Mobile technology impact has echoed across advertising, e-commerce and software applications development industries for years. A study by Expedia however reveals that the global tourism and hospitality industry hasn’t been left behind either. According to the report, 97 percent of business travelers carry at least one communication device.
The phones for instance come in handy when travelers want to forward complaints to travel and tour operators. Travelers also use them to adjust their travel plans. These may include asking hotels or restaurants to push forward lunch breaks or to completely change the menu to accommodate one or two more business or travel acquaintances. The phones can be as well used to book, defer or cancel flights in as much as they can be used to hire cars, charter planes and book conference halls.
The advancement of mobile phones’ video and photography capabilities enables travelers to capture events in details, providing them room to review business prospects keenly later on with an aim of making informed decisions. Over three-quarters of travelers are as a result of this addicted to smartphones because they have more travel-friendly applications that are important to their' daily needs.
Indians are singled out by the survey as the majority users of smartphones in the world of tours and travel. Over 95 percent of Indians believe in smartphones’ abilities to make their leisure or business trips to any part of the world smooth and memorable. On a global scale, the survey found out that over 35 percent of people use phones more often while traveling than they do while at home.
Wi-Fi is a critical aspect of mobile technology in connection to the global travel and hospitality sector; this is according to 56 percent of travelers who responded to the survey questions. A critical look at this reveals that the availability of Wi-Fi impacts travelers’ spending decisions as they are willing to pay more for flights and hotels with Wi-Fi connectivity. Wi-Fi enabled tours and travel establishments therefore experience higher sales volumes since it’s easier for clients to order food, massage, gym access and other services. Twenty-eight percent of those surveyed admit to have used Wi-Fi to make such reservations.
Air travel and road passengers alike find mobile phones important in tracking down lost luggage. Others have used them in the past to recover vital travel documents such as passports or even money. There are instances where phones have played a critical role in finding lost travel companions.
Over 50 percent of travelers surveyed note that the phones can as well be a great source of information and entertainment. This means that they can access their favorite blogs, online social sites, newspapers and magazine besides sharing information through e-mails, videos and photographs, a trend that experts encourage digital travel promoters to watch keenly.
Mobile phone service providers can as well reap benefits from the marriage between mobile communication devices and the global travel industry. Here there is a huge room for growth as only 35 percent of global travelers purchase international mobile phone roaming plans. India is in the lead in this front as two-thirds of the nation purchase these plans while traveling, says the report.