The document summarizes several research studies on online travel behavior conducted between 2005-2006. Key findings include: - People want to plan trips collaboratively but have security concerns about sharing details. They share memories mostly with close friends/family. - Travelers use the internet for research but also value reviews from friends. Younger travelers are more engaged in online communities. - Sharing photos and memories online is emotional rather than informational for most. Effort for contributing is low. - Market segments include passionate travelers, inspired planners, and those seeking a one-stop-shop for travel arrangements.

1. Yahoo! Travel Research Synthesis Beth Goldman Interaction Designer, User Experience 02/21/07 Confidential - Do Not Distribute

2. Data Reviewed 2005 Travel Segment Ethnographic Study 2005 Online Travel Community Research 2006 Compelled Travel Study 2006 Market Segmentation Other Customer suggestions Bucket tests Outstanding questions have been called out in orange .

3. 2005 Travel Segment Ethnographic Study Based on 2004/5 Market Segmentation Focused on: Seasoned Traveler Travel Enthusiast Short Trip Taker Findings Need for group planning / companion collaboration. How big and deep is need? Reviews and tips are useful when planning trips; ratings are not Some personal security concerns with sharing. Is this still true? What info? When traveling, people don’t want to be seen as tourists by locals Sharing is focused on close friends and family once back from trip. How if at all has sharing attitudes and behavior changed?

4. 2005 Online Travel Community Research Focus: What do people want and need from a community travel site? Methodology Mini groups and in-home interviews, Austin and Novato Travel Enthusiasts - major trips, mini breaks, planners, and returnees Findings Looking for activities to represent tourist and local experience Want deals, don’t want to be taken advantage of Research to learn what to do, and what to be concerned about Friends: honest, trusted, limited Books: trusted Magazines: inspiration, less trust Internet: Mentions blogs and usefulness of interacting with others, but not importance to participants and how prevalent it is.

5. 2005 Online Travel Community Research continued Findings, con’t Sharing is not informational, but emotional People want to share memories and photos with family and friends. What information? How much effort are they willing to put into doing this? How large is this user segment? Competitive Landscape How has this changed? Lonely planet - budget, student, global Sites (orbitz, expedia, travelocity) - cheap packages and deals, info secondary Trip advisor - review focused, mass appeal, focus on hotels Community Sites y! travel not top of mind - perception is about travel shopping Heavily rely on reviews for that “insider” perspective

6. Findings, con’t Younger - more likely to contribute and seek community advice than older BAY area - still more online and community minded than rest of population. Still true? Why post reviews? Karma Passion for topic Passion for experience - bad/good Trip Planner Feedback Like idea… How many? Why is it useful? How useful is it? Not very interested in creating reviews or review karma, but like to consume content Respond well to photos 2005 Online Travel Community Research continued

7. 2006 Compelled Travel Study Focused on needs of site and competitors for Booking Segments: seasoned travelers and travel enthusiasts Findings Participants Left Y! Travel guides or search ‘cause they couldn’t find detailed info they needed to book Perception that Y! Travel is more expensive / doesn’t have deals like other sites How would our new FC, and guides page designs perform?

8. 2006 Market Segmentation Recommendation to focus on highly engaged planners looking for rich travel experiences Target Segments: Passionate Travelers, Inspired Planners, One-Stop Shoppers, Mainstream Travelers Are we sure these are our targets? Can we find real-world examples of these user segments? What are the areas of opportunity (unmet needs that we can solve well) around planning, booking, recording and sharing their travel experiences for each segment? Passionate travelers - 6% Travel for leisure Well rounded in travel research, planning, interest in consuming info online, spend most dollars Tend to book online More open to journaling than other segments Inspired Planners - 11% Actively plan and research; use a variety of sites; favor booking online Often know where they want to go Plan well in advance of trip Likely to consume online information One-stop Shoppers (13%) Have a strong desire to make all their travel arrangements at one site. Convenience is the key consideration. Tend to favor Online Travel Agencies above other types of sites. Mainstream Travelers (28%) Most representative of the total population in behavior and attitudes toward travel (score average on most measures). Tend to prefer supplier sites to OTAs and membership rewards.

9. Where should we focus? What are the unmet needs that we can solve well?