Brits turn to TripAdvisor over friends and family

TripAdvisor has revolutionised the way Brits research their holiday with 43% of travellers now using the website for inspiration.

According to research by Webloyalty, British holidaymakers are now more likely to use TripAdvisor for travel advice than their friends and family members who only 26% of Brits consult with.

Impacting high street travel agents

Almost half of us (43%) do not feel that recommendations made by friends and family are important when selecting our holiday destination in comparison to just 30% who feel the same way about online reviews.

The rise in the number of sites such as TripAdvisor has also had a huge impact on the high street, particularly when it comes to gathering research and inspiration.

Only 22% of us now look at travel brochures when deciding where to go on our summer holidays while 15% will make the effort to visit a travel agent for advice on holiday destinations.

It’s not all bad news for travel agents though – 37% of families who booked package holidays in the past two years used high street travel agents to do so, visiting them either in person or discussing their holiday over the phone.

The go-to place for travelling Brits

As well as travel sites growing in popularity overall, TripAdvisor was also found to be the top website of choice for travellers – more popular than other leading rivals.

Only 23% of those questioned said they used Expedia while Skyscanner attracted only 9% of research enquiries.

Overall, 21% of us book our entire holiday via our computers – making the Internet our go-to holiday resource – with one in ten already using TripAdvisor as a booking aid as well as a research tool.

A further 23% share opinions on the site (according to 2014 data) with TripAdvisor considered the number one place to go for holiday and hotel reviews.

Guy Chiswick, Managing Director of Webloyalty in Northern Europe, said that TripAdvisor’s competitors will need to step up their game if they are to compete with the popular brand.

If you’re travelling abroad this year, remember to book European travel insurance in advance

Date Created: 11/06/2015