Explorative Brits make unexpected travel choices this summer

Bing Ads today releases insights into UK consumers’ expected travel plans this summer, which reveals Britain’s silver surfers are becoming hooked on sharing economy services, with searches increasing by over 170 per cent year-on-year, nearly double the growth of those aged 25-34.

Bing Network search data from the past year shows ‘sharing economy’ search volume grew by 70 per cent year-on-year, the fastest compared with other ‘lodgings’ categories, such as ‘hotels’, ‘cottages’ or ‘accommodation’.

The ‘Bing Ads UK Travel Insights Report’ reveals mobility is key throughout holiday planning, with 38 per cent of all UK travel searches last summer made on smartphones or tablets. Post-weekend blues were found to drive a peak in travel searches on Monday and Tuesday as consumers seek a getaway from the daily grind. The report has also uncovered that women lead the charge in holiday planning on the Bing Network in all aspects except car hire, which is dominated nearly 60 per cent by males.

Looking at where Brits are dreaming of jetting off to, popular TV series could be influencing the UK’s destination decisions, for example flight searches for Tenerife – the location for BBC’s The Night Manager – have increased by almost 30 per cent. Canada came out as peaking UK consumers’ interest the most, with flight searches found to be up nearly 200 per cent for the land of the maple leaf.

Minal Fofaria, Head of EMEA Insights at Bing comments: “We’ve seen a steep rise in the popularity of the sharing economy. Evident through the search volume it is now viewed as a viable alternative to a hotel, or villa. As we see an increased interest from older generations, it demonstrates the opportunity that exists for marketers within the wealth of information search data unlocks to help understand these behavioural shifts and ensure they are capturing relevant audiences with the right content. Our latest insights into consumer choices when it comes to summer holidays demonstrates the cross-platform approach consumers take to holiday planning. We also know popular culture, such as television shows, play an influential role in consumer purchases highlighting a need for marketers to be nimble in their approach and timing when reaching their audiences to deliver engaging content in the right place online.”