The guest booking journey can often be a long one, with a nonlinear approach taken by most travellers. However, in part one of our guest booking journey series, we discovered that choosing a destination is the first and most considered step in this process.
Expedia recently released the whitepaper ‘Destination Selection During the Traveler’s Path to Purchase’ detailing how British, American, and Canadian travel consumers choose their destination.
It was able to uncover exactly when the booking journey starts and what behaviour is exhibited throughout the process, giving hoteliers a clearer understanding of what inspires and motivates travellers.
For many, the excitement of planning a trip can equal that of actually experiencing it. With the dominant presence of social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, there’s no shortage of inspiration from breathtaking images and fascinating travel stories.
They also look to offline channels for influence, so knowing where travellers go for ideas will greatly increase the opportunity for hotels to influence their purchase decisions.
Where do travellers begin their booking journey?
More than half of travellers begin their planning with more than one destination in mind, and even in the week leading to a booking decision there are still multiple destinations under consideration.
This makes it clear that choosing a destination is a time-consuming process for a traveller and one that draws on many different resources. Without a predetermined destination, your hotel has plenty of chances along the way to influence the choice a traveller ultimately makes.
International vs domestic travel
The Expedia study found distinct differences between the three regions in this regard. Americans were twice as likely to search for domestic destinations, while UK and Canadian travellers were twice as likely to set out for international trips.
The data also made it clear travellers have multiple regions across the world in mind when planning their trip – with Europe the most popular ranking in the top three for American, UK, and Canadian travellers.
