Media Touchpoints in the Consumer Path to Purchase library/GR...Media Touchpoints in the Consumer...
Transcript of Media Touchpoints in the Consumer Path to Purchase library/GR...Media Touchpoints in the Consumer...
Greece Travel Media Touchpoints in the Consumer Path to Purchase
Date: Oct 2011
Agenda
• Methodology
• General travel behaviour
• Booking behaviour
• Research behaviour
• Summary
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Methodology Vertical Deep Dive Travel Greece
• Target group: Internet user in Greece, 18 years and older
• Sample: n=1,000 Internet users
• Methodology: – Online Questionnaire
– Weighting based on a representative telephone survey (please see next slide)
• Period of analysis: – Fieldwork: September 23th – October 7th 2011
– Final Report: October 28th 2011
• Research company: TNS Infratest
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4 4
General travel behaviour
Short trips (up to 4 days)
Holiday trips (more than 4 days)
Travel frequency past 12 months
Q4: How often have you been on short trips (overall length of up to 4 days) and / or on holiday trips (overall length of more than 4 days) in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): All respondents n=1,000; answer categories ‘Not at all’ / ‘Don’t know’
Travel frequency past 12 months All respondents
Two times Three times Once Four times and more
74% were both on at least one short trip and at
least one holiday trip
Greek onliners are frequent travellers: almost 75% spend at least one short trip and at least one holiday trip in the past 12 months
22%
47%
24%
21%
17%
7% 8%
25%
83%
88%
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In what season did you spend trips in the past 12 months? Travellers of the past 12 months
Travel season
Q5: In what season did you spend short and /or holiday trips in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830
Short trip Holiday trip
Obviously summer time is the preferred season for spending holiday trips – for short trips spring and winter are quite popular as well
Summer
Spring
Winter
Fall
66%
55%
43%
34%
Summer
Winter
Spring
Fall
86%
14%
14%
10%
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Domestic destinations
Western Europe
Southern Europe
Destinations outside Europe
Eastern Europe
Northern Europe
Regions visited past 12 months
Q7: Which of the following destinations have you travelled to (…) in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830
Domestic destinations
Southern Europe
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Northern Europe
Destinations outside Europe
92%
9%
7%
6%
2%
1%
Regions visited on trips Travellers of the past 12 months
Short trip Holiday trip
Staying domestic very popular among Greek onliners: the vast majority of those who travelled within the past 12 months spend time in Greece
84%
11%
10%
8%
7%
2%
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Other destinations in Greece
Thessaloniki, Athens, Iraklion
Italy
United Kingdom
France
Central Eastern Europe
USA, Canada
Germany
Spain
Northern Europe
Other destinations in Greece
Thessaloniki, Athens, Iraklion
Italy
Bulgaria
Netherlands
Turkey
Central Eastern Europe
Germany
Romania
Albania
73%
33%
3%
3%
3%
3%
3%
2%
2%
2%
Destination visited past 12 months – Top 10
Q7: Which of the following destinations have you travelled to (…) in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830
Top 10 destinations Travellers of the past 12 months
Short trip Holiday trip
One third of the short trip travellers visited Thessaloniki, Athens or Iraklion – Italy is the most popular destination for holiday trips abroad
72%
18%
6%
4%
4%
4%
4%
4%
3%
2%
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Type of short trip – Top 10
For which purposes did you conduct short trips? Short trip travellers
Q6: For which of the following purposes did you conduct your short trips in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers of the past 12 months n=878
Visiting family & friends 55%
City break 52%
Fun & entertainment 43%
Sun & beach 42%
Wellness & relaxation 33%
Holiday with children 21%
Culture 12%
Sport & activity 10%
Winter sport 9%
Luxury 5%
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Visiting family members and friends or spending a city break are the most popular motives for going on short trips
Type of holiday holiday trip – Top 10
For which purposes did you conduct holiday trips? Holiday trip travellers
Q6: For which of the following purposes did you conduct your holiday trips in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months n=830
