TripAdvisor announced the results of the world’s largest accommodation and traveller survey¹ – the TripBarometer by TripAdvisor. This study, conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm StrategyOne (a division of Edelman Berland), will be biannual and reports on top travel and hospitality industry trends, according to more than 35,000 travellers and accommodations around the world. 

The results of the TripBarometer highlight country level, regional and global trends within the travel sector and reveal insights into economic outlook, travel planning, booking methods and traveller expectations. The report shows that Indian accommodations are the most optimistic about their business prospects in 2013, while 77 percent of domestic travellers plan to increase their travel spend this year. 

Indian hoteliers are able to look back at last year with satisfaction: 81 percent of the over 750 hoteliers surveyed for the TripBarometer reported that 2012 was economically successful for them. In fact, 28 percent of Indian accommodation owners went so far as to describe 2012 as "very profitable". Looking at these findings, India is in peak position compared to other key markets around the world. 

Indian accommodation owners are the most bullish in the world with 89 percent of them stating that they are optimistic about their probability this year, which is above the global average of 68 percent. This positive mood is also reflected in terms of plans to increase staff levels: 41 percent of Indian accommodations plan to create new jobs, which places them first in the ranking of other key global markets for job creation in 2013. 

Asian Accommodations amongst Most Optimistic in World About Profitability in 2013 

(ranked in order of optimism)

Accommodation owners from Asian countries polled in the TripBarometer are amongst the most optimistic in the world. 

Looking at hiring trends within the global accommodation industry, 19 percent of respondents are planning to add new jobs in 2013. According to the TripBarometer, Asian accommodations are nearly three times (32%) as likely to add news jobs in 2013 as European accommodations (12%). 

Asian accommodations are amongst the most likely to increase their room rates in 2013, with 42 percent of accommodation providers planning to increase rates this year. In India, 47 percent of accommodations are planning to increase room rates in the coming months. 

Global Travellers’ Plans to Increase Travel Spend Present Opportunity for Accommodations 

Travellers from Africa are showing the biggest increase in their planned travel spend for 2013, with 76 percent of respondents saying they estimate that their travel budget will increase this year. Travellers from the Middle East (75%) and South America (58%) also plan to spend notably more on travel in 2013. Globally, 50 percent of travellers expect their travel spend to go up this year. 

Online Channels Acting as Megaphone for Traditional ‘Word of Mouth’ 

The TripBarometer reveals that 69 percent of travellers globally use travel review websites when researching and planning their trips. Over half (62%) of respondents in Asia and seven in ten (70%) respondents in India look to travel review websites. 

The three sources of information reported as being most useful by global and Asian travellers are all online sources. 

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