WHITE PAPER:

The British Travelers

Digital Landscape
Understanding how to effectively reach online travel
shoppers in the UK

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
03 Introduction

03 Snapshot of the British digital travel consumer

03 Destinations and travel companions

03 British travelers digital content consumption

04 A multiscreen audience

06 Multiple sites, multiple visits

06 Travel site engagement

08 Resources for decision-making

09 Opportunities to influence

09 Resources for destination selection

11 The advertising impact

11 Shifts in advertising exposure during the online booking path

13 Key findings and insights

14 Conclusion

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 INTRODUCTION Like digital consumers everywhere, British travelers are flooded with con-
tent as they navigate the web to research, plan and book travel. When
organizing a trip, they turn to numerous sources to decide where to go, how
to get there and what activities to pursue. Furthermore, like an increasing
number of travel shoppers across the globe, most travelers use multiple
devices throughout the purchase process.

The booking journey for online travel shoppers in the UK is complex. For
travel marketers, understanding it can inform how, when and where to most
effectively connect with British digital consumers.

SNAPSHOT OF THE Destinations and travel companions

BRITISH DIGITAL Before examining how British travelers find information and make purchas-
TRAVEL CONSUMER es online, it is essential to understand their travel mentality. Many of todays
British travelers look beyond their own borders when planning trips. Online
travel shoppers in the UK are two times more likely to book international
trips than domestic ones.1 Extended trips are also of more interest to them
with 59% of travelers booking trips lasting one to two weeks in duration.2

In addition to booking trips abroad, British travelers tend to travel with an-
other person. The vast majority, or 88% of those travelers booking online3,
elect to travel with a companion. For 63%, that companion is their spouse
or significant other.4 There is a generational divide, however, when it comes
to travel companionship. With just one in four millennials travelling with
friends, younger travelers opt to travel alone more frequently than Gen X
and Baby Boomers.5

British travelers digital content consumption

Considering that British travelers today tend to book extended trips and
they frequently travel with companions, it is implicit that the path to pur-
chase is an increasingly complex and time consuming one. Moreover, these
trends illustrate that travel continues to be a thoughtfully considered finan-
cial decision.

With this in mind, it is not surprising that the majority of online consumers
in the UK actively connect with travel related information. Of the 50 million
people who use various digital devices in a month, three out of four of them
engage specifically with travel-related content.6

As overall digital consumption increases across categories, more people are

spending more time interacting with travel content online. In the UK, digital
travel content accounts for 2.4 billion minutes per month of peoples time,
representing a 44% increase year over year compared to 2015 (see Figure 1).

Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5: comScore Survey, 2016

Source 6: comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform Reporting, UK, February 2016

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 British travelers digital content consumption
(continued)

3 out of 4 digital users

in the UK consume
travel content.

This year-over-year growth represents an opportunity for travel brands to

grab the attention of qualified travel audiences through targeted, compel-
ling content. As the research further suggests, that content needs to be
accessible across devices.

Figure 1: Digital Travel Content Engagement - Monthly Minutes (Billions)

3,000

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

Jan 15 Feb 15 Mar 15 Apr 15 May 15 Jun 15 Jul 15 Aug 15 Sep 15 Oct 15 Nov 15 Dec 15 Jan 16 Feb 16

Source: comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform Reporting, UK, February 2016 data

A MULTISCREEN Mobile continues to be a resource for travelers, and British travelers are no
different. With the largest digital reach across mediums in the travel catego-
AUDIENCE ry, mobile reaches two million more users than desktop (see Figure 2).

Travel content can reach

27M 25M 27 million mobile users
compared to 25 million
desktop users.7

Source 7: comScore Media Metrix & Mobile Metrix Media Trend Reporting, UK, February 2015 - February 2016

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 A MULTISCREEN AUDIENCE
(CONTINUED)

Figure 2: Mobile and Desktop Reach Unique Visitors (Millions)

29,000
28,000
27,000
26,000
25,000
24,000
23,000
22,000
Feb 2015 Feb 2016

Source: comScore Media Metrix & Mobile Metrix Media Trend Reporting, UK, February 2015 - February 2016

Clearly, online consumers in the UK are turning to their mobile devices to

plan travel. Nearly half, or 49%, of smartphone owners used their device to
help plan their most recent trip. More than three in five tablet owners, or
63%, opted to use their tablet when in the planning and consideration stage
(See Figure 3).

UK consumers are not just relying on mobile, but the data indicates
multi-device consumption is growing. Whereas 34% of people in the UK
reported using multiple devices to engage with travel content in 2015, that
percentage jumped to 49% nearly half in 2016 (see Figure 4).8 This shift
represents a 44% increase in multiplatform use compared to just a year ago.

