How the Experts See It

• "Travel is all about WOM," says Andy Sernovitz, president of WOMMA. He adds, “You don’t go to a place because you saw an ad on TV. You go because you know somebody who had a good time. The more high end it gets – the more it’s about knowing if it will be a great experience.”

• Rich Folks Love WOM: Among the rich, says Larry Pimentel, CEO of Sea Dream Yachts, which floats small luxury cruise vessels; “WOM was always hot; now it’s just hotter

• Travel, according to Jon Berry, of WOM experts Keller and Fay, is the subject of an average of six conversations a week, with mentions of seven brands – often related to location. “Travel gets particular lift with the affluent, “according to Berry, “with nine conversations a week compared with seven for the public as a whole – and that includes ten brand mentions as opposed to seven."

• Sernovitz sees WOM conversations as “dipping in and out of online and offline. When you take a vacation,” he explains, “you might tell five friends, then post a review online. Then someone reads that review and tells their friends – so the conversation moves in and out.”

• Henry Harteveldt of Forrester Research, one of the most quoted people in the Internet travel space, says, “People at the highest end have very high expectations. And they are the most technologically engaged – with the ability to take and post pictures online, send them from their cell phones, etc.