Google and TripAdvisor stand out for tour and activity research

European travelers are mostly looking for things to do in a destination via Google and TripAdvisor, according to research.

The Closing The Digital Gap study, from Arival and BookingKit, reveals more than half of travelers (56%) say they used Google and 38% say they used TripAdvisor to help plan activities.

Additional sources of research include other websites/apps for 22%, the website of the tour/activity provider for 20% and YouTube for 19%.

While the research shows strong demand for tours and activities with more than 70% including an outdoor adventure or activity on their trip, it is still often a challenge for travelers to find and book experiences online.

According to the study, many are planning things to do in advance with 44% planning one to seven days ahead of a trip, providing an opportunity for suppliers to reach them online.

Almost a third of travelers are booking an activity on the same day.

Currently, just over a third are researching tours and activities via a desktop while 14% use a mobile device and 12% inform themselves via social media recommendations of friends and family but, when it comes to booking in person is the most common method cited.

Earlier this year a report from TrekkSoft revealed activities booking via online marketplaces had increased compared to bookings through operator websites.

The TrekkSoft study also said that "supplier inertia" in adopting technology was still a barrier for online booking as well as under-developed API connectivity.

The Arival research was carried out via consumer survey on 1,000 adult travelers from each of France, Germany and the U.K.

The full report can be downloaded here.