Starting the new year on a high note, Klook has become the most-searched travel activities booking platform worldwide since October 2018, according to Google Trends. Travelers from the Asia-Pacific region have driven the momentum as Klook climbed into the top-ranking position. Compared with its closest performing competitor, Klook showed more than double the brand search since November 2018.

Klook’s top position on Google reflects a wider trend amidst the booming global tours and activities industry, which is estimated to reach US$183 billion by 2020. However, with the global tours and activities bookings sector currently at an online market penetration rate of just 15%, compared with 61% across the travel industry, the sector is set to continue its strong growth in 2019.

 

Three emerging patterns in traveler preferences further confirm Klook’s position as a global pioneer and the most-funded company in the tours and activities industry:

 

1. Travelers book things-to-dobeforeflights

According to Klook’s 2018 events survey conducted in 12 key markets worldwide, the traditional travel booking process has been evolving rapidly. 63% of travelers surveyed said that they book things-to-do before flights and accommodations. In India,  52% of travelers book things-to-do before flights. This differs from the traditional thinking that travelers start their shopping journey with flights, then accommodations, and lastly in-destination activities. Such behavior reinforces Klook’s position as both a booking and discovery travel platform.

 

2. Travelers choose destinations based onone-off events and seasonal experiences

Klook’s 2018 events survey also showed that many travelers now plan trips around events. Out of 2000 travelers surveyed, 54% said they selected a travel destination because of a  seasonal activity or event, such as skiing in Canada, sakura-viewing in Japan, major concerts, or sports games. In India, 52% of travelers plan trips around one-off events. Products such as Jay Chou Concert exclusive priority tickets and cherry blossom tours in Kyoto on Klook position the platform well in capturing this traveler preference.

 

3. Travelers set aside time for spontaneity

Craving authentic experiences and a sense of adventure, modern travelers prefer flexible itineraries that leave room for spontaneity. Instead of booking every activity ahead of a trip, travelers now book key events, then decide on the rest of the itinerary on-the-go. Klook’s booking data also finds that the same-day booking rate has increased nine times from 2016 to 2018. To enable this sense of discovery, Klook provides a seamless mobile experience where 85% of its bookings can be confirmed instantly.