Mobile travel demand doubles

Vacationing consumers accessing travel information via mobile devices has doubled in the last year, according to a global survey of 1700 people carried out by digital travel content specialists, Frommer’s Unlimited.
 

“The rise of the smart phone and the launch of the iPad since our last survey have clearly led to a more prominent demand for mobile content. Consumers are expecting instant, sophisticated travel content and, more often than not, they are relying on this content to guide them through an unknown destination,” said Giles Longhurst, Frommer’s Unlimited director.
 

Over half or 52 percent of respondents said that they were most likely to access travel information on their mobile devices when travelling, compared to 27 percent last year.
 

“Respondents aged between 18 and 34 are the biggest advocates, with 72 percent of this age group accessing mobile travel content on holiday, compared to only 48 percent in 2010,” Frommer’s said.
 

The “Frommer’s Unlimited 2011 Digital Travel Content and User Experience Consumer Survey” also revealed the top six types of mobile travel content that consumers want when on vacation.
 

The most important function is seeing points of interest like attractions, restaurants and shops on a map (57 percent). That is followed by key phrases in local languages (55), local offers (51), itineraries and walking tours (50), local etiquette and customs (49), and tipping and currency converters (45).
 

“Interestingly, the 18-34 age bracket expressed an increased interest in accessing information related to local etiquette and customs and it ranked as the third most important type of content for this age group,” Frommer’s concluded.
 

When selecting a vacation destination, respondents rated “things to do” (92 percent) as the most influential factor, followed by “price” (86). This suggests that consumers are feeling more economically stable than last year when “price” was rated as the most influential factor.
 

In terms of influencing holiday decision making, the survey revealed that user reviews on travel websites and travel guidebooks are equally important with 81 percent of consumers considering them very influential. Editorial content on travel websites came in a close second with 80 percent.
 

“The survey revealed that travellers are increasingly more reliant on digital content in all phases of the travel cycle, considering many types of information as influential to their decision making than in prior surveys,” Frommer’s concluded.
 

By David Wilkening