Asian travellers among world’s most “connected” – report
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Asian travellers are among the most “connected” in the world, according to a new TripAdvisor study.
In its ‘TripBarometer Connected Traveler’ report, TripAdvisor found that 49% of Asian travellers are “connected”, meaning they have used a smartphone to plan or book a trip. This is higher than both North America (46%) and Europe (44%).
And four of the world’s top five “connected” countries are located in the region. Thailand and China have the highest proportion of connected travellers (both 65%), followed by Brazil and Indonesia (both 59%) and Malaysia (53%).
Globally, 45% percent of connected travellers usually use their smartphones to book activities for a trip, and almost three quarters (72%) use their smartphones to look for restaurants while on vacation. More than a third (34%) said they would like to use mobile check-in for accommodation.
“While booking travel via mobile is ultimately on the rise for all travellers, for the connected traveller smartphones are the essential travel companion,” said Adam Medros, TripAdvisor’s senior vice president of product. “Through travel apps, connected travellers are finding their way around, looking for places to eat or things to do and reading reviews. They are also more likely to see their smartphones as a booking device, both before a trip and while in-destination.”
While laptops and PCs are still the most commonly used platforms for hotel bookings, 12% of people identified as “connected travellers” booked their accommodation via a smartphone, compared to 6% of global travellers.
Connected travellers are also more likely to use their smartphones for travel research while in their destination: 72% use their mobile to look for restaurants, 67% to find things to do, and 64% to read reviews.
As well as having the highest proportion of connected travellers, China can expect to see an influx of these tech-savvy visitors in the coming years. Sixty-one percent of respondents planning a visit to China over the next 12 months were found to be connected travellers. Australia (55%) and Thailand (54%) can also expect to welcome more connected travellers.
Unfortunately, many hoteliers appear to be missing out on this opportunity. According to TripAdvisor, 45% of connected travellers said they would use a hotel app to make reservations and requests while on their trip, but only 16% of global hoteliers currently offer such an app.
“While the majority of global travellers now use mobile devices, the tendency to see a smartphone as a booking platform is what sets connected travellers apart,” said Marc Charron, president of TripAdvisor for Business.
“Hotels should identify the best ways to make themselves as visible and accessible as possible on mobile platforms in order to appeal to this highly engaged segment of travellers. For independent or smaller properties, leveraging a service like TripConnect instant booking is a great way to make themselves instantly bookable on TripAdvisor without needing to develop their own mobile booking solution.”
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