Take a look around and you will find mobile devices, including Smartphones, tablets and smart wearables have become a common carry-on for travellers these days. Use of paper maps and spending long hours at the airport queue are a past story now. From bookings for flight and accommodation to searching for local attractions, the Smartphones and apps can do it all and a lot more!
Without further ado, let’s have a look at the top 5 ways mobile technology is revolutionizing the tourism industry.
Ever-simplified travel searches and bookings
Mobile devices have become a first choice of consumers to search for travel destinations, hotels, flights, etc. These handheld devices are in fact fundamentally the way travel searches were performed until now. According to a recent study, there is a remarkable 58% increase in the travel bookings from mobile devices, mainly Smartphones.
With internet enabled Smartphones and a large number of travel apps available in the market, travellers find it easy and quick to make travel bookings from their mobile devices. A Google study reveals that the majority of travellers, who prefer online travel bookings, are more inclined to app based bookings.
So, it is easy to see how booking apps will no longer be an optional business arsenal for the travel industry. Mobile devices are at core to travel planning and bookings now. It will not be surprising to see airports allowing remote check-ins.
Personalization
Personalization is a big frontier of the internet era; from Google search results and online shopping sites’ recommendations to the feeds on social media, personalization is everywhere. And it is anticipated that the mobile technology is all set to take personalization to the next big level, leveraging big data like user activity and preferences. From planning and booking to making the most of the trip, mobile based travel services will enhance travellers’ experience throughout their journey and way back to home.
The Sharing Economy
Sharing economy is a vague phrase in the travel technology space. Travellers have shifted to shared and collaborated consumption of goods and services. Though the notion of sharing economy isn’t new to the tourism industry, the advancement in the mobile technology domain, such as internet enabled Smartphones, GPS and mobile payments have made the concept more successful than ever before.
Uber is a great example of a sharing economy, which has witnessed an overwhelmed response from budget travellers too. Here customers will benefit from more competitive rates and convenient options, but at the same time the business concept adds to the challenges of travel service providers.
Apps, Apps, Apps!
Reportedly, queries related to flight, bookings and holiday destinations from mobile devices have soared to 33% in last 12 months from Jan 2014. And, the experts claim that internet enabled Smartphones will account for more than 50% sales in tourism industry by 2017.
More than 50% of airlines have already started with mobile app development to provide their customers with a better user experience; from quick and easy access to information, and real time notification directly to their device to mobile check-ins, these are just a few of the benefits apps can bring to the table.
Customer is KING!
The tremendous growth of mobile technology has slightly shifted the power to customers’ side from the businesses’ side, for the tourism industry. Today’s customers have access to honest and latest reviews shared by other travellers; they follow recommendations on social media channels too while considering for travel planning and bookings.
There is no doubt that customers give more importance to reviews and recommendations over brand advertisements and promotions. A large number of customers prefer to browse social media to learn more about the hotels or a particular service provider before they do bookings. If you have got a plan to build an app of your own, make sure you integrate the social media pages within the app. Social media platforms can be a major channel for lead generations.
To sum up, mobile technology is changing the way we travel. Mobile devices are turning out to be a potential channel for tourism marketing and revenue generation. As, more and more users move to mobile, the technology ensued by the tourism industry will also evolve over time. We are yet to see how mobile payments (cashless payments) and wearable devices are going to shape the tourism segment. Let’s keep our eyes out for them! If you are a travel service provider, a mobile friendly solution is the need of the hour. To know about developing a mobile app or how mobile technology can benefit your business contact Prismetric Technologies and provide the required boost to your business.