Sun & beach 63%
Fun & entertainment 43%
Wellness & relaxation 36%
Holiday with children 31%
City break 29%
Visiting family & friends 24%
Culture 19%
Luxury 8%
Sport & activity 5%
Cruise 4%
Enjoying a typical sun and beach vacation is clearly the prevailing motive for going on a holiday trip
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Type of accommodation
Type of accommodation Travellers of the past 12 months
Q9: And which types of accommodation did you use for the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830; answer categories ‘Other’ and ‘Don’t know’ not shown
Short trip Holiday trip
On short trips private accommodation is very common (in line with the prevailing travel motive) – hotels are first choice for holiday trips
Home of friends, relatives
Hotel
Rented apartment / holiday home
Own apartment / holiday home
B&B, guesthouse
Camping, caravan, mobile home
51%
46%
21%
19%
13%
10%
Hotel
Home of friends, relatives
Rented apartment / holiday home
Own apartment / holiday home
Camping, caravan, mobile home
B&B, guesthouse
43%
33%
23%
21%
10%
6%
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Means of transport – short trip Travellers of the past 12 months
Means of transport – short trip
Q8: And which means of transport did you use for your short trips of the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers n=878, answer categories ‘Don’t know’ / ‘Other’ not shown
Own car 72%
Ferry 22%
Bus / coach 19%
Motorbike / moped 5%
Rail / train 10%
Air travel 21%
Cruise ship 2%
Rental car 4%
In line with the preference for staying domestic the most popular means of transport for going on a short trip is the own car
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Means of transport – holiday trip Travellers of the past 12 months
Means of transport – holiday trip
Q8: And which means of transport did you use for your holiday trips of the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Holiday trip travellers n=830, answer categories ‘Don’t know’ / ‘Other’ not shown
Own car 56%
Rental car 7%
Motorbike / moped 4%
Apart from taking the own car travelling by ferry or air plane are popular means of transport for going on holiday trips
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Ferry
Air travel
37%
33%
Bus / coach
Rail / train
14%
9%
Cruise ship 2%
Accommodation + transportation
Only accommodation
Only transportation
Travel package
No booking in advance
Don't know / No answer
Only accommodation
Accommodation + transportation
Only transportation
Travel package
No booking in advance
Don't know / No answer
31%
21%
13%
13%
39%
3%
Trip organization
Trip organization Travellers of the past 12 months
Q11: Which of the following options did you choose for organising the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): travellers of the past 12 months: short trip n=878, holiday trip n=830
29%
26%
21%
15%
26%
4%
5% with the same
provider
8% with the same
provider
Short trip Holiday trip
The majority of the travellers made bookings prior to their trips, typically accommodation bookings – often combined with transportation
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Annual travel budget per household
Q10: How much money do you in your household usually spend per year on travelling for private purpose? Base (weighted): All respondents n=1,000
Annual travel budget per household All respondents
Average budget:
Ø 1,850 EUR
2001 – 4000 €
1001 – 2000 €
501 – 1000 €
Less than 500 €
No answer
19%
24%
28%
12%
2%3%13%
70%
4001 – 6000 €
More than 6000 €
The vast majority of the Greek onliners has a travel budget of up to 2,000 Euro - the average budget is 1,850 Euro
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1 Greek onliners are frequent travellers: almost 75% spend both at least one short trip and at least one holiday trip in the past 12 months.
2 Dominant motive for going on a holiday trip is relaxing in the sun whereas for short trips city breaks or visits at familiy and friends are typical.
3 Greek onliners prefer to stay domestic: short and holiday trips are most frequently spent within Greece – Italy is the most popular destination for trips abroad.
4 Corresponding with the preference for domestic destinations the prevailing means of transport is the own car – for holiday trips ferry trips and flights are relevant too.
5 The most common way of organizing a trip is booking either only accommodation (short trips) or accommodation and transportation (holiday trips).
