That and four other travel trends from recent PhoCusWright Consumer Technology surveys include these (available to buy online):
- Despite advanced mobile devices like the iPhone making headlines almost daily, the majority of travellers are not using their phones to visit travel-related mobile Web sites or make travel reservations.
- Travel reviews have a significant impact on booking decisions, and, for now, are cited as influential more often than any other type of social media. But not all reviews have equal sway. Their location and content have an effect on how influential they ultimately are, with reviews offered via online travel agency Web sites ranking highest.
- The most popular methods for online travellers to share their leisure travel reviews involve two technologies that are rarely mentioned these days. When asked to cite up to three methods they prefer to use when sharing trip experiences or reviews, the largest percentage of travellers opted for spoken conversation in person or via phone, and email.
- It won't be long before social media will be as common as mobile phones, and savvy travel companies have already started engaging in this space.
Online travellers who have joined/participated in a micro-blog are also slightly more likely than non-users to have stopped using social networks.
(Travelmole.com, August 20101)
