ILTM reveals new insights into the Luxury Traveller and Social Media

ILTM Americas, the Americas’ largest and most exclusive gathering of the luxury travel industry has revealed a new report identifying a unique insight into the experiences that luxury travellers seek and share online. 

‘The Luxury Traveller & Social Media: The Americas’ highlights that luxury traveller behaviour patterns - and specifically the way purchasing decisions are influenced - are now redefined by the ‘Millennial’ generation, who seek ‘Instagram-able’ experiences that are visual, one-of-a-kind and will generate buzz amongst their social networks. The Millennial generation (those born between 1980 and 2000) is responsible for the growth of social media in record time. 

In 2013, there will be a total of 278 million internet users across Latin America, for the first time surpassing the number of users in both North America and Europe. During the research period, social postings by North American luxury travellers increased by 130% while social posting by Latin American luxury travellers increased by 304%. The satisfactions levels among both groups also steadily increased.

‘The Luxury Traveller & Social Media: The Americas’ was produced by Circos Brand Karma, global leaders in hospitality industry digital analysis and management and will be presented by the company’s COO and Co-Founder, Mario Jobbe at ILTM Americas on Monday 30 September. With a specific focus on the Americas, the report analyses the key findings of 541,186 reviews written for more than 2000 luxury hotels worldwide (researched between January 2011 and June 2013). The report interprets and identifies the preferences and behaviour of current and future generations of luxury travellers and explains the key changes across the global luxury travel landscape. 

The report also highlights that 5000 Facebook ‘Likes’, a Tripadvisor rating of at least 4.5 and a strong presence on Instagram, YouTube or Pinterest are now considered the new minimum levels for social media excellence. North Americans and Europeans place the most online hotel reviews, but it is the emerging markets that lead in engagement on Facebook, Pinterest and other social networks.

Simon Mayle, Head of Marketing for ILTM comments:

“The Luxury Traveller & Social Media: The Americas’ report highlights the increasing importance of digital content in influencing today’s luxury traveller. At ILTM Americas, we will hear from leading luxury travel advisors who have created multi-voiced Facebook and Twitter campaigns which communicate their own true passion and knowledge for hyper-personalised travel experiences, and as a result, are seeing significant growth in their networks of Millennial clients.” 

There is a marked difference between North American and Latin American travellers’ preferences based on their social media reviews; North Americans seeking experiential travel with high values placed on helpfulness, empathetic service and aesthetics and Latin Americans prioritising the more key functions such as room and restaurant standards.

ILTM Americas takes place from 30 September – 3 October at Riviera Maya, Mayakoba, Mexico, hosting up to 69 pre-scheduled, one to one appointments between up to 230 buyers and 230 suppliers, with a detailed programme of social networking activities throughout. 

To download a copy of ‘The Luxury Traveller & Social Media: The Americas’, please go to www.iltm.com/socialmedia.