Google says two-thirds of businesses now plan their travel using search engines, with smart phone bookings rising 69 percent just last year.
Nate Bucholz of Google told reporters at a conference that the internet has overtaken word of mouth as the primary medium for businesses choosing destinations.
He added that 69 percent of businesses — compared to 63 percent of consumers — plan travel by searching the internet, visiting an average of 22 sites before deciding on a destination.
Meanwhile, mobile travel bookings accounted for 15 percent of all reservations last year, up 69 percent from 2009, when around nine per cent used the medium, says Corporate & Incentive Travel.
By David Wilkening
