Thai and Chinese travelers are the most active social media users in the Asia Pacific region, and Australians and New Zealanders are the least active, according to the inaugural Accor Hotels Asia Pacific Social Media Monitor, which studied the social media habits of travelers from across Asia Pacific.
Accor worked with ORC International to survey more than 5,400 travelers across 11 countries in Asia Pacific (APAC) who had stayed in a hotel at least once in the past 12 months and who use social media at least once a week.
Specific findings from the survey include:
- Facebook is the most universally used social network in APAC, with the top users being in Thailand (72%), the Philippines (60%) and Singapore (55%). Facebook is only challenged by strong local players in some specific markets: WeChat and Sina Weibo in China, and Line in Thailand.
- Even in China where Facebook is not readily accessible, 15% of respondents said they used it and checked it several times a day, almost as often as local site RenRen.
- Google+ is gaining traction in the region, with 24% of respondents using it multiple times daily. Despite this overall growth, its usage remains very limited during (13%) and after (4%) trips.
- Instagram gained somewhat low scores, with just 12% of overall respondents saying they use it at least once a day.
- Indian guests are the most likely to interact with hotels after their stay (79%), while people from North Asia, Hong Kong and the Pacific are the least likely.
- Completing guest satisfaction surveys is still the most popular after-stay interaction (29%), with comment cards not far behind at 19%, especially for older guests. Only 14% of respondents actually posted a review online, with Indians and Singaporeans the most likely to do so.
- Overall, direct communication with hotel staff is the preferred way of interaction with hotels, whether for a negative (34%) or positive (28%) experience.