6 Among Greek online households the average travel budget per year is 1,850 EUR.
Wrap up general travel behaviour
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Booking behaviour
Online
Offline
Online
Offline
Online
Offline
Online
Offline
Online
Offline
Booking channels - overview Spread of online as a place of purchase differs per travel product – clearly preferred for air travel and strong for accommodation bookings
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Which of the following methods did you use for your booking? Bookers per travel product and trip type
Accommodation bookers
Air travel bookers
Travel package bookers
Bus travel bookers
Train travel bookers
Short trip Holiday trip
Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=111 or accommodation n=405 or air travel n=128 or bus travel n=121 or train travel n=71; Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=122 or accommodation n=415 or air travel n=206 or bus travel n=80 or train travel n=48
65%
66%
85%
25%
42%
66%
25%
73%
17%
83%
66%
62%
69%
32%
49%
65%
24%
82%
26%
80%*! Low incidence n<70
*!
*!
Offline (net)
By phone directly with the hotel
Personal visit at the hotel
Personal visit at a travel agency
Personal visit at a tour operator
By phone with a travel agent
By phone with the tour operator
Online (net)
Via the internet directly through a hotel portal
Via the internet directly with the hotel
Via the internet with a travel agency
Via the internet with a tour operator
66%
52%
10%
10%
7%
7%
5%
65%
37%
36%
12%
5%
Booking channels - accommodation Booking with hotel portals or direct bookings at hotel websites are the preferred channels for accommodation bookings via the internet
Booking channels – accommodation Accommodation bookers
Online booking
Offline booking
Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked accommodation for a short trip n=405 or a holiday trip n=415
Short trip Holiday trip
66%
36%
34%
16%
6%
62%
44%
13%
11%
7%
6%
6%
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Offline (net)
Personal visit at a travel agency
By phone with a travel agent
By phone directly with the airline
By phone with the tour operator
Personal visit at the airline
Personal visit at a tour operator
Online (net)
Via the internet with a travel agency
Via the internet directly with the airline
Via the internet with a tour operator
25%
11%
11%
8%
7%
5%
5%
85%
52%
47%
7%
Booking channels – air travel
Air travel bookings are predominantly placed online – websites of travel agencies as well as direct bookings with the airline are most popular
Booking channels – air travel Air travel bookers
Online booking
Offline booking
Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked air travel for a short trip n=128 or a holiday trip n=206
Short trip Holiday trip
32%
12%
6%
5%
4%
8%
5%
69%
37%
31%
8%
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Offline (net)
Personal visit at the train operator
Personal visit at a travel agency
By phone with a travel agent
By phone directly with the train operator
Personal visit at a tour operator
By phone with the tour operator
Online (net)
Via the internet directly with the train operator
Via the internet with a travel agency
Via the internet with a tour operator
83%
53%
23%
19%
14%
9%
9%
17%
12%
10%
7%
Booking channels – train travel
The majority of those who booked train tickets for their short or holiday trips bought them directly at the train operator
Booking channels – train travel Train travel bookers
Online booking
Offline booking
Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked train travel for a short trip n=71 or a holiday trip n=48
Short trip Holiday trip !*
80%
54%
0%
1%
13%
16%
14%
26%
22%
3%
3%
21
!* low incidence: n<70
Online (net)
Via the internet directly with the bus operator
Via the internet with a travel agency
Via the internet with a tour operator
Offline (net)
Personal visit at the bus operator
By phone directly with the bus operator
Personal visit at a travel agency
By phone with the tour operator
Personal visit at a tour operator
By phone with a travel agent
73%
53%
25%
9%
7%
6%
4%
25%
14%
13%
9%
Booking channels – bus travel
Bus tickets are typically bought offline either directly e. g. in a bus station or by phone with the bus operator
Booking channels – bus travel Bus travel bookers
Online booking
Offline booking
Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked bus travel for a short trip n=121 or a holiday trip n=80
Short trip
82%
49%
33%
16%
9%
3%
3%
24%
7%
12%
8%
22
Holiday trip
Offline (net)
Personal visit at a tour operator
By phone with a travel agent
By phone with the tour operator
Personal visit at a travel agency
Online (net)
Via the internet with a travel agency
Via the internet with a tour operator
66%
31%
19%
18%
15%
42%
37%
15%
Booking channels – travel package
Buying travel packages on the internet is quite popular – websites of travel agencies are first choice in this respect
Booking channels – travel package Travel package bookers
Online booking
Offline booking
Q12/ Q13: Which of the following methods did you use to book the short/ holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package for a short trip n=111 or a holiday trip n=122
Short trip
49%
38%
22%
65%
31%
21%
20%
21%
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Holiday trip
89% 24% 10% 4%
91% 24% 5% 5%
Accommodation online bookers
Air travel online bookers