Figure 3: Smartphone and Tablet Usage While Researching TravelTravel

49% 63%
Smartphone Tablet owners
owners who who researched
researched using using their device
their device

Source: comScore Survey, 2016

Source 8: comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform Media Trend Reporting, UK, February 2015 - February 2016

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 A MULTISCREEN AUDIENCE
(CONTINUED) Travel shoppers in the UK are darting between multiple devices during
the pre-trip journey. With this in mind, it is imperative for travel brands to
connect with consumers across screens too. With nearly half of UK travelers
not prescribing to any single screen, travel brands risk leaving consumers
behind if they fail to create an integrated, multiplatform marketing strategy.

Figure 4: Multi-device on the Rise

32%

28%

34%

49%

33%

21%

Feb 2015
Feb 2016

Source: comScore Survey, 2016

MULTIPLE SITES, Travel site engagement

MULTIPLE VISITS Travel shoppers in the UK are engaged with online travel content through all
stages of the process, from inspiration all the way to booking. In aggregate,
45 days before purchase, online bookers in the UK make 121 total visits on
average to travel sites.9 Drilling down more closely into the lead-up to book-
ing, online shoppers make an average of 18.2 visits per week to travel sites.10

121
Number of visits to travel
sites made by bookers
45 days before booking

Source 9, 10: comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform Media Trend Reporting, UK, February 2015 - February 2016

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 Travel site engagement (continued)
As the booking event draws nearer, travel shoppers become even more
engaged with online content. The number of visits to travel sites for the av-
erage consumer jumps to 26.7 visits during the week of booking (see Figure
5).11 On average, consumers are visiting travel sites almost daily by the end
of the booking path.

Figure 5: Average Travel Site Visits per Week

30.0
26.7
25.0
19.4
20.0 16.2 17.2 17.2
15.2
15.0

10.0
8.8

5.0
Week 6 before Week 5 before Week 4 before Week 3 before Week 2 before Week 1 before Week of booking

Source: comScore Media Metrix & Mobile Metrix Media Trend Reporting, UK, February 2015 - February 2016

While the number of site visits travel shoppers make spikes during the week
of booking, the time spent on travel sites shows a parallel trend throughout the
purchase journey. Travel shoppers in the UK spend about an hour per week on
their desktop perusing travel sites while planning.12 That duration jumps even
higher during the week of purchase (see Figure 6), exceeding an hour.

Figure 6: Average Travel Site Minutes Per Booker per Week

100.0

50.0

Week 6 before Week 5 before Week 4 before Week 3 before Week 2 before Week 1 before Week of booking

Source: comScore UK Desktop Panel, Travel Booker Segment, Trended Average Minutes per Booker, Dec 15 Feb 16

Source 11: comScore Media Metrix Multi-Platform Media Trend Reporting, UK, February 2015 - February 2016
Source 12: comScore UK Desktop Panel, Travel Booker Segment, Trended Average Minutes per Booker, Dec 15 Feb 16

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 Resources for decision-making
The average digital travel consumer in the UK leverages more than three
types of resources, both online and offline, during their travel decision-mak-
ing process.13 Looking more closely at where consumers turn for informa-
tion, most British travel consumers engage with a variety of sites, including
destination marketing organizations (DMOs), travel information sites, hotel
and resort sites, online travel agencies (OTAs) and airline sites.

While there is growth in engagement over most travel categories as shop-

pers get nearer to booking, OTAs show consistent growth, surpassing hotels
and resorts as shoppers approach the final booking stage (see Figure 7).
Consumers rely on hotel and resort sites less as they get closer to making
a purchase, however they visit airlines sites with the highest frequency
throughout the purchase path. This is perhaps because it is usually the most
costly purchase in the travel planning process requiring more consideration.

As shown, online travel shoppers in the UK spend a significant amount of

time online researching and planning. With site visits increasing as shoppers
move closer to a purchase decision, most travel shoppers engage with travel
content from a variety of resources in the weeks before booking.

