As hotel teams gear up for 2017, Google has released its 2016 travel trends report. Taking into consideration literally billions of searches, among other data points, the report offers the latest insight on the modern travelers' digital journey.In addition to revealing today's hot destinations, the report make particular note of micro-moments and the role mobile technology plays in how itineraries are researched and planned. The data further shows YouTube is playing an increasing part in travel recon, while desktop computers are outpaced by mobile at almost every stage.Here’s our breakdown of the report.TREND #1: Emerging HotspotsGoogle's report highlights emerging hotspots as they relate to "I-want-to-get-away" moments, that earliest stage of travel planning when the consumer is most interested in exploring destination options. The top five fastest rising cities;
- Reykjavik
- Havana
- Toronto
- Mexico City
- Tokyo
At this stage, the potential traveler is uncommitted to a specific airline or accommodation. This means there is opportunity to influence their decisions.
What it means for hotels …
Hotels in the noted hotspots should polish their SEO, assuring their presence in both mobile and desktop searches. The latest stats show 60% of searches regarding destination information are made from mobile devices, as well as 70% of amenity specific hotel searches – telling data, regardless of where one's property is located. For hot spots, mobile responsiveness should be a major focus of marketing strategy.
Strive for useful, inspiring content that is heavy on visual and video elements to capture the widest audience at this stage. Relevance and beauty are two of the key factors that affect the decision-making process.
TREND #2: YouTube = "Travel Hack" HubYouTube's role in travel planning has grown dramatically in recent years. From narrowing down destination decisions to providing "travel hacks" on everything from best luggage-packing techniques to best burger in the area, YouTube is an increasingly influential communication channel.
YouTube makes its appearance in both the "I-want-to-get-away" and the "time-to-make-a-plan" moments of travel planning. In both cases, YouTube has been shown to narrow down a traveler's decisions regarding destination, brand, and activities.
What it means for hotels …
Google's report indicates that three out of five travelers are influenced by watching YouTube videos. Hotels have the distinct opportunity to ensure early brand visibility in the path-to-purchase if they have a video content strategy.
Whether it's a tour of property highlights, a sponsored vlog, or a particularly glowing testimonial, hotels can capitalize on travelers' "I-want-to-get-away" and "time-to-make-a-plan" phases by assuring their content is readily available and relevant to their searches.
TREND #3: Mobile, Mobile ... Desktop. Booking Trends Across DevicesMobile devices are taking up the brunt of destination searches and travel research, making them powerful tools for would-be travelers. Interestingly, booking is still largely completed on desktops (90%), but mobile queries lead in research and comparison shopping. Bookings tend to peak on Tuesdays and slump on weekends while both searching and booking are higher between Monday and Wednesday.
What it means for hotels …
Cross-device attribution is key to connecting with the modern traveler. The power of mobile devices is a major theme in Google's report, noting efficient communication via mobile is practically a necessity at this stage, as mobile trends are forecast to rise. Regarding the high rate of booking during the early portion of the week, take advantage of this trend by releasing enticing offers and incentives when people are most likely to book.
TREND #4: The Spontaneity Factor of Smartphones Mobile devices allow travelers to be spontaneous upon arrival at their destination. Smartphones have all but taken the place of the dog-eared guidebook, putting attractions, activities, weather and more at one’s fingertips. Some 85% of leisure travelers decide their itinerary after arrival, and more than half of international travelers use smartphones to search for "things to do."
Again, behold the influence of the smartphone. A secured booking is not the end of the road in the travel process, and, as such, there are still opportunities to influence how the vacation will be spent. Google notes that smartphone searches in hotels increased by 30% last year and – due to the location-aware nature of GPS – most of these searches ended in the common query "near me."
What it means for hotels …
The risk of losing dining and activities revenue to off-property competitors is real, but conversely, there is opportunity to attract visitors from nearby accommodations.
Be sure your outlets are visible options in local searches by assuring your website and/or mobile app is up-to-date with relevant information and lined up to answer predictable queries, such as those on restaurants, entertainment and family activities.