Travel package online bookers !*
Bus travel online bookers
Train travel online bookers
Which devices did you use for your short trip online booking? Online bookers - short trip
Devices used for online booking – short trip
Q14: Which of the following devices did you use in order to make your online booking? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked online for a short trip: accommodation n=261; air travel n=109; travel package n=47; bus travel n=30; train travel n=12
For online bookings of short trips stationary internet at home is the predominant access point – mobile shares somewhat established
PC at home Mobile/ smartphone Tablet PC PC at work
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!* low incidence: n<70
Not shown due to very low incidence: only n=30 cases
Not shown due to very low incidence: only n=12 cases
Not shown due to very low incidence: only n=48 cases
Accommodation online bookers
Air travel online bookers
Travel package online bookers !*
Bus travel online bookers !*
Train travel online bookers !!**
Devices used for online booking – holiday trip
Q15: Which of the following devices did you use in order to make your online booking? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked online for a holiday trip: accommodation n=272; air travel n=143; travel package n=59; bus travel n=19; train travel n=13
Stationary internet is the prevailing access point for booking holiday trips on the internet – mobile devices already with noticeable shares
94% 17% 7% 6%
92% 17% 8% 8%
89% 26% 14% 15%
PC at home Mobile/ smartphone Tablet PC PC at work
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Which devices did you use for your holiday trip online booking? Online bookers - holiday trip
!* low incidence: n<70
Not shown due to very low incidence: only n=19 cases
Not shown due to very low incidence: only n=13 cases
Influence factors travel bookings – Top 3
1.
2.
3.
6.
7.
9.
8.
5.
4.
Q27: How important were the following influence factors for your decision to book your latest holiday trip? Base (weighted): All Respondents n=1,000
Greek onliners are strongly price-driven when booking holidays – destination and accommodation category play a major role as well
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83% Price
78% Destination
44% Accommodation category
15% On-site activities
14%
9% Loyalty with the tour operator
13%
16% Political and ecological stability
27% Availability at a considered date
Individual composing
Recommendations by family or friends
I can find cheaper trips in comparison with booking at a travel agency
I can choose from a wide range of trips / offers
I can easily compare offers of several travel providers
I’m not limited to opening hours and working days
I can learn more about other consumers’ experiences
I can individually compose the components of my trip
72%
66%
65%
61%
44%
42%
Drivers for buying online
Drivers for buying online All respondents
Q20: What are from your perspective reasons for booking holiday trips on the internet? Base (weighted): All Respondents n=1,000
Lower prices are the most frequently stated driver for booking online - assortment, easy comparison and 24/7 availability contribute as well
27
I’ve got security concerns when booking on the internet
I cannot get personal consultancy on the internet
I do not have a credit card
I’m used to book holiday trips at travel agencies
I feel overwhelmed by the amount of information offered on the internet
Booking on the internet is too complicated
Individual trips are difficult to book
Branches of travel agencies / tour operators offer better prices
I’ve made negative experiences with online booking in the past
45%
29%
27%
14%
10%
7%
6%
5%
4%
Barriers for buying online
Barriers for buying online All respondents
Q21: And what are from your perspective reasons for NOT booking holiday trips on the internet? Base (weighted): All Respondents n=1,000
Security concerns need to be resolved in order to push online as a sales channel for travel products
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Statements travel research
Well-known providers are preferred but however the price is decisive: Almost every Greek onliner has a fixed budget that should not be exceeded
I have a fixed budget for my trips that I don‘t want to exceed
If the price is attractive I don't mind who the provider or tour operator is
I prefer travelling with well-known providers or tour operators
Package trips are cheaper than putting one together yourself
I am prepared to pay more money for a better quality trip
For holiday bookings I prefer to get all travel services from the same source
I am willing to pay more for a trip when I can individually compose options
The planning of my holidays is strongly influenced by the internet
In how far do you agree with the following statements? All respondents
37%
16%
14%
14%
12%
16%
12%
10%
45%
37%
38%
35%
34%
28%
28%
28%
53%
52%
50%
47%
44%
40%
38%
81%
Q33: Below, you will find a list of statements regarding the preparation and booking of holiday trips. Please indicate to which extent you agree with each statement. Base (weighted): All respondents n=1,000
Definitely agree Rather agree
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1 The internet is an important booking channel for travel activities among Greek onliners and particularly strong for air travel and accommodation bookings.
