Special offers determine holiday destinations, says TripAdvisor
Special offers determine holiday destinations for half of all travellers, a TripAdvisor global study of 44,000 people has found.
The TripBarometer study, conducted by independent research firm Ipsos on behalf of TripAdvisor, also found that one in four European travellers and one in three globally are planning to spend more on travel in 2016.
Surprisingly, air conditioning was found to be a more important factor for accommodation choice than Wi-Fi availability, which goes against the findings of other industry reports.
Helena Egan, director of TripAdvisor's global industry relations, said: "Value is key for global travellers in 2016, as they look to get the most out of their trips. The majority of global travellers expect essential amenities such as Wi-Fi to be included in the price of their hotel.
"This year's TripBarometer reveals key trends including hoteliers' plans to invest heavily in online reputation management."
Other findings of the TripBarometer study:
Accommodation packages are the leading type of special offer, with 21% of respondents saying they have chosen to visit somewhere because of a hotel's special offer.
Personal recommendation power is important; with 29% of travellers saying they have visited a destination because it was recommended by a friend or relative.
Almost half of all travellers globally will not consider a hotel that does not have free Wi-Fi, although one in 10 say they would be willing to pay extra for super-fast Wi-Fi.
Three in four business owners are optimistic about profitability in 2016, mostly due to local events and conferences.
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