Holiday choices are still being largely driven by ‘word of mouth’ recommendation, despite the rapid growth of internet travel services, new research has revealed.
A Mintel study of 1,400 Brits who have taken a holiday in the past five years found that 34 per cent researched their trip by speaking to people about where they planned to visit.
Face-to-face recommendation was followed by local travel agency advice (25 per cent) as the second most popular method of finding the most suitable holiday destination .
Senior travel analyst Richard Cope explained that travel agents should be making the most of this demand for personal recommendation. "High-street agents should be capitalising on having a high-street presence," he said.
"They should have engaging and experienced staff who can show their own holiday pictures rather than a brochure. They could be offering customers a glass of wine or coffee from the destination."
He added: "A travel agency should be more like a bookshop, where people enjoy the experience and want to spend time. This way they can embrace the independent travel trend and let people have control over their trip ."
The internet was third on the list of most popular means for planning or booking a holiday . A further 26 per cent of the 828 online users surveyed said they had used media content such as pictures and videos to help make their decision.
Word of mouth was also found to have its online strengths, with another 27 per cent of respondents having used blogs and user reviews .
"The adoption of Web 2.0 is really strong. Companies such as Thomson are starting to use reviews to make themselves more transparent and that's going to happen more and more," Cope added.
The Mintel report found that travel continues to remain a top priory for many Brits despite growing economic uncertainty.
 |
 |
|
|
Brits Make Holiday Choices Base On Recommendations Thu, 22 May 2008      Recommended linksOnline travel agents resourceHoliday choice Holiday guides Holiday insurance quote All inclusive holiday deals Convenience Factor Boosting Online Holiday Bookings Families Becoming More Adventurous With Holiday Choices Internet the Preferred Choice for Holiday Research & Bookings Online Holiday Booking A Real Money Saver |
||
 |
 |
| Travel news |
|---|
| BA Business Class Check-In Open At Terminal 5 - Fri, 05 Sep 2008 |
| Portugal Top For Golfing Holidays - Thu, 04 Sep 2008 |
| Budgeting Brits Opting For Ferry Travel - Wed, 03 Sep 2008 |
| More News |