2 Plane tickets are preferably booked directly at airline websites or with travel agencies. For accommodation bookings hotel portals or hotel websites are very popular.
3 Price and destination are the most important influence factors for booking a trip. Good pricing is perceived as a driver for buying online. In order to further push online as a sales channels particularly security concerns need to be resolved.
4 High satisfaction among the online bookers leads to high recommendation rates for travel websites: 2/3 of the online bookers would recommend their provider.
5 Stationary internet at home is still the dominant access point for travel bookings. However, mobile devices (smarthpones / tablets) already receive noticeable shares.
Wrap up – booking behaviour
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Research behaviour
Decisions taken before short trip
The vast majority of the short trip travellers had already decided about the trip destination and organization in advance of their trip Decisions taken before short trip
Short trip travellers of the past 12 months
I knew exactly where to go and how to organise the trip
I knew exactly where to go but I had not decided on the trip
organisation
I did not know where to go but I had an idea about the trip
organisation
14% 7% 23%
69%
I did not know where to go and I had no idea
about the trip organisation
Q22: How decided were you regarding the destination and the organisation (e. g. means of transport, type of holiday, accommodation category) of these trips? Base (weighted): Short trip travellers of the past 12 months n=878
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Decisions taken before holiday trip
Decisions taken before holiday trip Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months
I knew exactly where to go and how to organise the trip
I knew exactly where to go but I had not decided on the trip
organisation
I did not know where to go but I had an idea about the trip
organisation
13% 9% 22%
66%
I did not know where to go and I had no idea
about the trip organisation
Q22: How decided were you regarding the destination and the organisation (e. g. means of transport, type of holiday, accommodation category) of these trips? Base (weighted): Holiday trip travellers of the past 12 months n=830
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The vast majority of the holiday trip travellers had already decided about the trip destination and organization in advance of their trip
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Finding inspiration
Finding inspiration for a trip Travellers of the last 12 months
Search engines are the most frequently used online source for finding trip inspiration: more than half of the travellers used them in this respect
Q23: Which of the sources below did you use in order to find inspiration or ideas for the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months n=970
Online (net)
Search engines
Tourism web pages
Websites of accommodation facilities
Websites of online travel agencies
Websites of tour operators
Social networks
Relevant forums
Websites of transportation companies
Videos portals
Blogs
80%
52%
42%
38%
28%
18%
16%
15%
13%
8%
7%
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
Catalogues or travel guides
TV
Newspapers or magazines
With consultant at travel agency
Radio
81%
70%
33%
22%
21%
7%
5%
35
Finding destinations
Q24: And which of the sources below did you use in order to decide about the destination place for your short and / or holiday trips of the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months n=970
Finding destinations for a trip Travellers of the last 12 months
Among the online sources search engines are the preferred source in order to explore interesting trip destinations
Online (net)
Search engines
Websites of accommodation facilities
Tourism web pages
Websites of online travel agencies
Websites of tour operators
Websites of transportation companies
Relevant forums
Social networks
Blogs
Videos portals
77%
47%
35%
33%
25%
17%
13%
12%
12%
7%
6%
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
Catalogues or travel guides
Newspapers or magazines
TV
With consultant at travel agency
Radio
78%
65%
28%
22%
19%
9%
5%
Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Bookers per travel product
36 36
Purchase decision support – travel products
Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=184 or accommodation n=610 or air travel n=268 or bus travel n=165 or train travel n=105
Online sources are crucial for supporting booking decisions and particularly strong for accommodation, air and train travel bookings
Accommodation bookers
Air travel bookers
Travel package bookers
Train travel bookers
Bus travel bookers
At least one online information source used for decision support
