Thursday, May 22, 2008

Online Travel Buyers Like Podcasts and Video

Rich content and social media—including podcasts or live online video and traveler-generated reviews from within and outside of one's social network—can help determine where leisure travel will be purchased online, says PhoCusWright. Nine out of 10 online travel buyers say travel-related podcasts and online video influence their purchases, the research firm says in its new PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey Tenth Edition. The new report examines the critical influence of rich media, reviews and Web 2.0 in online travel purchasing. Findings indicate that the vast majority of U.S. online travelers are influenced by anonymous feedback and recommendations from fellow travelers. The most popular are reviews from people they do not know, travel blogs/online diaries and travel review Web sites. Visit http://www.phocuswright.com/.