Thai travel spend grows

BANGKOK, 8 May 2013: Thais will spend more on travel in 2013 while relying more on the internet and social network, according to TripAdvisors’ latest TripBarometer.

Released last week, TripBarometer by TripAdvisor is based upon an online survey compiled in December 2012 to January 2013, by StrategyOne, a division of Edelman Berland, a global research and insights firm.

Trip Advisor said 35,042 people participated in the online survey from 26 countries spanning seven regions. The sample was made up of 15,595 consumers and 19,447 corporates. 510 travellers in Thailand participated.

According to the TripBarometer, 83% of Thais polled in the survey said they are planning to increase their travel spend in 2013. Only 6% cited they are planning to spend less with 11% spending the same as last year.

72% of Thai respondents said price was the most important factor that influenced accommodation bookings following by location (58%), attractions or nearby activities (50%); accommodation amenities (45%), and online reviews (30%).

In addition, 72% said they would consider one to five properties before making a booking, while 21% said they would consider six to 10 properties and 3% said they would consider 11 to 15 properties.

The TripBarometer also showed that 94% used the internet to research travel.

They identified travel review websites as the top source of information (68%) following by travel operator websites (66%) and friends and family (55%).

In addition, Thai travellers use social networks even during a trip. They are some of the biggest users globally (52%) when researching and planning their trips, with the most popular being Facebook (88%) ahead of Google+ (58%), and Twitter (22%).

TripAdvisor Asia Pacific vice president, Cindy Tan, said: “In an ever connected world, it is clear that Thai travellers are turning to the internet …. from researching their trips to getting advice and recommendations on where to go and to keeping in contact with friends.”

Sourced: ttgasia