ITB Berlin: Trust Plays Main Role in Travel Decisions in 2021

Photo source: ITB Berlin / © Glenn Carstens Peters

Trust is playing an increasingly important role in the decisions of travelers in the post-Covid-19 era, according to Christian Smart, the general manager of Travelzoo Germany, a company that provides its members with insider deals and one-of-a-kind experiences.

Speaking at the virtual ITB Berlin NOW Convention on Wednesday, Smart unveiled a Travelzoo/ITB survey on travel in times of crisis titled: “What affects buying decisions in times of crisis?”.

Presenting the survey, Smart highlighted that “trust is a global currency” and that the travel industry could benefit from this.

Worldwide, 83 percent of respondents said that being able to trust people and companies mattered most to them. The older people are, the more that statement is true.

“Trust plays an important part in travel decisions in 2021,” he underlined.

For customers, according to the survey, the most important thing is to be able to rebook or get one’s money back shortly before a trip.

Observance of health safety measures is also important. Among respondents, knowing a destination to be “safe” comes only fifth.

Smart underlined that the survey showed that 73 percent of Germans would spend more if they could be sure that a service or goods can be trusted.

“Flexibility and trust are currently the main factors driving holiday bookings,” said Smart.

“That is why tour operators are right to be offering flexible, new pricing options.”

Regarding other factors that establish trust in travel brands, first comes an easy-to-reach customer service (42 percent), followed by being valued as a customer (33 percent) and a travel brand’s reputation (31 percent).

Only four percent of respondents said influencers affected their travel decisions while 33 percent trusted the opinions of family and friends and 24 percent those of rating portals.

For the last six years, in cooperation with ITB Berlin, Travelzoo has been conducting representative surveys on travel trends.

The ITB Berlin NOW Convention took place as a virtual event this year in parallel with the ITB Berlin NOW travel and tourism trade show.