’s brand visibility
Over a third of travellers worldwide (35%) look for travel inspiration on travel booking websites. And this is where our brand marketing efforts are particularly relevant.
To increase brand awareness among global travellers, we combine performance marketing efforts with large-scale campaigns at key times. Maximising our brand presence and building a relationship with travellers around the world will always be a priority for us, as we know how important this impact can be for you, our partners.
– Enter the travel guides
Despite being the fifth source of travel inspiration for travellers worldwide, travel guides still have a significant impact, with over a quarter (29%) of travellers reporting that they are relied upon.
How can you earn your place in a guide? First of all, you need to decide whether your target is an analogue or digital medium. Do you want to be included in a Lonely Planet print guide or earn a direct link from the latest video of an established travel vlogger? Maybe you want to cover both sides. Of course, there are several other travel guide channels you could also explore.
Whichever channels you consider, it’s important to check that their audience is a good fit for your business. Find out what it is that attracts people to your hotel, compared to your competitors. What makes it special and unique? Identify the best point of contact for your chosen channel and start with this information.
What else you need to consider
The 2024 Travel Trends Survey offers a range of further information that you may want to use to promote your hotel and attract more guests. For example, TV shows and movies inspire 21% of global travellers.
Podcasts, considering their comparative infancy, still inspire 10% of global travelers. Interestingly, the popularity of podcasts is growing among younger generations. 14% of Millennials and 15% of Gen Zs cited them as a source of inspiration. This suggests that, in the coming years, the medium is likely to become even more influential.
You should also be aware that a key criterion is the location of a hotel. Our research shows that there is a tendency for travellers to explore a destination via Google Maps or Google Street View as part of the research stage of their trip. In fact, 24% of global travellers claimed to do so.
The survey was commissioned by Booking.com and was conducted independently on a sample of adults who had taken a trip in the last 12 months and were planning another trip in 2024. The sample included 32,300 respondents, from 32 markets. Respondents answered an online survey in January or February 2024.
