People who read online travel reviews are more likely to complete an online travel transaction, according to research firm PhoCusWright.
The travel technology research firm found that in 2010, 8% of unique visitors to online travel agencies made an online booking at least once in that month, and approximately 9% of all people who visited a hotel website booked on a hotel website at least once in that month.
That conversion number jumps when the visitor clicks through to a traveler review.
About 12% of unique visitors make a booking in the same month after reading travel reviews on OTAs, and 13% after reading reviews on hotel websites.
“There is a clear case for why OTAs have invested so much in building review-content platforms,” Douglas Quinby, senior director of research at PhoCusWright, said during a webinar revealing the findings.