Search becoming more used and trusted than friends and family
Search engines are becoming more used and trusted for information than friends and family.
Figures revealed by Internet Advertising Bureau chief executive Guy Phillipson show 88% of users rate information provided by search results higher than that of friends and family.
The friends and family category was just 10 percentage points lower at 78% while travel agents came in at 63%.
Phillipson also used figures from the Henley Centre revealing that people trust search almost as much as friends and family with the latter only beating search by about one percentage point.
He said: “It’s because with search you are finding what you want and almost selling it to yourself.”
Report by Linda Fox
Linda Fox
Have your say Cancel reply
Subscribe/Login to Travel Mole Newsletter
Travel Mole Newsletter is a subscriber only travel trade news publication. If you are receiving this message, simply enter your email address to sign in or register if you are not. In order to display the B2B travel content that meets your business needs, we need to know who are and what are your business needs. ITR is free to our subscribers.

































Global tourism exceeds 1.5 billion travelers announces UN-Tourism
Qatar Airways offers reduced timetable to over 60 destinations
WTTC global tourism reached record economic impact of 11 trillion in 2025
Hands In, UATP join forces for airline multi-card payments
Overseas travelers to the United States declined by 2.5% in 2025