For tour operators such as Janet Redler Travel & Tourism, understanding when visitors decide to visit Britain, and when they actually book their trip or aspects of their trip, is vitally important.

Therefore, we were pleased to see the results of new research, commissioned by VisitBritain in 20 markets in spring 2016, which help to reveal the key factors in the vacation decision making process. Some of the findings are set out below. 

Research and planning

Almost half of visitors to Britain started thinking about their trip more than six months in advance and a further 31% started thinking between three and six months in advance. For visitors from the USA – one of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism’s most important markets – more than 60% started thinking about their trip more than six months in advance.

Globally, the biggest influence on destination choice is word of mouth, with talking to friends and family key for 40% of visitors and those considering visiting. For those from the United States, websites providing traveller reviews of destinations (e.g. TripAdvisor) and information from search engines are also extremely important.

Britain’s cultural attractions remain the top reason to visit Britain, with 42% of visitors and 47% of considerers citing this as a key reason for visiting or considering visiting.

Booking

Half of visitors to Britain booked their travel and accommodation separately, and the other half booked as a package. With the exception of Australia and New Zealand, long-haul visitors were more likely to book their trip to Britain as a package, with 70% of US visitors booking this way.

Almost two thirds of travel bookings took place directly with the provider, just over half of accommodation bookings were made directly, and the majority (62%) of holiday bookings were made via a travel agent, operator or comparison site. Whilst two thirds of these bookings were made online, over a quarter were still booked face to face.

Technology and social media

Over two thirds of previous or potential visitors to the UK say that they like to stay connected when on holiday. Three quarters agree that their smartphone is essential when they travel, and 56% say the same for their tablets.

Whilst on holiday, social media is most often used to keep in touch with home, followed by posting or uploading photos. Facebook dominates social media usage, and this is highest amongst visitors from the USA, with over 67% using Facebook at least once a day. For US visitors, over a third are also using YouTube, Twitter and Instagram at least once a day.

The majority of international travellers (61%) have shared photos of a holiday online, and 42% have done the same for video. Whilst many are happy to use their smartphones abroad, an overwhelming proportion (83%) wish that it was cheaper.

Valuable insights

“It is fascinating to discover more about the motivations and behaviours of visitors, or potential visitors, to Britain,” said Janet Redler, Chief Executive of Janet Redler Travel & Tourism. “It is extremely useful for tour operators like us to find out how visitors from our key markets go about planning and booking their vacations and the latest VisitBritain research has provided us with some valuable insights. It is also interesting to see how important technology and social media has become for international travellers.”

Click here to read more about the VisitBritain research, and if you or your group would like to find out more about arranging your own tailor made tour of the UK & Ireland, please do contact Janet Redler Travel & Tourism.