EyeforTravel Travel Distribution Summit Europe 2013; 2 fantastic days with a combination of a great speaker line-up, high quality travel industry case studies and plenty of time for networking. Here our notes and learnings.

1. at
TDS Europe 2013

2. 10 things we learnt
and/or
we just want to share

3. 1. We care a lot about other reviews
TDS Europe 2013 was well attended by companies collecting and moderating reviews to drive business
performances.
93% of travelers worldwide say their booking decisions are impacted by online reviews and
nearly half won’t book a property unless it has reviews (Revinate).

4. 2. Data was everywhere !!!
It is really important to build a bridge of understanding and attention between decision-makers and data
analysts (Lastminute.com).
Use data to learn about the needs of your customers. If you don’t understand your customers as well as your
competitors, you will lose (Sojern).
For the powerful, cost effective new customer acquisition it is important to know key data attributes about
the customers you’re advertising to (Sojern).
90%of data that exists now has been produced in the past 2 years (ReviewPro).
It is important to compile and spread data throughout the organizations: sales, finance, RMP, marketing,
CRM and operation (Air France Consulting, EA Holding Ltd).

5. 3. start with simple awesome content
for successful social media engagement
- Beautiful
- Interesting
- Funny
- Striking
- Useful
- Thought-provoking
- Unusual
- Inspiring
Just a cool tool: http://www.personalizemedia.com/garys-social-media-count/
Simple awesome content meets the following requirements:
Over 50% who use social media to plan a trip end up changing their plans based on social media research.
Likes on FB are not the right metrics. We need to engage people, make them become our advocates.

6. 4. Cannibalism is OK!
Mobile bookings are partially taking over the traditional bookings. But if you don’t, someone else will!
45% of mobile phones will be a smartphone by 2016 (up from 31% today) (Hotel Tonight).
Mobile booker – is an “impulse booker”- they are booking for the next day trips (Hotel Tonight).
94% are looking on their mobiles for the things to do, 75% are looking for the restaurants, 80% for map
directions (TripAdvisor).
+116% growth of travel apps usage (TripAdvisor).
Mobile Web drives discovery and apps drive usage and revenue (TripAdvisor).
81% of time spent on apps instead of mobile web (TripAdvisor).

7. 5. Insight on real lean innovation:
Get out of the building talk to your customers!
Try to get feedback from people when you create a new application. Have constant takeaways (RAIDs) with
your company to talk to people about your app. It is extremely important to increase fidelity
(Lastminute.com).
No one is an expert yet: Test & iterate (Gogobot).

8. 6. Smartphones dominate the multiscreen
environment
Smartphones dominate the multiscreen environment:
57% of the time when we are using a smartphone, we are using another device.
75% of the time when we are using a tablet, we are using another device. (35% smartphone)
77% of the time when we are using tv, we are using another device (49% smartphone).
67% of the time when we are pc, we are using another device (45% smartphone).
(Gogobot)

9. 7. Smartphones are the starting point
for online activities

10. 8. Travel AND mobile paying
50% of the travelers prefer to pay now and 50% prefer to pay at the hotel (Expedia LPS).
While offering different payment options it is important to take into consideration different culture/country
payment preferences (e.g., Brazilians like to pay in installments, they can even pay for milk in installments!)
(Expedia LPS).
Make sure you adjust the currency to the country (Expedia LPS).
Trust, security and wide payment flexibility are very important while talking about online payments. Supplier
capabilities should meet consumer expectations (Hilton Worldwide).
Mobile % on total payments is growing fast (Adyen).

11. 9. When is the magic word..
Formula of success: “Right message + Right Format + Right Traveler+ Right Time” (Sojern).
‘When’ becomes a really important word when offering travel services: “When is the right moment in time
to make my proposition?” “When are the customers search, purchase and travel?” (Sojern).

12. 10. Generation Y is going to change the
industry BIG TIME!
75% of the workforce in 2025 is Generation Y (born between 1977-2003).
Generation Y is not interested in owning a car. They are much more interested in being connected, mobile,
traveling and having freedom.
It's not about owning stuff anymore but about using things when you need them in order to achieve a bigger
goal: creating new memories.
AND travel will double in the next two decades.
Start targeting this generation Y in a different way.
But what should the travel industry do to service the next generation?
Start with talking to generation Y and listen as if you are wrong, talk to your children and stop planning
everything. At the end everything will be OK!!!!

13. A bonus point:
11. Surprise and delight your customers
make their mobile experience joyful, useful, easy, reliable and functional (TripAdvisor).