A recent study conducted by TripAdvisor, in partnership with Ipsos MORI, among 23,000 users of the server throughout 12 markets revealed the huge impact online reviews have on travel booking.
The survey conducted in Australia, China, France, German-speaking countries, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States showed that the reviews remain an important source of information for travelers. In fact, 72% of respondents frequently or even systematically read TripAdvisor before making a decision on their choice of accommodation, restaurant or travel experience.
This ratio is even higher when it comes to booking accommodation, as four in five respondents (81%) frequently or systematically read the reviews before booking a hotel room. In addition, nearly 8 in 10 (79%) Tripadvisor users are more likely to book a hotel with a higher rating when they hesitate between two identical facilities. Another statistic to remember is that more than half of the participants (52%) agreed that they would never book a hotel without reading the reviews.
When researching their trips, respondents also state that the reviews need to be recent to be considered legitimate. Nearly four-in-ten (39%) say they ignore extreme reviews, and more than half (55%) read multiple reviews over multiple pages to get a general sense of what travelers think.
Finally, on average, TripAdvisor users read nine comments before making a decision on a hotel or restaurant reservation.