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PhoCusWright research: Tablets transform holiday shopping for older Europeans

According to PhoCusWright's European Traveler Technology Survey 2014, tablet ownership peaks among 35-44 year-old online travel planners in France (54%) and the U.K. (55%) – and among 45-54 year olds in Germany (45%).

NEW YORK – Younger consumers are typically the strongest adopters of new technology. Millennials were first to jump on Facebook. They were first to tweet. They took to smartphones at the fastest clip. But a new study from travel industry research authority reveals an exception to the pattern. In Europe, tablets are appealing to a much older crowd.

According to PhoCusWright‘s European Traveler Technology Survey 2014, tablet ownership peaks among 35-44 year-old online travel planners in France (54%) and the U.K. (55%) – and among 45-54 year olds in Germany (45%).

There are a few likely drivers of the overall trend. For one, tablets are not cheap. Millennials tend to have more trouble dishing out the cash for these devices – especially after splurging on laptops and smartphone purchases, which typically happen first. Additionally, tablets offer older, less tech-savvy consumers a more familiar online experience – replicating PC functionality with larger screens, multi-window web-browsing and even keyboard attachments.

“It’s important to keep track of who’s using what during all of this multi-device pandemonium. Device adoption patterns have a huge impact on online holiday shopping behavior,” says Marcello Gasdia, PhoCusWright senior analyst, consumer research. “We’re seeing tablet adoption soar among older consumers in Europe, and now the devices are huge shopping channels for the age group as well. Thirty-five to fifty-five year olds are now more likely to use tablets to shop for holidays than tech-savvy millennials.”

Despite growing reliance on mobile, the PC still dominates the online travel search-shop-buy process across all age groups. More than 70% of European online travel planners rely on the PC to research destinations, shop for travel products and book.

PhoCusWright’s European Traveler Technology Survey 2014 provides travel companies and marketers with a comprehensive view of how the latest devices, mobile functionality and social networks are shaping the European consumer leisure travel planning process. The research provides insight into multi-device travel planning and provides an in-depth look at how European travelers use social platforms and mobile devices before, during and after their trips.

Research highlights include:

  • Analysis of European online travelers’ ownership and adoption of mobile phones, smartphones and web-enabled devices, including PCs, tablets and more
  • Detailed examinations of European travelers’ mobile Internet usage, highlighting travel-related mobile activities such as pre-trip research and shopping, mobile bookings and a range of in-travel mobile activities (navigation/mapping, flight check-in and social network trip updates)
  • Discussion of social network participation among online travelers, including what networks they use, how often they connect and travel-related activity
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Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.

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