Travellers want to be inspired when planning and booking travel

Below are the key findings with regards to the frustrations travellers face when planning travel.

It’s not really too much information, but it feels like it

The biggest issue in travel planning for most markets is perceived to be information overload. But more specifically it is the organization and navigability of content that typically discourages people, along with a healthy dose of irrelevant information. Summarizing information at a high level, then allowing consumers to drill for more detail can help cut the clutter.

Frugality fuels frustration

Many consumers feel like they are making a hasty, potentially regrettable purchase if they do not shop around. In addition, the pricing volatility resulting from the practice of yield management has created substantial anxiety about when to book. It can feel like a game of chicken to the traveler who wonders if he should wait or book. Tools that support price benchmarking for shoppers can help address this booking anxiety.

Destination decisions need support

Roughly half of discretionary travellers in developed markets and nearly two thirds in emerging markets do not have a specific destination in mind when they start their trip planning process. Yet, it is not easy to browse destinations on most travel websites today. Especially for inexperienced travellers coming from emerging markets, there is a need for better roll-ups and condensed snapshots of information such as seasonal temperature/precipitation and price ranges. Freshness and accuracy of destination information is also an issue, particularly for emerging markets.

For more insights and an in-depth explanation of the methodology used in this study - download the full Empowering inspiration: the future of travel search study .

What things frustrate you when planning travel?