Traditional paper based brochures are being used less by Australians when researching travel according to the latest study by Google. The study into Australian travel research habits found 33% of travellers used brochures less in 2009 than they did the year before.

While that could be a reflection of fewer people travelling, almost 50% of travellers used the internet more in 2009 than they did the previous year. Just 5% said they used the internet less than the year before.

Television also suffered, with just 2% of travellers using it more compared to 39% who said they relied on it less in 2009. 38% of people used travel agents less in 2009, with just 7% using them more.

“This is about researching and sourcing information, not booking,” said Fiona Hunt, Google head of industry, government, travel and tourism.  Meanwhile, Hunt urged companies to be nimble and “always on" in their search engine marketing. Search never sleeps. Consumers are always using the internet,” Hunt said.

While Bali, Fiji, Vietnam and the Gold Coast were among the top search destinations in 2009, Hunt said search terms such as 'budget','discount' and 'romantic' were also highly sought-after. The Google research showed 77% of all trips booked in Australia last year involved online research, while 83% found the websites they used via Google.

Editors Comments: It's interesting to note that whilst potential travellers are researching their trips, they delight  in opening an online pdf of a traditional brochure but they won't go into a travel agency to browse off the shelf.  It's a sign we're all happy to sit in front of a computer screen but not take a walk down the main street. Maybe that's because we use the office computer?