Discover where the guests preferred to leave feedback globally, in EMEA, APAC, and the US. We looked at top guest review sources in 2022.
NB: This is an article from TrustYou
#1 The Year of Booking.com
Booking.com was the go-to source most guests chose to leave their reviews across all the regions we analyzed. Nearly six out of ten reviews globally came from this platform.
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Compared to 2021, Booking.com has significantly strengthened its position in the global market. Our analysis shows an eight-point increase, with 48% of the guest feedback coming from this platform in 2021.
With a more distributed geographical representation than the other OTAs, Booking.com saw its success coming from increased demand, the rising popularity of its mobile app, and significant growth in upselling activities, especially airline tickets.
Overall, 2022 was a fantastic year for Booking Holdings. Managing brands such as Booking.com, Agoda, Kayak, Priceline.com, and others registered a record revenue in 2022 – $17 billion, the highest-ever level reached – a 13% increase compared to 2019.
Except for Google, which registered a three point increase in review share compared to 2021, all other third-party review sources reported a slight decrease at the global level.
EMEA is historically the region where Booking.com is an undisputable leader. Seven out of ten reviews came from this OTA in 2022, representing a four-point increase compared to 2021.
All the other third-party sources registered a slight decrease compared to 2021.
In APAC, we see tighter competition, with Booking.com and Google getting closer —however, Booking.com strengthened its position compared to 2021, climbing to the first position and registering an almost ten-point increase. Google also grew its share, but not enough to surpass Booking.com.
Compared to 2021, Trip.com’s leading Chinese brand, Ctrip, recorded a slight decrease in review volume, which can be attributed to an uneven recovery in the APAC market and harsh COVID-19 restrictions in China. At the end of 2022, the group launched a travel revival plan to connect Chinese travelers with global destinations. With almost three years of harsh lockdowns, Chinese consumers are planning and dreaming big. Trip.com aims to help travelers looking for inspiration and support for destinations to better understand the new travel goals of Chinese travelers.
Like other regions, the US saw Booking.com increase its review volume in 2022 and reaffirm its position at the top. Compared to 2021, the share of reviews rose by five points. Google, Hotels.com, and TripAdvisor registered a slight decrease.
Expedia, which dominates the US market together with Booking.com, didn’t record any significant changes compared to 2021. When looking at the financial performance, the Expedia Group, owning and operating travel brands such as Expedia.com, Hotels.com, VRBO, Trivago, and others, reported 2022 as the most profitable year, despite all the changes brought in the business model and technology. The group shifted from performance-driven customer acquisition to loyalty-focused programs, suggesting a long-term approach to building growth.
