Consumer research carried out by companies such as Research Now is very important to the travel industry because it enables travel businesses to take on consumer concerns and feedback to enhance their services.

Thorough consumer research has really given some insightful information about travel planning which has in turn given the travel industry much to think about when selling holiday locations. We look at some of the biggest impacts made by consumer research below.

Usability
One of the key findings from travel consumer research carried out last year was that the online booking travel experience was far from satisfactory; often causing considerable stress and low levels of confidence in the service they are spending their money on. In response, the industry has had to seriously reconsider the transparency of their services as well as enhance their interfaces to allow for better usability.

Changing habits
Consumer research has shown that travellers are now less likely to have a fixed holiday location, with 66% of consumers now being more flexible with their holiday plans. The industry has now adapted to this, with many more low cost last minute options readily available.
Because of increased flexibility on travel dates, there are now many websites which can find the cheapest options available. This has also been a step to address consumer fears that they are not getting the best deals. This invaluable information has therefore been a huge step forward for both consumers and businesses.

Social
Consumer research has shown that travellers are hugely swayed by user review, pictures and advice. This has seen a massive push by the travel industry to encourage social integration to gather user review communities onto their sites.
Social media is playing a larger and larger part in our lives, so the travel industry must adapt as a result. 38% of consumers are swayed to visit holiday locations based on friends and family, so enabling social sharing will inevitably help shape user visiting habits. By having high levels of social integration in their websites, Travel businesses could be making considerable financial gain through social networking websites.

Mobile and technology
Through the use of smartphone technology, the travel industry has created a number of ways to increase profitability as well as streamline holiday experiences. Users have been shown to be very interested in using mobile phones for travel related matters, with 7 out of 10 people wanting to use mobile technology throughout their travel planning process. There are a number of apps that allow for up to date information, live check in and travel information.
The travel industry benefits hugely from consumer research as well as b2b market research. These findings will not only increase profitability and holiday experiences, they will also help companies keep in line with changing habits and tastes.