Most Travelers Rely on Independent Trip Planning

In a recent survey conducted by Expert Market research, to study the sources that people rely on to plan their trips, independent planning via online sources and social media emerged as the top preference of 50% respondents. This result indicates towards the authenticity of these sources, which is preferred by the modern-day travelers.

Digital platforms are shaping the way consumers take their day-to-day decisions, helping them in every action they take. This also stands true for when people decide to plan their tours and trips. While this might seem like an exciting process, it involves working out every little aspect from which place to consider to budgeting allocation and where to stay.

Sources Preferred For Trip Planning

A recent study conducted by Expert Market Research, surveying travellers across India, aimed to understand the evolving preferences and behaviours of modern travellers and demonstrated how people like to plan and prepare for their trips and tours, and the sources they rely on the most.

The study uncovered that most people prefer online sources to plan their trips, revealing a clear shift towards digital platforms as the primary resource for travel information and inspiration, highlighting the growing influence of technology in the travel industry in India. Exploring the trends of travel planning, the primary motive of the survey was to study the sources that people resort to, to obtain the required information regarding their travel. As per the results, 50% of the respondents prefer to conduct independent research and rely the most on online sources such as travel websites, blogs, forums, and social media. This is further followed by referring to recommendation from friends, family with a share of 18.63%, relying on their suggestions and past experiences.

Travel apps and agencies are the choice of mere 17.65% of the respondents, who would rather decide themselves through individual scanning for where they wish to take a trip to. A collective 13.63% of people prefer package tours, travel guidebooks, etc.

Independent research via online platforms allows people to tailor their tours as per their convenience and interests. It enables them to look at a wide variety of alternatives and choose what will work out best for them according to their weather preference, budget allocation, etc. Along with this, social media gives a real time view of the first-hand experiences of other travellers on the internet, helping consumers make an unbiased choice.

Trust On Social Media For Travel Information

The preference for independent trip planning through online sources and social media clearly reflects the gen z’s desire for convenience, personalization, cost-effectiveness, and authentic experiences.

Furthermore, our study offers insights related to consumer behaviour when it comes to the tour and travel industry, discussing topics on the preferred types of destinations, budgeting, online travel platforms and factors affecting the same to devise targeted plans for each segment.