Booking.com reveals the little ‘extras’ that make travelers feel at home away from home and how reviews are helping travellers find the stay with the perfect host when it comes to alternative accommod
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69% of Indian travellers reveal they would like to receive a welcome pack from a host, of which 17% would be disappointed if they didn’t get one
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Guests reveal that being taken care of and ensuring they feel welcome is important for 60% of Indian travelers to be able to quickly settle into a new environment
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63% admit they have chosen not to book an accommodation because of negative reviews about the host, despite the price, location and quality of the accommodation being exactly what they were looking for
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On average, Booking.com travellers rate staff higher than any of the other categories that customers can rate a property on (the other five being services, cleanliness, comfort, value and location)*
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84% of Indian travellers rate other traveller’s reviews as an important factor in helping identify friendly and welcoming hosts ahead of booking
Taking a vacation is arguably something everyone looks forward to, however it can occasionally evoke feelings of stress and FOMO as travelers try to get the most out of their time away. The recent research by Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, reveals that a warm welcome upon check-in at a place to stay can make all the difference towards helping travelers settle quickly into holiday mode.
While many alternative accommodation types offer great amenities, many travellers find that it’s the personal touches which really make a holiday home feel like home. With 79% of Indian travellers agreeing that providing a cozy home away from home for guests equals good hospitality. Furthermore, the research also points that, 69% of Indian travelers would love to receive a welcome pack from a host, and of those, 17% state they would be disappointed if they weren’t to find one in their room. Fresh flowers are the most popular item that 37% of Indian travelers said they would like to receive in a welcome pack, followed by being introduced to local delicacies by an accommodation owner or manager (30%).
Wherever they may venture, almost two thirds (62%) of the Indian travellers, expect a cozier environment thanks to the efforts of a host, with more than half of them (56%) actively seeking a warm welcome after the stress of travelling. Additionally, 60% of guests are looking to be taken care of and are hoping hosts to provide a warm welcome, to ensure they settle quickly into the new surroundings.
The research also highlights that travellers are no longer taking vacation images and descriptions at face value. Instead, savvy bookers are turning to ‘people powered’ guest reviews to help them choose their next travel experience, particularly when it comes to those looking to stay in alternative types of accommodation.
For these kind of travellers, the ‘power of people’ to influence their stay doesn’t only lie with the people they directly encounter during their stay. It starts at home before even booking a trip as Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travellers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, reveals that over two thirds (63%) of Indian travellers admit to not booking an accommodation because of negative reviews about the host, despite the price, location and quality of the accommodation being exactly what they were looking for.
Insights also revealed that 84% of Indian travellers rate reviews as important, to help identify friendly and welcoming hosts. Booking.com also delved into its own user-generated data revealing that on average, Booking.com travellers rate the staff higher than any of the other categories that users can rate a property on, such as: services, cleanliness, comfort, value and location.*
Research methodology
Research was commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among 21,500 respondents (including 1,000 each from Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, China, Brazil, India, US, UK, Russia, Indonesia, Colombia and South Korea; and 500 each from Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, Croatia, Taiwan, Mexico, Netherlands, Sweden, Singapore and Israel). Respondents completed an online survey between 14 December 2018 and 14 January 2019.
*Based on reviews left by global travelers between January 2017 to January 2019
About Booking.com
Established in 1996 in Amsterdam, Booking.com B.V. has grown from a small Dutch start-up to one of the largest travel e-commerce companies in the world. Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com now employs more than 17,500 employees in 198 offices in 70 countries worldwide.
With a mission to empower people to experience the world, Booking.com invests in digital technology that helps take the friction out of travel. At Booking.com, we connect travelers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run B&Bs to 5-star luxury resorts, tree houses and even igloos. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in 43 languages, offer over 28 million total reported listings, including more than 5.9 million listings of homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, and covers more than 150,000 destinations in 227 countries and territories worldwide.
Each day, more than 1.5 million room nights are reserved on our platform. So whether traveling for business or leisure, customers can instantly book their ideal place to stay quickly and easily with Booking.com, without booking fees and backed up by our promise to price match. Via our customer experience team, customers can reach Booking.com 24/7 for assistance and support in over 43 languages, any time of the day or night.
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