Turns out influencers have very little influence over travellers

Young woman on a summer vacation vlogging from the city

Recent research has shone a light on what factors influence your clients travel decisions.

And guess what? It turns out social media influencers were ranked the LEAST influential when it comes to booking travel.

According to Amadeus’ Journey of Me Insights report, the sources that have the most impact on Aussie travel choices are travel reviews (eg, on TripAdvisor) which tied with online booking sites.

The second highest ranking influence was family, friends or colleagues, followed by travel guides, and brochures which tied with travel agents.

So, unfortunately, agents aren’t the most influential factors when it comes to trip planning.

But don’t fret, because when it comes to booking, research from AFTA shows that more than 70 per cent of all Australian travellers have booked at least some part of their trip with an Australian travel agent.

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While social media in general did have some effect, celebrities and influencers had very little impact.

The Journey of Me insights surveyed a total of 6,870 people from 14 markets in Asia Pacific that have travelled by plane in the last 12 months.

The study also showed what kids of advice travellers are looking for in their booking process, with advice on how to save money coming out on top (44 per cent of Aussie respondents) which was particularly important to baby boomers as compared with younger generations.

The next most popular recommendations were how to identify the best sightseeing options, followed by how to find the best experiences.


Do you have something to say about this? Get in touch with Travel Weekly Editor Ali Coulton at alexandra@travelweekly.com.au

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

    Latest comments
    1. It’s a really interesting survey. Of course, the chicken has to start with an egg. Take MONA and Tasmania for example. Did the egg deliver MONA or vice versa? And given that MONA is – after all – just an art gallery (albeit very provocative) would that be enough to get you to Hobart? You need a spark in tourism to get things going, but can a ‘spark’ be manufactured? Very deep questions for a Friday afternoon, but thought provoking story.

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