81%
69%
At least one offline information source used for decision support
78%
62%
78%
79%
50%
55%
72%
39%
37
Purchase decision support – accommodation
Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked accommodation n=610
Accommodation websites, search engines and tourism web pages are the top online sources supporting decisions on accommodation bookings
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
Catalogues or travel guides
Newspapers or magazines
TV
With consultant at travel agency
Radio
69%
56%
28%
17%
10%
7%
5%
Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Accommodation bookers
Online (net)
Websites of accommodation facilities
Search engines
Tourism web pages
Websites of online travel agencies
Relevant forums
Videos portals
Websites of tour operators
Websites of transportation companies
Social networks
Blogs
81%
44%
40%
35%
22%
11%
9%
9%
9%
9%
6%
38
Purchase decision support – air travel
Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked air travel n=268
Search is the top online source for decision support on plane tickets: 1/3 of the air travel bookers used a search engine prior to their booking
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
With consultant at travel agency
Catalogues or travel guides
Newspapers or magazines
TV
Radio
62%
46%
11%
11%
8%
5%
2%
Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Air travel bookers
Online (net)
Search engines
Websites of transportation companies
Websites of online travel agencies
Websites of tour operators
Tourism web pages
Websites of accommodation facilities
Social networks
Blogs
Relevant forums
Videos portals
78%
33%
31%
29%
13%
12%
8%
6%
4%
4%
3%
39
Purchase decision support – travel package
Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked a travel package n=184
Online (net)
Search engines
Websites of online travel agencies
Websites of accommodation facilities
Websites of tour operators
Tourism web pages
Websites of transportation companies
Blogs
Videos portals
Relevant forums
Social networks
78%
29%
28%
23%
22%
19%
15%
9%
7%
5%
5%
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
Newspapers or magazines
Catalogues or travel guides
With consultant at travel agency
TV
Radio
79%
54%
28%
28%
25%
10%
6%
Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Travel package bookers
Search engines and online travel agencies are the most frequently considered online sources prior to a travel package booking
40
Purchase decision support – bus travel
Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked bus travel n=165
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
With consultant at travel agency
Newspapers or magazines
Catalogues or travel guides
Radio
TV
55%
41%
12%
7%
7%
3%
2%
Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Bus travel bookers
Online (net)
Search engines
Websites of transportation companies
Tourism web pages
Websites of online travel agencies
Websites of tour operators
Social networks
Relevant forums
Blogs
Websites of accommodation facilities
Videos portals
50%
25%
17%
12%
10%
8%
7%
7%
3%
2%
1%
Decision-making on bus tickets is strongly impacted by personal consultancy from friends – search is the top online information source
41
Purchase decision support – train travel
Q25: And which sources of information did you use to help you make the final decision about the trip purchase? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months who booked train travel n=105
Online sources Offline sources
Offline (net)
Talks with friends or colleagues
Catalogues or travel guides
With consultant at travel agency
Radio
Newspapers or magazines
TV
39%
24%
13%
10%
9%
5%
3%
Which information sources did you use to make the purchase decision? Train travel bookers
Online (net)
Websites of transportation companies
Search engines
Tourism web pages
Websites of tour operators
Websites of online travel agencies
Social networks
Relevant forums
Websites of accommodation facilities
Videos portals
Blogs
72%
28%
23%
17%
12%
12%
9%
7%
5%
3%
3%
Booking decisions for train tickets are typically prepared on the internet – train operator websites and search engines are the leading sources
Air travel
72%39%
81%69%
78%62%
78%79%
50%55%
77%78%
80%81%
Path to purchase Online sources play a major role in the path to purchase for travel products: almost every traveller uses them for starting research (finding inspirations & destination) on trips. For decision-making online information sources are often even outpacing offline sources. When it comes to the actual purchase the spread of online differs per product: Online bookings clearly first choice for booking flights and strong for accommodation. ROPO-effect (research online – purchase offline) visible for travel packages, bus and train travel.
