Asia-Pacific Travellers rely on Social Media reviews for travel decision-making

For leisure travellers in Asia-Pacific, online peer influence is at the forefront of planning , reports eMarketer.

According to Text100’s “Digital Index: Travel & Tourism” study, conducted by Redshift Research in October 2012, 44% of Asia-Pacific leisure travellers used social media platforms for advice and inspiration regarding travel destinations—more than double the percentage who did the same in the US and EMEA. More than one-third of these travellers also looked to social media to get ideas for attractions, vacation activities and hotels.

The use of social media by Asia-Pacific travellers is significantly different than that of leisure travellers from the US and the EMEA regions. Less than one in five US consumers sought social inspiration for any of these travel activities, and in Europe and South Africa (the only non-European country from the region included in the survey), only about one in seven travellers used social media to get ideas for trips.

When they were ready to actually choose their travel destination, the Text100 survey found that 57% of leisure travelers in Asia-Pacific looked to internet reviews, compared to 38% of US travellers, and 33% of EMEA travellers.

The report also called out travellers in China in particular. China’s leisure travellers were far more likely than the average Asia-Pacific consumer to seek out internet reviews on their path to choosing a travel destination—71% of travellers in China were influenced by online peer reviews.

Source: eMarketer