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Online travelers keen on user-generated reviews

June 09, 2009 |

Visitors to travel websites want social media and user-generated content, with 38% of users preferring recommendations and advice from other users when booking a holiday online, according to a new a survey of 11,000 Yahoo! users in Europe.

In a survey of 11,000 Yahoo! users in Europe who had visited a travel website in the last three months, trustworthiness, once the preserve of the high street travel agent, has emerged as a key differentiator for successful online travel resources.

Some 60% of respondents across Europe selected trust as the most important consideration over other characteristics including simplicity, friendliness, informative and professionalism. In the UK, however, consumers are looking for simplicity and clarity, with 68% of respondents listing this as the most important factor.

UK users want special offers and deals, a price comparison tool, information on accommodation, travel guides, and photos and video footage.

To enhance the user experience, nearly half (45%) of all those surveyed noted an interest in the further use of multimedia such as video footage.

Yahoo! said people were using the internet more in the evenings rather than watching TV. As a result 56% of those surveyed preferred to look at travel websites on weekday evenings.

Britons are more inclined to travel abroad than other Europeans and more likely to book flights (66%) and airport parking (28%) online.

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