Survey investigates role of social media in holiday decisions

Around half of Brits use social media platforms to gain personal recommendations and reviews for their holidays.
According to a new poll by online independent travel agency www.sunshine.co.uk, social media platforms play a large part in holidaymakers’ decisions about where to visit.
The poll was carried out by after the site noticed an increase in traffic directed from social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
It surveyed 1,102 British holidaymakers, each of whom had been abroad in the past two years.
Respondents were asked questions surrounding how they went about selecting their eventual holiday destination.
Respondents were initially asked: “Did you research your chosen destination and accommodation before booking and going on your last holiday?â€
The overriding majority, 98%, said “yesâ€.
These respondents were then asked to select all that applied from a list of possible answers about how exactly they researched their chosen destination and/or accommodation.
The results were as follows:
· Review websites – 62%
· Social media platforms – 49%
· Information from travel agent – 33%
· Word of mouth – 26%
· Travel guides – 19%
· Other – 13%
Of those who selected social media platforms to plan their holidays, 61% said they used Facebook, whilst 17% said they used Twitter.
TravelMole is holding its next Travel Industry Question Time on the issue of social media.
A panel of experts will lead a debate looking at whether the travel industry is making the most of social marketing as a marketing tool.
Free to attend, it will take place on July 5 at Yahoo’s head offices in Shaftesbury Avenue, London, from 4.45pm to 6.30pm.
All you have to do is register today at [email protected].
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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