Most tourists who book trips online do not remember where they booked them
40% of tourists believe they have booked "through Google", as well as other social networking applications and websites that do not sell trips
According to a new study from Arival and Phocuswright, nearly half of travelers who book travel and activities online can't remember which company they booked with. 40% believe they booked "through Google," and nearly 1 in 5 believe they booked "through social media apps," places that don't typically sell tours and activities.
The report, "Experience Traveler 2023," is released ahead of the Arival 360 Conference in Berlin, the only global conference dedicated to tours, attractions, and travel experiences. The report reveals a general lack of awareness of the online operators and brands that sell tours and activities, reflecting the fragmented nature of the market and how competitive the online landscape is.
"The travel and activities industry is highly fragmented, and finding and choosing things to do remains stubbornly difficult for travelers," Douglas Quinby, co-founder and CEO of Arival, said ahead of the Arival 360 Conference to be held in Berlin from March 5 to 7. “This is compounded by the fact that this is a much more complex and important decision for travelers than choosing transport or accommodation. Deciding how to spend your time and making sure your fellow travelers have a great experience is a significant factor. Travelers use many more sources of information - online and off - to find and choose the tours, attractions and experiences of their trips.
About 35% of those surveyed do remember booking through a "general online travel agency" such as Expedia, Viator or GetYourGuide.
"It is clear from our results that the industry suffers from a lack of brand awareness and that the online marketplace is much more competitive," continues Quinby. “This shows how important it is for travel experience brands to have strong marketing across multiple online and offline channels, making it as easy as possible for travelers to find and book their experiences.”
The findings were revealed in Arival's 2023 Experiences Traveler research, which surveyed more than 4,000 adults in the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany, in the third quarter of 2022.