A recent study Google conducted with Ipsos MediaCT (read the report) shows that two out of three U.S. consumers watch online travel videos when they are thinking about taking a trip to know more about the destination they are visiting, as well as to learn some local tips or points of interest.
Bronwyn White: Embrace video with a passion.
The influence of video in the traveller’s path to purchase has also surged, over 100% in the past 12 months, said research specialist MyTravelResearch.
In its video brief of this latest trend, “Way to Go”, the company said this was “pretty powerful stuff” and companies could leverage on this trend as part of their tactical marketing strategy.
The Google study revealed:
- Views of travel-related content was up 118% year-on-year on YouTube.
- Travel video watching rose 97% on smartphones and 205% on tablets.
- 88% of YouTube travel searches were on destinations, attractions, points of interest and general travel ideas – in that order.
- The majority of travel-related views (67%) were for brand or professionally released videos.
- Some 71% of travel related searches on YouTube were for destinations such as London, Sydney or Phuket.
MyTravelResarach noted that viewers now want to connect with creators and travel brands, not just by watching once, but by subscribing to continue viewing. Authentic, real life stories are especially popular. Nearly half of the travel subscriptions are to video blogs that feature personal travel experiences – warts and all.
Its co-founder, Bronwyn White, said, “If an image is worth a thousand words, a good video is worth tens of thousands of dollars. As video becomes a bigger part of the traveller’s path to purchase, the tourism industry needs to embrace video with a passion.”
She added that successful tourism entities are turning to video to tell stories about people and experiences. “Show your secrets. Make videos with professionals – or start of doing it yourself by making videos using images from your smartphone.”
