Generic travel searches double as consumers hunt deals

The latest report by Greenlight shows that holiday searches in February 2011 nearly doubled year on year as people decided to book early.

Generic travel searches in February 2011 nearly doubled year on year as consumers hunted for bargains, according to new data from search specialist Greenlight.

Of the 3.1 million travel-related searches on Google in February, 61% were non-destination specific. That works out to a huge 1.9 million non-specific searches – an increase of 192% year on year.

According to Greenlight, this increase in generic searches shows consumers are less concerned about their destination than about finding a good deal.

This could explain the 10% increase in people searching for Europe-based holidays. With less money to spend, consumers may be shying away from expensive long haul flights.

Thomson capitalised on the search spike, claiming the top spot in natural search on Google with 64% share of voice. It scored a 39% share in paid search.

IceLolly came in second in natural search with 16% share of voice, but dominated paid search with a 51% share.

TravelRepublic remained the most popular brand in Greenlight’s social media league table, attracting a combined following of over 51,000 Facebook fans and Twitter followers.

It continued to encourage people to join its Facebook group by offering new fans the chance to win free flights and hotel stays.

 > Download the full report on Greenlight’s holiday sector page