Why Travelers Contribute Ratings, Reviews, And More Online

More than six in 10 US online leisure travelers regularly participate in travel-focused social media activities like rating a hotel. The more frequently people travel, the more likely they are to read or watch other traveler-generated content. Content creation, though, is led by 18- to 29-year-olds. With about three times more travelers consuming content than creating it, travel eBusiness professionals worry about the risk of negative comments. Fortunately, travelers are more likely to post their opinions and pictures because they were pleased than because they were disappointed. One way to engage travelers — especially those 30 and older — is to make it easy for them to participate by providing radio buttons and drop-down menus that they can use to cast their opinions.