Travel agencies remain the most popular
touchpoint for Malaysian travellers when planning their vacations both online
and off, according to GfK's Consumer Travel Tracker research.
The research was conducted online in Malaysia
from last December to January 2015 with over 500 respondents who had made a
travel booking in the last three months.
About 80 per cent of Malaysian travellers use
online channels when planning their trips, with 45 per cent using both online
and offline platforms and the remaining using only the Internet. Offline
channels continue to play an important role as they are still used by one in
five travellers.
Around 40 per cent of those surveyed said
they use travel agency websites, making it the most popular of all the online
and offline touch points. OTAs and airline websites are the next two most
frequently used sources, as indicated by 33 and 30 per cent of respondents
respectively.
“Consumers are relying heavily on the
Internet, so it is very important that travel agencies establish a strong
presence on this platform to reach out to a wider audience,” said managing
director of GfK Malaysia, Selinna Chin.
About two-thirds of the respondents prefer
bundled packages that include ticket and accommodation.
The study also revealed that Malaysian
consumers tend to be mid-term bookers, with 41 per cent preferring to book
their trips three to four months in advance.
Their top-three booking purposes are for
family travel, rest and relaxation, and packaged holidays.
Asian
countries remain the choice destinations for 86 per cent of respondents, with
China being the most popular, followed by Hong Kong, South Korea and Thailand.
-TTG Asia.
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