Web 2.0 has now become mainstream and travel agencies must be aware of its importance, according to Sabre Holdings chief scientist and senior vice president Ben Vinod.
Some 71% of consumers are influenced by traveller review websites and two thirds use the reviews to make a final decision between two options.
“The Y Generation thinks of it as part of everyday life. Now in 2008 it has become mainstream and agents must take notice.
“There is now an expectation in the marketplace that a travel company will provide some way of seeing what others thought.”
Travel companies must also use “text mining” to maximise their online advertising, said Vinod. This is the process of checking for repeated words or phrases in user reviews and then using them in pay per click advertising.
“The most important thing is to know what the customer wants, and what he’s searching for,” he added.