Exclusive Feature: Social media continues to be one of the most influential platforms for travel, according to a new story.

Text100’s “Digital Index: Travel & Tourism” study concluded that 44% of Asia-Pacific leisure travelers used social media for advice and inspiration on travel, and more than one-third of these travelers used social media for hotel suggestions.

The study says the use of social media by Asia-Pacific travelers is significantly different than that of leisure travelers from the US, Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Text100 cited less than one in five US consumers turned to social media for travel inspiration, and in Europe and South Africa, only about one in seven travelers used social media to get ideas for trips.

The report called out travelers in China in particular, saying China’s leisure travelers were far more likely than the average Asia-Pacific consumer to seek out Internet reviews when choosing and booking travel.

Almost 71% of travelers in China were influenced by online peer reviews.

Readers: How often do you turn to social media for travel inspiration?

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Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.

Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com