Finding inspiration Decision support
42
Finding destinations
Purchase
65%66%
85%25%
42%66%
25%73%
17%83%
66%62%
69%32%
49%65%
24%82%
26%80%
Short trips Holiday trips
Online Offline Accommodation Travel package Bus travel Train travel
Base: Travellers of the past 12 months Base: Bookers per travel product
Base: Travellers of the past 12 months
Base: Bookers per travel product (short trip)
Base: Bookers per travel product (holiday trip)
!* low incidence: n<70
* *
1 day (direct booking)
less than one week
between 1-2 weeks
between 3-4 weeks
between 1-2 months
between 3-6 months
more than 6 months
Cannot remember
32%
44%
17%
4%
1%
1%
7%
0%
14%
35%
27%
13%
8%
2%
0%
6%
How long did you inform yourself before you made a booking? Travellers who booked a short / holiday trip
43 43
Time frame from research to booking
Q26: How long did you inform yourself before you booked the short and / or holiday trips you conducted in the past 12 months? Base (weighted): Travellers who booked a short trip=878; holiday trip n=830
Short trip Holiday trip
76% of the short trip bookers made
their booking within one week
The vast majority of the short trip travellers made their booking within one week – holiday trips require a somewhat longer research phase
Most useful information sources
Friends or colleagues
Search engines
Tourism web pages
Websites of travel agencies/portals
Catalogues or travel guides
With consultant at travel agency
Websites of accommodation facilities
Websites of tour operators
Newspapers or magazines
TV
Most useful information sources – Top 10 Travellers of the past 12 months
Q28: Which of the following information sources is from your perspective most useful for informing about holiday trips? Base (weighted): Travellers of the past 12 months n=970
22%
18%
14%
10%
8%
6%
4%
3%
3%
3%
Online sources with search engines in the lead are perceived as very useful for travel research – only personal talks score better
44
45
1 The internet serves as an important research source along the path to purchase on travel products and is considered in every stage of the pre-purchase research.
2 Almost every traveller uses the internet for starting research on trips (finding inspirations and destinations). For decision-making online information sources are often even outpacing offline sources.
3 Overall online information sources are across the board considered on a higher variety level than offline sources: For offline research personal consultancy (with friends or family) is the key source whereas for online research various sources (provider websites, tourism pages, and particularly search engines) contribute.
4 Search engines are always among the top frequently used online sources and provide valuable guidance to other sites such as provider sites or tourism pages.
5 Research time prior to a booking depends on the trip type: The vast majority of the short trip travellers researched up to one week in advance of the booking – holiday trips require a somewhat longer research phase.
Wrap up research behaviour
46 46
Summary
47
1 Greek onliners are frequent travellers: 75% spend both at least one short trip (up to 5 days) and at least one holiday trip (more than 5 days) in the past 12 months.
2 When going on a trip Greek onliners typically stay domestic: the vast majority spend their short or holiday trips within Greece. Accordingly the most popular travel product are accommodation bookings.
3 Online information sources play a major role in the path to purchase: almost every traveller uses them for starting research (finding inspirations & destination) on trips. For decision-making online sources are often even outpacing offline sources.
4 The internet is an established booking channel for travel products. However, its spread differs per product: Online bookings are clearly first choice for booking flights and strong as well for accommodation bookings. ROPO-effects are visible for travel package bookings as well as bus and train travel bookings.
5 Search engines are widely used in every research phase and they serve as an important navigator to relevant information sources: 8 out of 10 online researchers start on search in order to find travel information.
6 Presence on search engines with a variety of relevant terms enables presence in the online research process and subsequently relevance for the purchase decision.
Summary