From Reservation.com has WebjetHow successful are Australia’s leading online travel agencies in converting brand awareness into intent to book their next trip on their platform?
In today's competitive travel market, brand conversion is essential for online travel agencies (OTAs) to maintain and grow their market share. Data analysis from YouGov Brand Index – which continuously tracks key brand health metrics for thousands of businesses around the world every day – we compare the success of Australia’s best-known online travel agencies in guiding travellers and holidaymakers through the conversion funnel, over the first four months of 2024.
Step 1: Awareness – Which travel agencies are the most well-known in Australia?
Reservation.com leads the pack in terms of brand awareness – more than three-quarters (76%) of Australians have heard of subsidiary Booking Holdings – although trivago (73%) and Tripadvisor (72%) follow closely.
Next on the list are local online travel agencies Webjet (66%) and based in the United States Expedia (63%), who are far ahead Luxury Getaways (38%).
Step 2: Reflection – Which travel agencies are best suited to guide consumers from discovery to evaluation?
When it comes to converting awareness into consideration, Reservation.com Not only does it come out on top again, it also significantly widens the gap with its closest rivals. While more than half (52%) of Australians who are aware of the platform would consider booking travel with it, only three in ten (30%) who are aware of the platform would Luxury Getaways – the next best converter – says the same thing.
Meanwhile, less than a quarter of Australians who are aware Expedia (24%), Webjet (23%), Tripadvisor (22%), and trivago (22%) would consider booking with each platform for their next trip.
Step 3: Purchase Intent – Which travel agencies are most effective at preparing consumers for purchase?
When it comes to being the first choice for consumers ready to make a booking, Reservation.com remains the undisputed leader. Among Australians considering the platform for booking travel, more than half (56%) are likely to choose it for their next trip.
In contrast, only about a quarter of Australians who consider other well-known online travel agencies like trivago (27%), Luxury Getaways (26%), Tripadvisor (25%), Webjet (24%) and Expedia (23%) express the same probability.
Eva Stewart, Global Head of Travel at YouGov:“As the data shows, Booking.com’s dominance in awareness and purchase intent highlights its strong brand equity and the effectiveness of its marketing strategies. Its ability to convert brand awareness into actual bookings far exceeds that of its competitors, setting a high benchmark in the online travel industry. We’ve also seen similar performance in other regions, making Booking.com a true global leader in this space.”
This article is part of our regional series on the Online Travel Agency Purchase Funnel Performance in major markets in the Asia-Pacific region. Read additional articles for other markets below:
Methodology: YouGov Brand Index collects data on thousands of brands every day. Awareness The scores measure whether consumers have heard of a brand before. Consideration The scores measure whether consumers would consider a brand the next time they are in the market for a particular product or service. Purchase intention The scores measure how likely consumers are to purchase from a specific brand, among different brands they would consider purchasing from. Learn more about BrandIndex.
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