The 2014 Accorhotels Social Media Monitor found that 4 out of 5 respondents follow brands on social media, with the Chinese and Vietnamese the most keen, and those from Japan, Australia and New Zealand the least. Generally speaking, women and younger travellers are more likely to follow a brand on social networks.
Hotels are still the biggest opportunity in social media with almost half of travellers – especially the Chinese and Indonesians and those aged 25-44 – following a hotel brand in Asia Pacific, a greater percentage than those who follow airlines or other travel-related brands such as online travel agents.
Malaysians and Filipinos use social media first and foremost to get immediate assistance, along with travellers above 55. Chinese and Hong Kong users are for the most likely to seek VIP treatment, while the Indonesians show the greatest affinity with brands. Younger travellers and Koreans use social media mostly to get information. Women are looking more for information and deals than men, whereas men are more likely to show loyalty to a brand and are more sensitive to VIP treatment.
Travellers tend to use hotel pages on social media more before and after their stay:
- 2 out 5 of travellers use it always or sometimes to search for information before their stay Filipinos, Thais and Vietnamese are the biggest users, New Zealanders and Australians the smallest. Overall, one third of respondents said their usage has increased in the past year and the younger the traveller, the higher the increase.
- One-third always or sometimes follow a hotel brand when in-house – with Vietnamese, Thais and Indonesians leading the pack. Women are more likely than men to follow a hotel brand, especially when at the hotel. And the younger they are, the more they are likely to follow the hotel brand
- Almost half always or sometimes follow the brand after their stay. Again, the Vietnamese, Chinese and Thais are the most likely to do so.
- When in-house, almost half of respondents said they usually share their location, especially when staying in an upscale hotel. Thais, Vietnamese, younger travellers and women are the most likely to do so, which suggests they like to brag or show off more than other travellers. The Japanese are the most discreet about sharing their location.
“Engaging on social media with guests while in-house is a great opportunity for us to impact positively on their experience,” said Emilie Couton, vice president of guest experience Accor Asia Pacific. “We need to give guests good reasons to follow individual hotel accounts by providing content relevant to each stage of the trip and giving them something that will enhance their visit.”
Following is one thing, but then what? The good news is that one-third of travellers have already booked a hotel after having seen an advert on social media, with younger travellers the most likely to do so, along with the Vietnamese, Thais, Filipinos and Chinese.There is overall positivity around social adverts in the online space. More than two-thirds of travellers find them useful or don’t mind them, with only 15% ignorant of their existence and just 12% finding them harassing. In general, women find ads on social media more interesting and useful than men.