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91% of travelers use search engines to find accommodation, 81% use Google
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09 February 2017 (Edited )
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Guest feedback platform TrustYou has published the results of recent consumer research into how online travelers search for and book accommodations.

Interesting findings:

  • 91% use search engines to find places to stay, with 81% preferring Google.
  • 77% search by keywords relating to accommodation or location:
    • 57% for hotels
    • 49% for locations
    • 31% for a combination of the two
  • Top drivers of hotel booking decisions:
    1. Nightly rate
    2. "Trust score" (average review rating score)
      • 88% eliminate hotels with trust score <3.
      • 32% eliminate hotels with trust score <4.
  • Following Google search, travelers are most likely (20%) to click a direct link to the hotel's Web site. (But 80% click something else.)
  • Top 3 booking channels reported:
    1. Expedia
    2. Hotels.com
    3. Travelocity
  • 93% of respondents said they have used hotel booking engines, 84% have used meta-search engines.
  • Preferred booking device:
    • Desktop 66%
    • Mobile 18%
    • Tablet 16%

Demographics of the respondents:

  • All said they had made at least 1 online leisure booking.
  • Top booking selections:
    • Hotels 86%
    • Motels 34%
    • Resorts 34%
  • 65% female, 35% male
  • 25-34 and 35-44 age groups predominated (approximately 50% combined share)
  • Average household income $70K

Implications of results, as identified by TrustYou:

  • Hoteliers need to pay attention to their findability on Google, in order to draw more lookers and bookers to their hotel Web site.
  • Travelers are strongly influenced by hotel reviews, including those on Google, which are provided in part by TrustYou.


It takes work and money to get a hotel Web site to page one of Google search returns, even for searches on the property name. But it's worth it.



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David Boggs MS    - David
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External Article: http://marketing.trustyou.com/acton/attachment/4951/f-0674/1/-/-/-/-/Consumer%20Research%20Uncovers%20Travelers%27%20Search%20%26%20Booking%20Behaviors.pdf


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