The infographic below illustrates the impact of social media within the hospitality industry.
This covers a lot of the info we've seen before, however the standout for me is that:
"In most major cities the search volume on Google for "Hotels in (city)" has lost over 70% in just the last 6 years - instead they use the likes of Kayak, TripAdvisor, and Expedia."This is a telling statistic that means that the travelling consumer is increasingly looking at TripAdvisor and major branded OTAs to influence their travel decisions. Wading through the scramble of options after performing a Google search is no longer cutting it - Consumers are increasingly turning to trusted websites that aggregate information to give recommendations and lay out options in a logical, orderly manner.
While Google rankings are still important, accommodation providers need to actively be where consumers are browsing and understand the influence of the The Billboard Effect.