Figure 7: Average Visits to Travel Categories per Week

8.4 9.2 8.8

7.0 7.4 7.0 7.0
6.5 6.8
5.5 5.9 5.1 4.9 5.3
4.7
4.0 2.9
2.2 2.6 2.5

Week 6 before Week 5 before Week 4 before Week 3 before

DMO
8.4 8.5 7.5 8.2
6.9 7.3 Travel Information
6.7 6.5 6.2
5.5 5.3 5.9 (Trip Advisor)
2.6 2.6 2.7 Hotels & Resorts

OTA

Airlines
Week 2 before Week 1 before
Week of booking

Source: comScore UK Desktop Panel, Custom Path to Booking Visitation Analysis, Weekly Visits per User, Dec 15 Feb 16

Source 13: comScore Survey, 2016

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 OPPORTUNITIES TO Resources for destination selection
INFLUENCE

More than half of online travel

54% 46% bookers start their purchase
journey with more than one
destination in mind.

1 destination 2+ destinations
considered considered

More than half of British online travel shoppers begin their research with
multiple destinations in mind 54% are still considering multiple destina-
tions when they begin their travel booking journey.14

For those who are debating destinations, recommendations from friends

and family and online travel agencies are the top two strongest influencers
at 18% and 15% respectively (see Figure 8).

Figure 8: Influencers on Travelers Destination Decisions

Friends/family recs. 18%

Online travel agencies (Expedia.com, etc.) 15%
Search engines (Google.com, etc.) 11%
Airline sites (United.com, etc.)
9%
Hotel sites (Marriott.com, etc.) 8%
Travel information sites (Tripadvisor.com, etc.) 6%
Search engine travel sites (Yahoo.com/travel, etc.) 5%
Online travel guide sites (LonelyPlanet.com, etc.) 4%
Destination sites (Visitcalifornia.com, etc.) 3%

Source: comScore Survey, 2016

Looking even more closely at the purchase path progression, travelers en-
gage with offline and online information. Search engines as well as recom-
mendations from friends and family are highly influential at the beginning of
the journey, with both being used by 68% of consumers in their initial plan-
ning stage (see Figure 9). However, travel shoppers rely on these resources
less as they approach booking.

Source 14: comScore Survey, 2016

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 Resources for destination selection (continued)
Overlap in resource usage decreases as the purchase journey advances with
travelers turning to search engines and recommendations less and less.
During all phases of the purchase funnel, British travel consumers rely on
OTAs, hotel sites and airline sites consistently. At the booking stage, 36% of
digital consumers use airline sites, 31% use OTAs and 23% use hotel sites.

Figure 9: Resources Throughout the Path

Search Engine Airline sites

68% 68%
Friends/family Hotel sites

OTAs
49%

41% 42% 43%

36%
32% 31% 32% 31% 31%
27% 26% 27%
23%
18%
16%

8%
5%

When I first started When I was Right before booking Used to book
narrowing options

Source: comScore Survey, 2016

Drilling down further into where British travelers initially look for inspiration
in other words, the first resource they use when deciding on a destination
offline resources include recommendations from friends and family (15%)
and travel books/magazines (4%). OTAs and search engines, both of which
account for 12%, lead the online resources. Airline sites claim 10% while 6%
of people turn to hotel sites initially (see Figure 10).

Figure 10: Destination Selection for Online Resources

15%
12% 12% 10%
6% 4%

OTAs Search Engines Airline Sites Hotel Sites Family/friend Travel books/
magazines

Online Resources Offline Resources

Source: comScore Survey, 2016

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 The advertising impact
British travel shoppers are tuned in to digital content, including advertising.
Advertising influences 30% of online travel bookers who are considering
more than one destination.15

Advertising influenced 3 in 10 online travel bookers who

were considering more than one destination.

The digital advertising landscape is crowded travel advertising accounts

for just 2% of all display advertising in the UK.16 However, targeted trav-
el advertising can be highly effective. Ten percent of ads shown to online
travel bookers during their 45-day booking path are travel specific.17 When
compared to the total population, where 2% of ads are travel related, it is
apparent that targeting techniques effectively reach consumers.

Shifts in advertising exposure during the online booking path

British consumers who book a trip online will also see more ads during the
course of their booking journey. Week-by-week data shows that overall
exposure including all ads, not just those served directly on travel sites
intensifies as travel shoppers get closer to making their final purchase
(see Figure 11).

However, as impression volume increases, consumers recall declines.

Across categories (hotel, air travel, travel package, car rental and cruise),
consumers recall fewer ads as they advance down the purchase funnel, with
recall dropping by as much as 65% depending on the category (see Figure 12).

