TripAdvisor Shares Insights into Booking Behaviour of Thai Travellers

TripAdvisor has unveiled the results of its latest survey - the TripBarometer by TripAdvisor.

The study, conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm StrategyOne, a division of Edelman Berland, is biannual and reports on top travel and hospitality industry trends according to more than 35,000 travellers and hoteliers around the world.

The results of the TripBarometer revealed insights into the booking behaviour of Thai travellers as well as the importance of online reviews and social media when it comes to planning a trip and even during a trip.

According to the TripBarometer, four in five (83%) of Thai travellers are planning to increase their travel budget in 2013. Only 6% are planning to spend less with 11% spending the same as last year.

When it comes to booking of accommodation, the top 5 factors that influenced Thai travellers are price, location, attractions or nearby activities, accommodation amenities and online review.

When asked how many properties they would consider before making a booking, 72% of Thai travellers said they would consider 1 to 5 properties, 21% said they would consider 6 to 10 properties and 3% said they would consider 11 to 15 properties.

The TripBarometer also revealed that more than nine out of ten Thai travellers (94%) are turning to the internet to plan their travel. The top source of information amongst Thai travellers when planning their trip is travel review websites, followed by travel operator websites and friends and family.

Thai travellers also ranked highest globally (58%) for being highly influenced by other travellers’ reviews and opinions in travel review websites.

Thai travellers are online and going on social networks even during a trip. They are some of the biggest users globally of social media (52%) when researching and planning their trips, with the most popular being Facebook.

During a trip, the top uses of technology for Thai travellers were “uploaded holiday photos to a social network”, “accessed the internet through a mobile phone” and “using a mobile app to find attractions or activities”.

“In an ever connected world, it is clear that Thai travellers are turning to the Internet for all their travel needs,” said Cindy Tan, Vice President, Asia Pacific at TripAdvisor. “From researching their trips to getting advice and recommendations on where to go and to keeping in contact with friends and loved ones during the trip, the internet is proving to be a trusted and useful ally.”