Another good and not particularly self-serving piece of research from London-based digital agency Total Media – this time looking at mobile and travel.
The last study looked at how social media was influencing travel search and booking behaviour, but this time a survey of nearly 1,400 people was carried out to understand how smartphone devices were being used during the planning stages, pre-travel and during a trip.
Lots of data, and some of it indicating alarmingly low usage still, but worth a thorough look:
Pre-booking elements…
1. Search for holiday ideas using your mobile internet service?
- Male – 10.3%
- Female – 5.5%
2. Search for travel prices using your mobile internet service?
- Male – 8.8%
- Female – 4.8%
3. Search for travel information using your mobile internet service?
- Male – 9.3%
- Female – 4.5%
4. Book travel using your mobile internet service?
- Male – 6.8%
- Female – 5.5%
5. Check in to a flight using an airline’s mobile internet website?
- Male – 10.3%
- Female – 4.8%
6. Download an app to use on a trip?
- Male – 9.6%
- Female – 4.8%
7. Signed up to text alerts from supplier website?
- Male – 8.8%
- Female – 5.4%
8. Text friends to ask their opinion?
- Male – 28.4%
- Female – 23.2%
9. Phone friends to ask their opinion?
- Male – 33.6%
- Female – 32.8%
So, what about during an actual trip itself…
1. Search for places to go?
- Male – 10.5%
- Female – 4%
2. Search for consumer reviews on places to go?
- Male – 8.5%
- Female – 3.5%
3. Search for local events?
- Male – 7.5%
- Female – 3%
4. Book additional travel?
- Male – 8.5%
- Female – 2%
5. Check in to a flight?
- Male – 9.5%
- Female – 3%
6. Checked flight times via airline website?
- Male – 10.5%
- Female – 3.5%
7. Used maps?
- Male – 12%
- Female – 6%
8. Checked sports scores?
- Male – 19%
- Female – 6%
9. Checked news stories?
- Male – 14%
- Female – 6%
10. Checked work emails?
- Male – 11%
- Female – 4%
11. Check personal emails?
- Male – 19%
- Female – 11%
12. Taken a photo?
- Male – 48%
- Female – 56%
13. Uploaded a photo online?
- Male – 15%
- Female – 13.5%
14. Taken a video?
- Male – 23%
- Female – 23.5%
15. Used an app for destination information?
- Male – 10%
- Female – 3%
16. Used an app for translation services?
- Male – 6%
- Female – 3%
17. Phoned home?
- Male – 49%
- Female – 56%
18. Sent an SMS home?
- Male – 45%
- Female – 59%
19. Updated a social network profile?
- Male – 9.5%
- Female – 6%
As mentioned previously, some of these figures are extremely low – but mobile advocates around the industry would probably argue that the opportunity is already being illustrated, so to ignore it even at this early stage and with low take-up is dangerous.
Interestingly, when it comes to what types of features consumers would like to have in the future, destination information apps and sites and in-resort activity booking facilities were among some of the preferred uses.
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About Kevin May
Hmm, looks as if the heading ought to have been “How consumers user phones when travelling?”. A missing element (at least from this overview) is the impact of roaming charges on all forms of use.
Why is this “alarmingly low”? Maybe it reflects the real interest in and desire to use a phone in this way? Perhaps this is a niche and 10-20% of travellers behaving this way is actually success? Perhaps we are still on the low angled part of a “hockey stick” curve and if so, how far off is the “elbow”?
From the report itself…”Older travellers are the real online influencers”
@social sceptic…
Alas your alternative headline would be grammatically incorrect
Anyway, you are right about the roaming charges – probably the biggest barrier at the moment to higher usage figures.
I would argue that many travel providers seemingly desperate (at least in terms of public statements about strategy) to build apps and other mobile services would be disappointed that some activity is in the low single-digit figures.
Particularly if you use an iPhone…
There is a real barrier to entry on smartphones by the use of both metered and surcharged pricing.
Rationalized pricing doesnt seem to exist at the moment in any of the tariffs in any part of the world. Rape and pillage seem to be more appropriate terms.
Cheers
Maybe us early adopters are all living in our own bubble -;)
Hi,
The “bubble” remark made by Joe holds some truth. Online habits and opportunities are discussed by online “heavy users” via online channels (Twitter & blog discussions) and on seminars on online topics. Although I am sure that the future is mobile, I am reluctant to join the “2011 is the year of mobile” chant. The tourism industry has some pretty urgent challenges in 2011: decent profit margins, staff training, new products (real products, not re-marketed products) to name a few. We are the hottest sector for new apps, very true. But can we afford to be early adopters as a sector? These days I see a lot of newcomers to the sector handing out advise. I think at this stage we desperately need new, real tourism entrepreneurs.
@Jan – extremely well made point Jan!
Reading the substance of the report referred to at the start it seems to be striving all through to come to a positive conclusion about “social media” in the face of its own evidence. It even goes as far as to stretch the definition of social media to include any kind of on-line review or comment, of the kind that have been around since bulletin boards were bleeding edge technology, because the analysis revealed that “older” online users are those most likely to post comment or review and least likely to use the (currently trendy) twittering and blogging tools. Or maybe that generation still have the skills and patience to write something coherent and incisive using more than 140 characters? (Despite the spelling mistake in my first post
)
49 and 56% respectivel used the phone to phone home?
What the hell do people use to phones for?
What am I not getting.
Interesting to see how UI of various suppliers mobile sites is. I’ve been looking at lot of airline websites, hotel websites and some OLTA’s website on mobile and UI really sucks. This could also be a factor why people do not access internet over mobile and prefer to use computer/laptop.
For travel entrepreneurs to ensure mobile penetration, they should focus on great UI, personalization for the person who has booked his/her trip, so as to directly access booked itinerary, request for information etc. Alerts (weather, flight info, hotel info, s.seeing info) for destination information etc could be some of the features that consumers are looking for through their smart phones.
@Kevin: would be interesting to have the full survey; esp. the landscape of interviewees etc. Was it published at TM site? I can’t find it … but I didn’t use a smartphone … to search for it
@mag – TM did not put it on the site… But I will email you a copy. KLM.
@Rajat – no matter how well designed the UI there’s a much simpler influence at play here. Given the sheer amount of information displayed on a typical airline hotel site booking page it is simply too awkward to work with it on any mobile device much smaller than a tablet. And, as various studies have shown, most tablet owners never take them outside their own home.
When it comes to local information about your destination, once you are there – if it is in another country roaming data costs become a massive inhibitor. In any event the simple processes of either picking up printed material freely available in hotel, or, horror of horrors, talking to a human being at the hotel desk/tourist information centre/cafe etc etc. are cheap effective and entertaining. Sometimes technology is not the most effective solution to a problem!
It would be interesting to see if or how the various activities combined into a wholistic traveler experience. I don’t see the volumes as low, particularly if people are doing more than one thing, given the size of the travel market there are lots of opportunities with this community