Source 15: comScore Survey, 2016

Source 16: comScore Ad Metrix, February 2016
Source 17: comScore Behavioral Desktop Panel, Travel Booker Segment, Compared Travel ads to Non Travel ads

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 Shifts in advertising exposure during the online booking path
(continued)

Figure 11: Online Travel Advertising Impressions During the Booking Path

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

Week 6 Week 5 Week 4 Week 3 Week 2 Week 1 Week of

before before before before before before booking

Hotel/Resorts DMOs Other travel

OTAs Ground Travel Cruises

Airlines Travel Information Meta Search

Source: comScore UK Desktop Panel, Custom Path to Booking Ad Impression Analysis, Travel Booker Segment, Total Ad Impressions in 45 Travel Path to Booking, Dec 15 Feb 16

Figure 12: Online Travel Advertising Recall During the Booking Path
64%
60%

52%
50%
Hotel
42% Air travel
27%
Travel package

Car rental
18%
17% Cruise
16%
14%

When I When I was Right before

first started narrowing options booking

Source: comScore Survey, 2016

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 Shifts in advertising exposure during the online booking path
(continued)

More than half of British travel bookers recall advertising when they start
their booking journey. But, on average, that recall drops to just 16% right
before the booking decision is made as impressions increase (see Figure 13).
Digital travel consumers continue to engage with travel sites, but advertisers
face increasing competition for shoppers attention.

Figure 13: Online Travel Advertising Recall & Impressions

25,000 23,705 60%

Average number
50% of weekly
20,000 54% 16,389
impressions
40%
15,000 Average recall
30% rate
9,669 32%
10,000 20%

10%
5,000 16%
0%
When I When I was Right before
first started narrowing options booking

Source: ccomScore UK Desktop Panel, Custom Path to Booking Ad Impression Analysis, Travel Booker Segment,
Total Ad Impressions in 45 Travel Path to Booking, Dec 15 Feb 16

KEY FINDINGS Connecting with online travel shoppers in the UK

AND INSIGHTS By understanding how British online travel shoppers choose their destina-
tions and make travel purchases, travel marketers have an opportunity to
more effectively reach and engage this audience. Based on the research,
here are three key insights for travel marketers.

Create efficiencies for travel bookers with compelling content

that can be accessed across devices. The digital travel industry in
the UK shows tremendous capacity to connect with consumers across
desktop and mobile devices. While mobile outpaces desktop use for
travel content, consumers move fluidly across devices. This means it
is imperative for travel marketers to create responsive content that
connects with travelers and accounts for their device agnosticism by
providing a cohesive, integrated experience across screens.

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 Connecting with online travel shoppers in the UK (continued)

Leverage online channels and partnerships that provide

efficient and scalable reach through all phases of the consumer
journey. Since more than half of online travel bookers begin their
purchase journey with multiple destinations in mind, advertising has
the opportunity to reach and influence consumers final decision. In
addition to recommendations from family and friends, a significant
number of travelers use OTAs and search engines to choose a des-
tination. Throughout the purchase path, bookers consistently use
OTAs, airline sites and hotel sites, relying less on search engines and
personal recommendations as they get closer to making a purchase
decision. Accordingly, marketers should create a fully integrated ap-
proach that accounts for shoppers use of various resources as their
booking journey progresses.

Consider shopper habits and influential touch points

throughout the entire booking journey to determine marketing
objectives and create an integrated strategy. At the initial point
of inspiration for consumers, ad penetration is lowest and recall is
highest. This represents an opportunity for travel advertisers to in-
fluence and maintain share of voice. Advertising influences nearly a
third of travelers who have multiple destinations in mind, and those
who book travel are five times more likely to see travel advertising
than non-bookers. By understand the entire path to purchase, travel
marketers can effectively target and connect with online travel shop-
pers as they research, plan and book.

CONCLUSION The digital space is crowded during British consumers purchase journey,
and the path they pursue is far from straightforward. As travelers explore
the options considering vacation spots, transportation options, leisure
activities and more they interact with an enormous amount of online
content. In the 45 days before making a purchase, British travel consumers
visit travel sites an average of 121 times. They also use a variety of devices
to do so.

Considering consumers content-rich journey, there are both challenges and

significant opportunities for travel marketers. With an integrated strategy
that accounts for behavior at all stages of the booking journey, from inspi-
ration to final purchase, marketers can effectively reach and ultimately
influence travel shoppers in the UK.

Delve deeper into the online travel shopping habits

of consumers in the UK.
DOWNLOAD THE FULL STUDY: bit.ly/BritishTravelPathToPurchase

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Expedia Media Solutions, the advertising arm of Expedia, Inc., offers
industry expertise and digital marketing solutions that allow brands
to reach, engage and influence its qualified audience of travelers
around the world. Through its vast network of leading travel brands
and global sites, Expedia Media Solutions provides partners with
data-driven insights about traveler behaviors during every stage of the
purchase journey, along with dynamic advertising solutions, to deliver
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