TL;DR

When do international travelers start researching destinations, and how do they decide where to go?

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Travel is back. Travelers worldwide are planning trips, comparing options, and booking through a sprawling mix of sources.

So where should our industry look to find them—and win them over?

Specifically: when do international visitors planning trips to Korea start researching, and how do they make their final decisions?

It's easier than ever to find travel information online. But paradoxically, the sheer volume of content has made the research phase longer. Travelers spend more time hunting, comparing, deciding.

Expedia Group's "The Path To Purchase" report offers a revealing look at the average traveler's behavior. The study surveyed 5,713 people across the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, the UK, France, and Mexico—all of whom booked a trip in the past 12 months. Let's dig into what they found.

The Search Starts 3 Months Out

On average, travelers begin researching international trips 85 days before departure. For domestic travel, that window shrinks to 61 days. So roughly two months for local getaways, three months for overseas.

The report breaks down traveler behavior by phase. In the first 30 days after deciding to travel, people are figuring out whether to go and where to go. Interestingly, most travelers don't start with a specific destination in mind. Instead, they decide "let's take a trip!" first, then explore options. According to the survey, 59% of travelers either have no set destination or are considering multiple places when they first start planning.

Here's the kicker: 77% of travelers use social media to find travel inspiration. Travel blogs and review sites come in at 49%. Only 19% say advertising influences their decision.

Translation: If Korea wants to be chosen, it needs to show up in social feeds and travel search results three months before someone books.

45 Days Out: Deep Research Mode Kicks In

Once travelers have picked a destination, they spend the next month diving deeper. Around 45 days before departure, serious purchase research begins. In this phase, the average traveler spends 303 minutes searching, browsing, and comparing travel options.

They'll look at 141 pages of online travel content. U.S. travelers push that number even higher—up to 277 pages.

Early on, travelers view about 2.5 pages per day. But as the booking date gets closer, that ramps up fast. On the day of purchase, page views peak at 25.

This is prime OTA territory. Travelers lean heavily on online travel agencies during this phase. 80% use OTAs for information—even if they end up booking somewhere else. OTAs serve as research hubs throughout the journey, from inspiration to final decision.

Other sources travelers tap during this stage: search engines (61%), social media (58%), airline websites (54%), and metasearch sites (51%).

The Takeaway: You Have to Do It All

The report offers five recommendations for travel industry pros looking to influence traveler decisions:

  1. Own your social presence. Travelers turn to social media for destination inspiration, accommodation recommendations, and travel content.

  2. Nail the mobile experience. Especially for hotel guests, staying mobile-friendly and delivering a seamless mobile experience is critical.

  3. Consider loyalty programs. Loyalty is a decisive factor for many travelers when choosing where to book.

  4. Invest in advertising. Travelers recall seeing impactful ads during the inspiration phase, mid-journey, and right before booking.

  5. Strategic partnerships and promotions. Bundled offers and cross-promotions with other suppliers boost visibility and broaden appeal.

That's the summary. You can read the full report here.