Dear travel companies, shift has happened.
I recently booked a holiday. Croatia, in August, if you’re asking. I took note of the fact that the route taken in booking this trip was different. Before, I have assumed the all-in-one package holiday. Flights, accommodation, one price and done.
I had a few destinations in mind and my first port of call was to visit Instagram (My wife went to Pinterest). We looked at the staged and framed pictures other people like to project into their timelines of their crafted-self. Through filters we saw beautiful beaches, tempting swimming pools and way too many gurning individuals blocking what was most likely a great view. Nonetheless, this research steered the decision for the election of Croatia as the destination. This was all done on mobile/tablet.
Next up, things got serious. The laptop came out. Hotels were sought and skipped over based on comparison site prices and user-generated content on Trip Advisor. Also, by going direct to the hotel website to seek out any promotional pricing they might offer not found on comparison sites. Flight costings were also sought but made easier due to a limitation on choice – one airline and one airport.
As you can see we were eschewing the package possibilities. Prepared to put in the legwork to do some research and get those costs down. We were flexible on dates too and that made a huge difference. We assumed the prevailing wisdom of ‘costs being higher in peak season when the schools are on their Summer break’ would ring true. That said, the difference in price between early July and mid-August was quite something. Flights were cheaper. The hotel website offered 15% off during the perceived August peak. Even emailing the hotel direct to ask for pricing and options unlocked further discount. No voucher codes, just a straight up ask.
From the research presented in the infographic below – coupled with my anecdotal evidence of how I got the best-beach-bang-for-my-British-Buck – you can see that change had to happen. Or rather, brands in the travel industry need to adapt or die in the face of changing consumer habits across every stage of the customer journey and digital experience.
The 5 travel industry trends where consumers drive the digital experience disruption:
1. Mobile makes content curation a new priority
2. The silent traveller plans ahead, but never talks to you
3. Consumers view OTA metasearch as an efficient way to get a quick view of the market
4. It’s all about social amplification
5. Mobile-first disrupts traditional travel institutions
WHITEPAPER: Travel trends
If you would like further information on the digital experience disruption of the travel industry, please download this whitepaper.
