Just as there are different reasons to travel, there are different ways to prepare for a trip. Booking.com, the world’s largest online booking platform, published a market survey of more than 21,500 respondents in 29 countries, including Mexico. Among its results were findings on how Mexicans research before they travel.
Informed travelers
How do we consume and use travel information? Big, heavy guidebooks are a thing of the past; they have turned into short, personalized content. Today, bloggers and travel content sites carry more and more weight in the industry. Valuable information comes from the people who create and share first-hand content that connects with their audience.
In fact, 3 out of 5 Mexican travelers use technologies that send them suggestions based on their history, that is, information tailored to their travel searches. And 68% approve of using digital or interactive tours while planning their next vacation.
Tech-savvy travelers
Apps are everything. 77% of the travelers surveyed said they were more excited about being able to track their luggage in real time through an app than about any other innovation. We are talking about platforms to prepare the trip, find flights and accommodation, get around, communicate, manage a budget, eat and socialize, among many others. The study also found that 72% want a single app that lets them plan, book and cover other travel needs in one place.
Learning travelers
Mexican travelers want to give their trips special meaning, and knowledge and experiences are the way to get it. 88% of respondents were interested in taking part in a cultural exchange to learn new skills, languages or a trade during their trip.
The survey also shows that 71% of respondents would consider a work exchange in another destination, while 63% would like to take a volunteer trip. As new generations sharpen their preferences, the travel industry changes with them.
Conscious travelers
They want their trip not to disrupt the way of life in the places they visit. 63% of respondents consider a country’s social conditions before booking. They also want their gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation not to be an obstacle to traveling safely. All of this is part of their research before choosing a destination and organizing the logistics of a trip.
Whether the goal is a first-hand experience or learning something new, preparation before any trip is vital. A destination that knows what travelers look for, and how, can influence where and when they go.
The study was conducted by Booking.com, independently, with a sample of adults who traveled in 2018. A total of 21,500 people took part (1,000 each from Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Indonesia, Colombia and South Korea, and 500 each from Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel). Participants answered the online survey between August 10 and 30, 2018.
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Originally published in Spanish in October 2019: Cómo los mexicanos investigan antes de viajar.
