12 NEWS The Evolution of the Travel Lifecycle TripAdvisor’s Adrian Hands outlines plans to roll out instant booking on a global scale In ITBBerlin’s eTravelWorld today, Adrian Hands, TripAdvisor’s Senior Director, CPC Sales EMEA, will be talking about the travel lifecycle – how it has changed over time and what that means for consumers, the hospitality sector and specifically for TripAdvisor. We asked him how travel planning is changing over time. We see that in a constantly connected world with endless options and multiple platforms to choose from, there are more and more travellers who want a streamlined way to research, organize and book their trips. We also learned from our Phocuswright study* that the majority of travellers want to be able to read reviews, compare prices and make a booking – all in one convenient location and including accommodations, eateries and attractions. Through our instant booking platform, travellers are able to book a hotel on desktop and mobile, without leaving the site. TripAdvisor instant booking is now fully rolled out across 11 countries: Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, UK and US. We expect a global rollout of instant booking in the first half of 2016. How should hoteliers and receptives be adapting to the times? The key is to understand consumers’ behaviour and how it is changing. It is not just the shift to online booking that is important, there is also the shift to mobile to consider. On top of that, you have to consider the channels and platforms consumers use to plan their trips, and ultimately what gives them the confidence to make their final decision to book. At TripAdvisor, our mission is to be a positive force for the travel industry, promoting transparency within the sector and providing consumers with the information they need in order to make that final booking decision. By embracing and engaging with customer feedback on platforms like ours, hoteliers are not just able to identify ways to improve their product but also build trust with potential customers, and even create a route through which to drive direct bookings on mobile and desktop. Adrian Hands Senior Director, CPC Sales EMEA, TripAdvisor Hall 8.1 / Stand 105 * The 2015 ‘Custom Survey Research Engagement’ was an independent study of 14,991 respondents conducted by Phocuswright on behalf of TripAdvisor. WE EXPECT A GLOBAL ROLLOUT OF INSTANT BOOKING IN THE FIRST HALF OF 2016. ITB BERLIN NEWS • Wednesday 9 th March 2016 www.itb-berlin-news.com
