Travelport, in its Global Traveler Survey, highlighted (08-Nov-2017) the use of digital tools when planning, booking and experiencing a journey. The main findings from the global report, which surveyed 11,000 people worldwide, were as follows:
- When planning a trip:
- 81% use peer to peer reviews when researching a trip;
- 47% use voice search, using devices such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, when researching a trip;
- Nearly 25% of over 55 year olds use a smartphone to research a trip;
- When booking a trip:
- Over 33% of travellers book their trip on a mobile device;
- 61% avoid hotels that charge for WiFi;
- When on the trip:
- 70% of travellers believe that digital boarding passes make travelling so much easier;
- 60% of travellers feel that a good digital experience is important when choosing an airline;
- 44% of travellers rely on their smartphone at their destination;
- When at the destination:
- Travellers use an average of 16 different categories of apps when travelling;
- 75% of travellers leave reviews on review sites.
Travelport noted that there is a "love-hate" relationship with digital devices with 60% saying they would be lost without their smartphone whilst 43% also say they want to escape the digital world and switch off when away. The report also includes the world's first Digital Traveler Rankings, with India named the country with the most digitally advanced travellers. India was followed by China, Indonesia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, South Africa, UAE, Colombia, Italy, USA, Spain, France, Russia, Canada, Australia, UK and Germany. [more - original PR]