More than half of US travellers use the internet to select a leisure destination, according to PhoCusWright's Consumer Travel Report Part One: Behavioral Trends. But consumers use DMO Web sites for far more than just destination selection.
Consumers are as active on DMO Web sites after they book their travel as they are when planning and shopping for their trip. Destination marketers are facilitators of travel at all points in the travel planning process and must orient their online services to facilitate pre- and post-booking needs of travellers.
Time between visiting a destination website and completing a booking on a transactional website:
- Book 1-10 days after visiting destination website: 44%
- Book 1-10 days before visiting destination website: 42%
- Book on same day: 14%
PhoCusWright's Destination Marketing: Understanding the Role and Impact of Destination Marketers offers detailed best practices for DMOs to serve all points of the travel planning process. The report provides insight into what travellers are looking for from DMO Web sites during the planning, shopping, booking and post-booking stages, and delivers recommendations for offering online booking or referral services. (PhoCusWright, June 2009)
