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The Role of Social Media and Mobile Gadgets in Tourism
Social media and various handheld devices have become a part of our lives, and so they have a significant impact on all aspects of modern lifestyle, including tourism. This statement has been presented in the latest study commissioned by Text100 Global Communications. The main aim of the study was to examine the impact of social media and mobile devices on four main aspects of travel – inspiration, decision, purchase, and experience.
The questions of the study were asked to 4,600 consumers from 13 countries of the world. According to its results, 63% of respondents say that recommendations by friends and family are the most important travel decision making factor for them. Since social media makes connections between friends and family members easier, the majority of respondents were positive about it.
Approximately 87% of respondents under 34 call Facebook their source of travel inspiration. Many respondents mentioned other platforms, such as Twitter, Pinterest, etc. While on vacation, 68% of respondents say they actively use mobile devices to keep in touch with friends and family members. This is significantly more than taking photos (43% of respondents) or reading news (20%).
Travellers from Asia Pacific say that social media is their inspiration when choosing a holiday destination (70%). Over 50% of survey participants listen to friends’ recommendations. In Europe, a third of travellers (33%) read travel blogs and reviews to make decisions.
As it can be seen from the study, fast digitalization of modern life makes its impact on all spheres of human life. Therefore, hotels and travel companies need to be more active in offering their services online and maintaining communication with vacationers.
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