Agoda.com, one of Asia’s leading hotel booking sites and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group, has announced the results of its most recent Travel Smarts survey, which shows travelers trust online forums and blogs most when making travel plans.
The survey, conducted in April and May 2015, asked over 5,500 Agoda.com customers from all over the world which sources they found most reliable when making travel plans. Online forums were the most popular, with 34% of respondents choosing them. Blogs and independent websites came in second with 28% of the vote. Online sources combined, which includes forums, blogs and travel apps, took 71% of the vote.
“It’s no surprise that more and more travelers trust online sources the most. When travelers turn to internet resources, they benefit from the combined knowledge and experience of countless other travelers, and can also target their research to suit their particular needs in a way they never could before,” says John Brown, COO of Agoda.com.
Only 12% of respondents selected guidebooks. As for sharing information with others after they’ve traveled, 79% of respondents said they posted reviews, commented on blogs or posted on social media about their travel experiences (respondents were only allowed to select one choice).
Agoda Company Pte Ltd (Agoda.com) is an Asia-based, online accommodation reservations company, which specializes in securing the lowest discount accommodation prices. Agoda.com is part of The Priceline Group. Agoda.com’s network includes more than 600,000 hotels and other accommodation properties worldwide. The multinational staff of more than 1,700 professionals, located throughout the world, provides a first-rate reservation service that uniquely combines local knowledge and local connections to provide the best accommodation deals to both business and leisure travelers. A member of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), Agoda.com’s aim is to promote travel by making it affordable and accessible to more people. AGODA is a registered trademark of AGIP LLC, used under license by Agoda Company Pte. Ltd.
