Sector Focus : Online Tourism

In a previous article, we discussed how you can use Facebook Dynamic Ads for Travel to promote your travel deals and offers. Today we’re bringing you our latest sector focus guide, with information on consumer behaviour and all the facts and figures from the online tourism Industry. 

Online Tourism is a thriving sector with global revenues of $533 billion in 2015, making up 42% of the total market. It is one of the most important industries in the UK and according to ABTA, 86% of Britons went on holiday in the 12 months running up to August 2016. The internet revolutionised the tourism industry, enabling customers to have endless amounts of information on tourist destinations, trip reviews, and competitor prices amongst other ressources. 76% of respondents in an ABTA survey revealed that they booked their trips online, which means most consumers turn to the internet when considering their next holiday destinations and packages.

The buying journey

The buying journey in the online tourism sector can be a long and windy road. Consumers tend to think over their holiday destinations and packages for a long time which means that your site needs to be optimised for this decision making process. You should encourage your customers to create an account or wish list on your site, giving them a sense of loyalty to your brand and make sure to provide good quality content all year round.

The retail industry has seen an increase in customers using several devices in the path to purchase, and online tourism is no different. To be successful in this industry, having a multi-channel strategy is essential. An Expedia Media Solutions report reveals that 1 in 2 UK travellers booked their flights or hotels using mobile apps whilst tablets are used across all stages in the buying process, from the initial research on destinations to being used whilst on the trip.

To find out more about the online tourism sector, including all the stats and figures, global and national market outlooks and a breakdown of players in the industry, take a look at our free online tourism sector guide.