What Influences Travelers?

Getting inside the mind of the traveler can be tricky: How do they choose their destinations? What types of things do they consider? How does social media play a part?

Keep reading to learn the answers.

According to Expedia Group's new Multi-National Travel Trends survey, not all vacations are created equal. The information gathered lends interesting insight that's worth keeping in mind.

The top three activities and motivations for travel for those in the United States include visiting family, sightseeing and relaxing, with those travelers largely choosing to travel by plane. When it comes to budget, Americans allocate 27 percent of their overall trip budget for their hotel, 20 percent for their flight and 11 percent for attractions and tours. They're looking to get the most value out of their trip—be sure to highlight your special deals—yet they will ultimately make travel decisions with their heart rather than their wallet.

Overall, travelers are considering two or more destinations when beginning to plan their travel, with approximately 40 percent having already made up their mind prior to entering the planning stages. Online travel agencies and search engines topped the charts in regard to planning, followed closely by travel review sites.

But the really good news? Approximately 75 percent of travelers are open to help and inspiration when planning a trip, versus the 25 percent that say they know exactly what they have in mind.

Americans are interested in experiencing explorative activities and bucket list adventures while on their trips and are—unsurprisingly—highly influenced by social media. Approximately 55 percent of American travelers indicated they were drawn in by a deal or promotion, followed by those influenced by travel photos posted by friends or travel writers/bloggers in the industry.

It's also important to note that Americans overwhelmingly indicated that they respond positively to ads with appealing imagery above all else, but still strongly rely on informative content.

What are you doing to influence your customer base?

Written by Sarah Suydam, Staff Writer for Groups Today.