5 Travel Social Media Trends for 2013

Here at Turner PR, it seems like we always have travel on the brain, so we?ve compiled a list of important social media trends and noteworthy statistics for travelers to keep an eye out for in 2013.

1. Review Websites: Personal recommendations have always been an important element in travel planning, but with review websites like TripAdvisor and Yelp, they?ve become even more prevalent. Approximately half of leisure travelers read reviews before booking travel, and with more than 50 million social reviews on TripAdvisor alone, there?s plenty of information for readers to consider before making purchasing decisions. Going into 2013, brands, hotels and?restaurants?need to keep a close on their review ratings.

2. Facebook Sharing: Going hand-in-hand with reading and sharing online reviews, travelers are especially tuned in to Facebook. Approximately 70 percent of Facebook users update their status while on vacation, while 76 percent post trip photos to Facebook. The social influence directly translates to travel planning, as 69 percent of all travel companies saw traffic growth from Facebook in 2012 and it?s expected to grow even more in 2013. Of course, it probably doesn?t hurt that 52 percent of Facebook users say their friends? photos inspired their next trip.

3.?Mobile Use: Considering that there are now more iPhones sold per second than babies born, it should come as no surprise that mobile travel planning also has skyrocketed. ?In 2012, Orbitz reported 6 million people used a mobile device to shop for travel, which was more than double from the previous year and will only grow more in 2013, and the use of mobile travel apps have also increased, led by Kayak with approximately 1 million monthly users.

4. Pinterest Planning: As more and more Pinterest users utilize the convenience of ?pinning? to plan their upcoming (or dream) vacations, tourism offices, travel agencies and hotel companies alike are taking advantage of this visual social media site to create boards illustrating their properties, amenities and nearby attractions. Considering that approximately 80 percent of pins are repins, this gives travel companies a great opportunity to be shared over and over by Pinterest users. In 2013, Pinterest analytics will play a major role in tracking realtime user traffic and usability.

5. Social Stays: Travelers are increasingly seeking authentic, local experiences?as well as great travel deals?which has resulted in a surge of social travel websites like Staydu and Stays At Friends, allowing users to stay with locals or book accommodations in personal homes. Online rental booking company Airbnb has approximately 580,000 stays per year, while global travel community CouchSurfing has approximately 680,000 stays per year. For brands and hotels, it?s becoming more important to?integrate?local and?authentic?experiences.

Blog post by: Laura Mier?

Source: http://www.turnerpr.com/blog/2012/10/5-travel-social-media-trends-2013/

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