Access America Survey Finds Young and Affluent Travelers Value Online Travel Reviews

[Daniel Durazo]

Traveler Reviews Weigh Heavily in Travel Booking Decisions

National Survey by Access America Finds That 60 Percent of Consumers Are Influenced by Other Travelers’ Online Reviews
December 8, 2011Print Pitch
As the end-of-year holiday countdown continues, Americans are making final plans for travel and taking to the web for advice. According to the third annual Access America Vacation Confidence Index released by Mondial Assistance USA, 60 percent of consumers say they factor other travelers’ online reviews into their plans when booking a vacation. With a 10 percent anticipated increase in holiday travel for 2011 – nearly six in 10 Americans (57 percent) are confident they will take a holiday trip this year – popular travel review and social media websites can expect more traffic this holiday season.

“With the growing popularity and influence of social media and online review sites, it isn’t surprising that more and more consumers are using these sites as resources when booking their travel,” said Daniel Durazo, director of communications for Mondial Assistance.  “In these tough economic times, consumers want assurance that if they are going to spend on travel, they are selecting the best experiences, and reviews from peers and colleagues act as a security blanket for uncertain travelers.”

Online Word of Mouth is King and Affects Bookings

Travelers under 35 are most likely to say that online travel reviews influence their travel plans (74 percent) while those 55 and over are least likely to be influenced by reviews (44 percent).
Nearly 79 percent of respondents with a household income of $75,000 or more factor other travelers’ reviews into their own plans, while less than half of those with an income of under $25,000 do so (46 percent).
The Trust Factor

Nearly two thirds of respondents (63 percent) find other travelers’ reviews to be trustworthy, while 29 percent are less trusting. 
Travelers under 35 are more likely than those who are older to trust the travel reviews they read (70 percent vs. 54 percent).
Over three quarters of respondents with a household income of $75,000 or more (77 percent) find travel reviews to be trustworthy compared to just half of those with an income of under $25,000 (50 percent).
Social Networking Sites are Most Popular for Sharing

Facebook packs a punch:  Among travelers who share reviews of their travel experiences online (24 percent of respondents), social networking sites such as Facebook are most popular. Nearly one in five (18 percent) say that they share their travel experiences on social networks, more than double the proportion of those who post on travel review sites (eight percent).
Young Adults, Affluent More Likely to Share Online

Adults under 35 are more likely than those who are 35+ to share their travel experiences online (35 percent vs. 20 percent), particularly on social media sites (29 percent vs. six percent).
More affluent adults are also more likely to share about their travels. More than a third of those with a household income of $75,000 or more (36 percent)share their travel reviews online, compared to 15 percent of those with a household income of less than $25,000, and they are twice as likely to use social networks to do so (24 percent vs. 12 percent).
For more information or to book Access America travel insurance, visit http://accessamerica.com or access their social media channels via Facebook and Twitter.

The Access America Vacation Confidence Index is based on a telephone survey conducted by Ipsos November 2-7, 2011 of a nationally representative sample of 1,000 randomly-selected adults aged 18 and over residing in the U.S.  With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of adults in the U.S. been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/gender composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

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About Mondial Assistance

Mondial Assistance, part of the Allianz group of companies, is a global leader in specialty insurance and emergency assistance services. In the United States, Mondial Assistance is a brand name of World Access Service Corp., which is best known for its Access America® brand of travel insurance and assistance services. The U.S. operation, one of 29 business units, serves major travel suppliers, health insurers, credit card, and entertainment companies with insurance products, international travel assistance, and concierge services. For more information, please visit www.mondialUSA.com and follow Mondial Assistance on Twitter at twitter.com/Mondial_Assist.

About Ipsos Public Affairs

Ipsos is a leading global survey-based market research company, owned and managed by research professionals that helps interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of consumers, customers, and citizens around the world. Member companies assess market potential and interpret market trends to develop and test emergent or existing products or services, and build brands. They also test advertising and study audience responses to various media, and measure public opinion around the globe.

They help clients create long-term relationships with their customers, stakeholders or other constituencies. Ipsos member companies offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, modeling, and consulting and offers a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies. The company was founded in 1975 and has been publicly traded since 1999. In 2010, Ipsos generated global revenues of €1,140.8 million ($1.6 billion U.S.). Visit www.ipsos.com to learn more about Ipsos offerings and capabilities.