ACCESS THE FULL REPORT FROM GOOGLE HERE
As hotel teams gear up for 2017, Google has released its 2016 travel trends report. Taking into consideration literally billions of searches, among other data points, the report offers the latest insight on the modern travelers' digital journey.In addition to revealing today's hot destinations, the report make particular note of micro-moments and the role mobile technology plays in how itineraries are researched and planned. The data further shows YouTube is playing an increasing part in travel recon, while desktop computers are outpaced by mobile at almost every stage.Here’s our breakdown of the report.TREND #1: Emerging HotspotsGoogle's report highlights emerging hotspots as they relate to "I-want-to-get-away" moments, that earliest stage of travel planning when the consumer is most interested in exploring destination options. The top five fastest rising cities;
- Reykjavik
- Havana
- Toronto
- Mexico City
- Tokyo
At this stage, the potential traveler is uncommitted to a specific airline or accommodation. This means there is opportunity to influence their decisions.
What it means for hotels …
Hotels in the noted hotspots should polish their SEO, assuring their presence in both mobile and desktop searches. The latest stats show 60% of searches regarding destination information are made from mobile devices, as well as 70% of amenity specific hotel searches – telling data, regardless of where one's property is located. For hot spots, mobile responsiveness should be a major focus of marketing strategy.
Strive for useful, inspiring content that is heavy on visual and video elements to capture the widest audience at this stage. Relevance and beauty are two of the key factors that affect the decision-making process.
TREND #2: YouTube = "Travel Hack" HubYouTube's role in travel planning has grown dramatically in recent years. From narrowing down destination decisions to providing "travel hacks" on everything from best luggage-packing techniques to best burger in the area, YouTube is an increasingly influential communication channel.
YouTube makes its appearance in both the "I-want-to-get-away" and the "time-to-make-a-plan" moments of travel planning. In both cases, YouTube has been shown to narrow down a traveler's decisions regarding destination, brand, and activities.
What it means for hotels …
Google's report indicates that three out of five travelers are influenced by watching YouTube videos. Hotels have the distinct opportunity to ensure early brand visibility in the path-to-purchase if they have a video content strategy.
Whether it's a tour of property highlights, a sponsored vlog, or a particularly glowing testimonial, hotels can capitalize on travelers' "I-want-to-get-away" and "time-to-make-a-plan" phases by assuring their content is readily available and relevant to their searches.
TREND #3: Mobile, Mobile ... Desktop. Booking Trends Across DevicesMobile devices are taking up the brunt of destination searches and travel research, making them powerful tools for would-be travelers. Interestingly, booking is still largely completed on desktops (90%), but mobile queries lead in research and comparison shopping. Bookings tend to peak on Tuesdays and slump on weekends while both searching and booking are higher between Monday and Wednesday.
What it means for hotels …
Cross-device attribution is key to connecting with the modern traveler. The power of mobile devices is a major theme in Google's report, noting efficient communication via mobile is practically a necessity at this stage, as mobile trends are forecast to rise. Regarding the high rate of booking during the early portion of the week, take advantage of this trend by releasing enticing offers and incentives when people are most likely to book.
TREND #4: The Spontaneity Factor of Smartphones Mobile devices allow travelers to be spontaneous upon arrival at their destination. Smartphones have all but taken the place of the dog-eared guidebook, putting attractions, activities, weather and more at one’s fingertips. Some 85% of leisure travelers decide their itinerary after arrival, and more than half of international travelers use smartphones to search for "things to do."
Again, behold the influence of the smartphone. A secured booking is not the end of the road in the travel process, and, as such, there are still opportunities to influence how the vacation will be spent. Google notes that smartphone searches in hotels increased by 30% last year and – due to the location-aware nature of GPS – most of these searches ended in the common query "near me."
What it means for hotels …
The risk of losing dining and activities revenue to off-property competitors is real, but conversely, there is opportunity to attract visitors from nearby accommodations.
Be sure your outlets are visible options in local searches by assuring your website and/or mobile app is up-to-date with relevant information and lined up to answer predictable queries, such as those on restaurants, entertainment and family activities.
ACCESS THE FULL REPORT FROM GOOGLE HERE
