Home > > Accor Unlocks the Secrets of Social Media in Asia Pacific

Accor Unlocks the Secrets of Social Media in Asia Pacific

11/27/2013| 11:09:00 AM| 中文

Chinese travellers super switched on; amongst most active social media users and biggest foodies in the region.

Accor has released the results of the inaugural Accor Hotels Asia Pacific Social Media Monitor, highlighting interesting differences in the social media habits of travellers from across Asia Pacific, with Thai and Chinese respondents taking the lead as the region’s most active social media users, and Australians and New Zealanders coming in last. 

Accor worked with ORC International to survey over 5,400 travellers across 11 countries in Asia Pacific (APAC) who had stayed in a hotel at least once in the past 12 months and who use social media at least once a week. The research sought to discover how social media impacts the way people research, experience and review their travel, before, during and after their trips.

“For example, the survey showed us that 59% of respondents would like to have a smartphone app to book hotels directly, but only 14% are interested in ordering room service via their smartphone or tablet,” he continued. “This helps us to better invest our efforts in online distribution and communication to suit our guests’ needs and requirements.”

Most plugged in

The most active social media users during their last trip were the Thais and Chinese, with 95% and 91% respectively having interacted in some way. 

Conversely, 32% of New Zealanders and 25% of Australians surveyed said they did not interact at all during their last trip — the least active of all the countries surveyed.

Facebook is king

Facebook is the most universally used social network in APAC, with the top users being Thailand (72%), the Philippines (60%) and Singapore (55%). It’s only challenged by strong local players in some specific markets: WeChat and Sina Weibo in China, and Line in Thailand. 

Interestingly, Google+ is gaining traction in the region, landing in second place, with 24% of respondents using it multiple times daily. Despite this overall growth, its usage remains very limited during (13%) and after (4%) trips.

Instagram gained surprisingly low scores, with just 12% of overall respondents saying they use it at least once a day.

Brand friendship

In terms of brands followed online, hotels, airlines and travel-related brands are the most popular in the region, with Chinese and Thai respondents the most fervent fans and the most likely to follow several brands. 

Chinese follow the most hotel brands and airlines online. Chinese travellers have the highest share of upscale hotel customers (29% vs 16% overall) with key interest in looking for something unique and exclusive.

The key motivation to follow hotel brands online is to get discounts and special offers (77%), especially for respondents from the Pacific, China and Singapore.

Customer trust

Across all countries and age groups, travellers favoured hotel websites (57%) for pricing and location information over online travel agencies. 

When considering reviews, social media sites and online travel agencies are equally trusted (40%); far beyond hotel supplier sites (13%). 

Let’s talk about it

Half of respondents post status updates when they travel, with 36% of travellers posting photos of their hotel room. By far the most voracious sharers are the snap-happy Thais at 51%.  

Across the board uploading pictures is the number one activity when back home. 

Connectivity is key

During their trip, respondents rely heavily on hotel Wi-Fi (52%) to get online, preferring it to using data roaming or a local SIM card (both 15%). 85% of travellers from Hong Kong interact online when they travel. They are also the region’s highest users of hotel Wi-Fi at 63%.

Hear me roar

Chinese guests are the most likely to interact with hotels after their stay (74% vs 65% across the region), while people from North Asia, Hong Kong and the Pacific are the least likely. 

Completing guest satisfaction surveys is still the most popular after-stay interaction (29%), with comment cards not far behind at 19%, especially for older guests. Only 14% of respondents actually posted a review online, with Indians and Singaporeans the most likely to do so.

Overall though, direct communication with hotel staff is the preferred way of interaction with hotels, whether for a negative (34%) or positive (28%) experience. 

Travel trends

In addition to uncovering the secrets of social media usage, the survey also revealed some interesting travel trends and preferences amongst travellers from different countries. For example, it showed that Chinese respondents travelled least for leisure purposes; that Indonesians are the most price-sensitive and most likely to stay in economy hotels (47% vs 31% overall); and that Indonesians are the most likely to research and plan their trips online (67%); while the New Zealanders are the most likely to go with the flow, with only 37% saying they plan their sightseeing and activities online. 

It also revealed that Thai travellers are the most interested in the latest design trends (53% vs 38% overall) and that Indian and Chinese travellers are the most likely to pay more for environmentally friendlier hotels (both at 29%) while only 5% of New Zealanders said they would pay more for a ‘green’ hotel. The survey also showed that travellers across the region are very interested in food, with 40% saying they wanted to discover local gastronomy – especially the Chinese, 59% of whom say food discoveries are a key consideration for them when choosing a hotel.

TAGS: Accor | star rated hotels | social media | hotel marketing
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