Customer Preferences for Online, Social Media, and Mobile Innovations in the Hospitality Industry

The study discussed here summarizes the internet search preferences and mobile device use of 2,830 recent travelers. With regard to gathering information for a hotel stay, business travelers most often follow their company's recommendation for a hotel, although many of them use search engines or online travel agents to learn more about available hotels. In contrast, recommendations of friends and colleagues are most important to leisure travelers, followed by travel-related websites, search engines, and OTAs. Once the information is gathered, however, travelers of all kinds turn more to such sources as the brand website, OTAs, and TripAdvisor. Late in the decision process, the respondents tended to land on the brand websites or go to an OTA, where they can book their room.