A while ago, a study carried out with the collaboration of the Touristic Hotels & Investors Association (TUROB) and Boğaziçi University was published. The research contains a great deal of statistical information about hotels as well as compilations related to the complaints about the expectations of local tourists and foreign tourists visiting Turkey. Containing critical data, this research provides information that is of particular concern to online travel agencies.
We will share with you a survey result from this research. The survey was conducted by randomly choosing local tourists and foreign tourists visiting Istanbul. The tourists were asked to rate their experiences based on an order of importance beginning from 1 (very insignificant) to 5 (very significant). Such information is a critical source of information for online travel agencies regarding the arrangements of travel plans. Although it seems to cover Istanbul only, the results obtained can be well applied to other cities with slight differences.
Let’s take a look at the results of the survey.
1- Visiting touristic attractions of the city (4.25)
Visiting certain touristic attractions around the city is definitely one of the first things tourists would prefer to do. You should promote the touristic attractions of the city you are located in through photos and videos posted on your online travel agency’s website.
2- Experiencing the city’s culture (4.16)
The touristic attractions visited should also reflect the culture of the city as well, which may be important in terms of meeting customer expectations. It will certainly be effective to reflect the cultural merits of your city by featuring visuals on your online agency’s website.
3- Receiving information about the city (4.11)
Those planning to travel first check the Internet to do research about the city they will visit. During their travel they want to receive more information about the city. It would be useful for you to provide short but descriptive information about the city you are located it on your website.
4- Tasting local dishes (4.01)
Each region has its particular cuisine. Tourists who are into experiencing different tastes may include some attractive restaurants into their travel plans. Featuring short descriptive information about your local cuisine and even some recipes on your website can be interesting.
5- Witnessing the city life (3.76)
Some of those who want to travel intend to observe the people of a city in addition to its natural and cultural attractions. You can provide them with information about the life styles of your citizens.
6- Finding the suitable means of shopping (3.58)
Although a large majority of travelers intend to get to know a city, some do care about where they can shop as well Therefore, it would be useful also to include shopping in travel plans.
7- Communicating with inhabitants (3.52)
One of the most natural and best ways to get acquainted with the local culture is to communicate with local people. Those participating in the survey have stated that they communicated with a great deal of people during their travel.
8- Attending cultural events of the city (3.51)
One of the best ways to interact with inhabitants is to attend the cultural events of a city. A local festival or show can be quite interesting for them. You can get credits by announcing the special days, celebrations and festivals of your city on your website.
9- Experiencing the night life (3.13)
Depending on their age, some tourists are interested in the night life of the city. Although it depends on the city visited, many of our touristic cities have a lively night life.
Another point to be noted additionally is that your online agency should have a suitable infrastructure. HotelRunner is an advanced platform that can provide this for you. You can visit our website and create your account now to see what HotelRunner can offer you.
