The Traveler's Path to
Purchase study, commissioned by Expedia Media Solutions and conducted by
Compete, examined the 45-day period leading up to a vacation package booking to
determine what the US consumer's path to purchase looks like. It identified
online consumption habits of the average vacation package booker who had
visited an online travel agency (OTA) and a destination marketing organization
(DMO). Key trends identified by the report include:
OTA's Pertinent to All
Phases of Booking Process: The study found that OTAs were used for more than
just last minute price comparisons. Only 35 percent of all OTA visits the week
of a package booking occurred the same day as the booking, implying that
additional research was conducted during that time period.
General and Travel Content
Consumption Spike During Purchase Path: The study revealed that as consumers
got closer to booking a vacation package, overall internet usage increased,
with travel content showing the biggest jump.
Consumers made 38 visits to travel sites in the 45 days leading up to a
package booking, but consumption of travel content more than doubled during the
week of booking. On average, they made over 16 website visits on the day of
booking, 30 percent of which were to travel sites, which includes everything
from OTAs to hotel, airline and review sites.
Retail and Travel Site
Consumption Patterns Align: In the 45 days leading up to a package booking,
retail sites were visited almost as frequently as travel sites. Vacation
bookers visited retail websites 36.6 times in the 45-day path to purchase
period, while travel sites were visited 38 times. During the week of booking,
however, retail site visitation dropped while travel site visitation peaked. By
leveraging a travel site partnership, a retail brand could potentially remain
top of mind for consumers throughout the entire 45-day period.
DMO Visitation Patterns
and the Billboard Effect: While OTAs dominated the pre-booking research
landscape in the travel category, with over 47 percent of site visits, DMO
visits grew to over six percent – a 30 percent increase since 2010. Travelers
checking DMO sites prior to visiting an OTA site converted 32 percent higher
nine to 24 days ahead of booking. Alternatively, outside of that select time
period, travelers visiting DMO sites did not convert as well, illustrating that
a partnership between OTAs and DMOs has the potential to drive conversions and
be mutually beneficial for both parties.
"Through this study
we're able to better understand what the overall purchase path looks like –
from the initial research phase through to the booking process – and how we can
develop dynamic products and solutions that will help our partners stay
top-of-mind with consumers," said Noah Tratt, global vice president,
Expedia Media Solutions. "We're continuously sharing knowledge with our
partners with the goal of creating a synergistic relationship that also delivers
a relevant and dynamic user experience."