According to STR’s Consumer Travel Insights 2019 report, 70 percent of travelers used online review sites. TripAdvisor was a particularly popular planning resource used by 40 percent of travelers. However, word of mouth was still very important with 51 percent of travelers using personal recommendations to help plan their trip.

The five-report series, compiled by STR’s Tourism Consumer Insights team, examined each stage of the traveler journey—planning, booking, budgeting and how technology and travel brands interact with travelling.

Of those who booked their holiday through an OTA, 55 percent used the service because it enabled comparison of multiple accommodation options. Only 30 percent of travelers used the service because it offered the best deal.

52 percent of travelers set a budget for their most recent trip, but 29 percent of budgeters overspent their allotted amount. 41 percent of travelers have at some point used Airbnb, with 92 percent being aware of the property sharing service. These results indicate that Airbnb usage is greater than awareness of its next-closest home-sharing competitor—HomeAway was used by 10 percent of travelers and 35 percent were aware of the platform.