Travel bookings via mobile devices increase by more than 20 percent in the first six months of 2014; Mobile travel apps become more popular as in-app bookings account for 12 percent of mobile bookings.
NEW YORK – Criteo, the performance advertising technology company, revealed its Travel Flash Report that highlights the increased use of mobile devices in consumer travel planning and purchasing worldwide. This report provides insight on both the share and value of bookings generated from mobile devices for travel websites, including airlines, hotels, car rentals, cruises and apartments, and the impact this has on marketers’ advertising campaigns.
The Travel Flash Report represents the activity of more than 1,000 travel websites worldwide in the first half of 2014. Key takeaways include:
Global Findings:
- Mobile bookings are growing faster than desktop: 20% versus 2% over the first six months of 2014.
- Smartphones and tablets account for 21% of hotel bookings.
- Peer-to-peer apartment rentals is the category with highest mobile penetration (34% globally).
- The value of mobile bookings is increasing in every area except for accommodation. The average booking value was 21% higher for air travel and 13% higher for car rentals, but 30%lower for hotel bookings on mobile devices than desktop.
- In-app bookings account for 12% of total mobile bookings.
- The value of bookings by device varies across categories: there’s an average $600 more spent on packages booked on the iPad compared to those booked via any Android device. However, the value of Android bookings for flights outpaces all other mobile devices.
Regional Findings:
- Asia Pacific leads the way with more than 20% of travel bookings made on a mobile device, with Brazil and Germany less than 10%.
- With a 42% increase, Latin America has the most significant seasonal growth in online bookings for travel advertisers. This coincided with the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
- Online travel agencies’ bookings climb by 50% throughout the season in Europe and the US, but the average value of those bookings falls by 19%. For hotel suppliers, however, the booking numbers remain stable throughout the first half of 2014, with peaks in value in February and June.
“Mobile is the driving force behind the exponential growth in online travel booking and sales, and that’s only set to continue in the second half of this year and beyond,” said Jason Morse, vice president, mobile product at Criteo. “With smart phones and tablets in nearly every consumer’s hands today, travel marketers need to think strategically about developing a highly effective omni-channel marketing experience. That means ensuring the entire consumer experience – from the ads to shopping carts – is mobile optimized. Determining budget across desktop and mobile must be completely fluid because consumers are making decisions in real-time, requiring that the booking experience be streamlined and integrated with mobile-friendly payment systems to ease the all-important path to purchase.”
Travel Flash Report: Online travel’s never looked so mobile
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
