SINGAPORE, 18 July 2019: The value of crowd wisdom continues to be the main reason why people visit TripAdvisor.
In the latest study to measure how reviews influence booking decisions Ipsos MORI, polled over 23,000 TripAdvisor users across 12 markets.
The study attempted to measure the impact of online reviews and their role when booking hotels, restaurants and experiences.
Trusted, accurate reviews
A key finding underscored that the wisdom of the crowd remains the reason respondents visit TripAdvisor. Participating users cited the detailed and helpful reviews (70%), the accuracy of the content (62%) and the broad range of travel content (62%) as their primary reasons for visiting the site.
Across the hotel, restaurant and attraction reviews, more than four out of five (85%) participants report that the reviews they read on TripAdvisor accurately reflect their experience. 86% agree that TripAdvisor makes them feel more confident in their booking decisions.
“These findings show genuine perspectives are important when they plan trips,” said TripAdvisor senior director Trust and Safety Becky Foley.
“While there are thousands of places to obtain travel information online, people return to TripAdvisor because reviews guide them to plan a trip that is right for them.
People trust people
The results show that traveller reviews remain a go-to source of information, with 72% of respondents always or frequently reading reviews before deciding on places to stay and eat, or things to do.
The figure is even higher when it comes to accommodation bookings, with four out of five participating travellers (81%) always or frequently reading reviews before booking a place to stay.
Nearly eight out of 10 TripAdvisor users (79%) are more likely to book a hotel with a higher bubble rating when choosing between two otherwise identical properties. Over half (52%) agree that they would never book a hotel with no reviews.
Current and timely reviews are essential to travellers
Respondents indicate that the most important thing they are looking for when reading reviews is recent content. They want to know that what they are reading is a fresh perspective by a fellow traveller, with 78% focusing on the most recent reviews.
TripAdvisor users make thoughtful decisions, with nearly four out of 10 respondents (39%) saying they ignore extreme comments. Over half of respondents (55%) read multiple reviews across several pages to get an overall sense of people’s opinions. On average, TripAdvisor users read nine reviews before booking a hotel or a restaurant.
Why do we write reviews?
The results of the research emphasise that TripAdvisor is not merely a place for people to air their grievances. When asked about their motivations for writing reviews and sharing their stories on TripAdvisor, 87% of people want to share good experiences with fellow travellers. The fact that the average worldwide rating on TripAdvisor in 2018 was 4.22 supports that observation.
