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Engaging with the constantly connected traveller on mobile

Mobile has revolutionised the way we plan our holidays. From researching and booking travel and accommodation, to downloading our e-tickets, organising our travel wallets and bookmarking the best local restaurants; the role of mobile for today’s traveller is increasingly varied. In our increasingly busy lives, mobile enables travellers to be constantly connected­ when planning and making trips.

We have come a long way from browsing glossy brochures and booking our holidays at high street travel agents, with technology platforms completely radicalising the way in which we book and plan our holidays. For example, ten years ago, 39% of travellers consulted their local travel agent and now, only 17% of us visit them when planning a trip. The move has shifted online, and to mobile, with over half of us (54%) consulting online travel agents then turning to mobile to plan and map out our activity abroad.

The most interesting insights about the role mobile plays in travel emerges from the initial planning stages. Mobile is the go-to device for early-stage travel planning. Everything from researching destinations and accommodation, checking a flight status, to sourcing restaurants, using mobile boarding passes and booking hotels – mobile is becoming the key default touchpoint throughout every stage of the travel planning.

Millennials are the greatest adopters of mobile holiday booking in the UK, with 20% of 18-34 year olds booking trips on a mobile device. In part, this has been credited to the rise of Instagram and the way in which some travel brands have adopted it in their marketing approaches. Social media has facilitated and expanded people’s ability to share travel experiences with a wider audience than ever before. For example, a staggering 97% of millennials share photos and videos of their online travel, building an influential web of peer-to-peer content that serves to inspire. When it comes to booking travel, 89% of this audience plan their travel activities around the content posted by their peers online.

As these statistics illustrate, mobile plays a role for today’s traveller at every stage, from researching to post-holiday evangelising. It is therefore an imperative for travel brands to make sure they are meeting the expectations of their audience by planning their entire digital funnel mobile-first. It is clear mobile is increasingly becoming the device consumers use to book their holiday. As smart phones and connection speeds become faster and web experiences become more intuitive for the mobile user, this will only increase further.

Although this is a trend we are already seeing, it’s ­important that performance media budgets reflect this consumer shift. Where there needs to be more of a step-change is in moving away from the singular focus on the last click (or tap) on mobile and recognising the importance of mobile at the research and consider phase of travel planning, keeping in mind that digital brand activity also needs to be planned mobile-first.

If you would be interested in finding out more then don’t hesitate to get in touch