July 13, 2005

Internet search engines are overtaking word-of-mouth recommendations as the preferred means of obtaining detailed travel information.

Viral marketing (word-of-mouth advertising) is now considered the benchmark of a product or service recommendation. But in the travel business at least, the Internet is revolutionizing all that.

According to GMI, consumers all around the world are turning to the Internet first for travel information. In Australia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the UK and US, more people did Web searches than sought personal recommendations from friends and acquaintances.

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The online searches are leading to online bookings, too. GMI polled 18,000 online consumers in 18 countries about their holiday plans and how they use the Internet for booking travel and accommodation and found that in the main users are satisfied with online travel services.

Britons, Australians and Americans are among the world's most satisfied online travelers, while Japanese and Polish consumers are the least. One in five Russians say online travel services are "not worth it."

Overwhelmingly, the poll found that usage of online travel sites is holding steady or increasing. Many Russians, however, said they had decreased their use of online travel services.

Looking behind the numbers, youth favors use of online travel, too. Among British respondents, a larger percentage of 18-29 year olds, 60%, said their use of online travel had increased. Only 37% of older British age groups said the same.

Source: eMarketer