Young travellers turn to recommendations to guide holiday choices

If you have been there and done that when it comes to exploring all corners of the globe, there’s a high chance that young travellers will want to hear all about it.

That’s because recommendations from friends/family/colleagues act as the ultimate source of holiday inspiration for just under half (48%) travellers aged between 16 and 24, according to the latest figures from ABTA.

Their research revealed that rather than turning to the nearest guide book or travel brochure to help them plump on their destination of choice, young travellers are turning to those in the know – namely other travellers – for holiday advice.

The next listing in the ranking of top 5 sources used by 16-24 year olds for researching and planning holidays will come as no surprise to a generation of digital natives with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter a go-to travel information resource for 44% of travellers in this age group.

The ranking was completed by the following sources:

• General internet searching (e.g. general Google search) – 44%
• Holiday/destination brochures – 37%
• Travel review websites (e.g. Tripadvisor) – 30%

Commenting on the research findings, Victoria Bacon, ABTA Head of Communications said: “A holiday is a very significant purchase for most consumers and it is clear the people are keen to use a wide variety of sources both to inspire and inform their decision-making. Travel professionals are a popular source of information, particularly among younger consumers, but it is perhaps surprising to see that travel company websites don’t make it into the top five sources either for ideas or information. This suggests there is an enormous opportunity for travel companies to play a pivotal role in the consumer booking journey by continuing to improve their website offering and by tapping into other popular sources of information and inspiration.”

The digital trend continues - mobile bookings also experiencing a surge

In separate research ABTA also revealed that while the majority of holiday bookings are completed on a PC/laptop (93%), the share of bookings occupied by mobiles has leapt from 13% to 17% year-on-year.

A similar trend was also witnessed when it came to bookings via tablet (rising to 18% in 2014 from 10% in 2013).

If you are heading off on a break to the UK and beyond, it’s important to organise travel insurance in advance. travel insurance in advance.

Date Created: 24/09/2014