As
online bookings become the norm, the travel industry is focusing on the next
channel—mobile, With US mobile travel sales, including travel purchases on both
tablets and smartphones, expected to increase 59.8% this year to reach $26.14
billion. On top of that, we expect the number of mobile travel bookers in the
US to grow 27.5% in 2014 to hit 33.5 million consumers
However,
TripAdvisor’s “TripBarometer 2014” study, conducted by Ipsos MORI, found that
mobile still had a long way to go when it came to winning over travelers, with
just 4% of travelers polled worldwide saying they had booked their last trip
via mobile, compared with 66% who did so online. Results suggested that lower
prices and special offers may help fuel mobile booking uptake, with “bargain
hunters” more likely to have booked through mobile. Among travelers worldwide
who had booked their last trip via mobile, a better price was the leading
reason, cited by 28%. And while just 16% said they had used a mobile channel to
make accommodations for their last trip because of special offers, this was
higher than those who said the same for offline or online booking.
The
increased mobile penetration is pushing travel companies to develop better,
easier mobile booking experiences, and the majority of accommodation owners
polled by TripAdvisor had recognized consumer demand for mobile, with just
one-fifth offering nothing. More businesses were doing so than in previous
“TripBarometer” studies, and even more were planning on offering new mobile
capabilities this year.
Website-related mobile activities were the
most popular mobile capabilities offered to guests by accommodation owners
worldwide, with 45% allowing guests to book rooms on their sites on a mobile
device and 38% reporting having mobile-friendly versions. Though mobile travel
bookers indicated that better pricing was a main reason for making reservations
via such a device, accommodation owners had not caught on. Just 10% made
special offers available to mobile device users
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