This week Tourism Research Australia has just released some new research into tourism businesses use of the internet in Australia.
The internet has been steadily increasing as an information source for all visitors in recent years. In 2010, 29 million international and domestic visitors used the internet for information prior to commencing their trip, up 11% since 2007.
Findings
84% of all tourism businesses that take bookings have an online presence:
71% on their own website
74% on others’ website
Research commissioned by the Tourism Ministers’ Council Digital Distribution Working Group show that while internet presence is high for Australian tourism operators, booking and payment capabilities remain low.
It would have been nice to see some research breaking down Social Media usage among the travel industry but perhaps that is available in a more detailed report.
Download the Snapshots 2011 Internet Use in Trip Planning and Booking pdf