Nearly half of all airline tickets are booked online, according to a study by ISM, the L2 Think Tank for Digital Innovation, and George Washington University. The study rates various brands and sectors within the travel industry, assigning them “digital IQ” scores based on the effectiveness of their websites, digital marketing, social media, and mobile efforts.
Digital IQ translates into online sales — airlines, with an average digital IQ of 113, sell 48% of their tickets online, while cruise lines, with an average digital IQ of 86, sell only 9% of tickets online. Hotels are in between, with an average digital IQ of 97 and 30% of rooms booked online.
Consumers who are shopping for travel online visit an average of 20 or more sites, with social networks accounting for an increasing share of referrals to travel brand sites. Consumers are receptive to email; 63% of those who receive email from travel companies are more likely to purchase services from those brands.
Two thirds of travel shoppers are influenced by consumer travel reviews, but only 9% of travel brands include user reviews on their sites. Traffic to brand sites that include reviews grew 24% between March 2010 and March 2011, compared to 7% growth for sites without reviews.
Mobile is a growth area for travel purchases; 15.1 million consumers are expected to book travel via mobile in 2012.
Moms Plan Vacations Online
More than half of moms (54%) use social media to either plan family vacations or share their travel experiences, finds Bohan Advertising. About a third (32%) use social media during the planning stages; 21% use it during their vacations, and 29% use it afterwards to post photos or share experiences. Gen Y moms (73%) are much more likely than Gen X (53%) or Boomer (37%) moms to use social media relative to family vacations.
Moms’ use of the Internet for travel planning is shifting from research to purchase. The proportion of moms who use the Internet more for learning about destinations or accommodations than they used to dropped from 52% in 2010 to 38% in 2011. At the same time, the proportion who use it more for booking travel services grew from 30% to 35%.
When seeking travel information and advice online, moms trust user reviews on sites such as Trip Advisor the most (43%), followed by opinions posted on Facebook (20%) and blogs (17%). Gen Y moms are more likely than older moms to trust information on Facebook (30% of Gen Y vs. 17% of Gen X and 16% of Boomers). They’re also more inclined to trust smartphone travel apps (23% of Gen Y vs. 14% of Gen X and 8% of Boomers). [Travel/Tourism, Family, Online]
Sources: “Digital IQ Index: Travel, April 26, 2011,” L2, Maureen Mullen, Research & Advisory Group, 821 Broadway, 2nd Fl., New York, NY 10003; 212-388-1355; maureen@L2thinktank.com; www.L2thinktank.com. Price: Available online at no charge. Also, ISM, Melissa Dowler, CMO, 745 Boylston St., 7th Fl., Boston, MA 02116; 617-353-1822; mdowler@ismboston.com; www.ismtravels.com. George Washington University, Stuart Levy, Assistant Professor, Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management, 2201 G St., NW, Funger Hall, #301, Washington, DC 20052; 202-994-1706; slevy@gwu.edu; www.gwu.edu.
“2011 Family Travel Survey,” WhyMomsRule.com, div. of Bohan Advertising, John Sharpe, CMO, 124 12th Ave. So., Nashville, TN 37203; 615-327-1189; jsharpe@bohanideas.com; www.bohanideas.com; www.whymomsrule.com. Price: Available online at no charge.
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