Travel industry firms should ensure they have strong mobile platforms because the target customers – travelers, are becoming increasingly comfortable and savvy at planning, researching and booking trips on the go, according to a new report from Expedia Media Solutions, an arm of Expedia, Inc. the world’s largest online travel company.
Travelers frequently turn to mobile devices for travel planning – whether conducting aspirational research, planning an existing trip or booking a last-minute getaway, according to the survey, conducted by ComScore.
The study found that:
· Forty-four percent of travelers used a tablet or smartphone to plan their trip – while 48 percent used a mobile device to dream of their next trip
· Eighty-six percent of mobile planners already knew their destination when conducting research on a mobile device
· Forty-seven percent relied on friend and family recommendations and 40 percent relied on online travel agencies for destination ideas
· Deals and promotions (64 percent), photos (55 percent) and recommendations (38 percent) are the most useful types of content for those seeking trip ideas
Beyond travel, the research also looked into mobile commerce and found that of travelers who own a mobile device, 61 percent have made a purchase on a tablet in the last six months while 51 percent have made a purchase on a smartphone.
Of those who have booked travel on a mobile device, 80 percent of smartphone users and 90 percent of tablet users would do so again, according to the survey.
Expedia Media Solutions recommended easy-to-use apps as critical to giving one travel-related business an edge over competitors. According to the survey:
· Of the 44 percent who plan travel on a mobile device, 44 percent used an app
· Nearly 60 percent of mobile airline and 56 percent of hotel bookers used an app to book their reservation
· Accessibility (43 percent), ease of use (35 percent) and app availability (33 percent) drive travel bookings for smartphone users
Expedia Media Solutions also recommended that advertisers take advantage of accessibility and easy-to-use touchscreens to create effective mobile ad solutions and campaigns that enhance the overall user experience.
“With the steady growth of mobile adoption and content consumption, we’ve seen an increase in on-the-go travel planning – more than one-third of mobile device owners, according to the study,” said Noah Tratt, global vice president of Expedia Media Solutions, in a prepared statement. “The findings also show a significant number of consumers rely on online travel agencies for destination ideas.”