Mobile Travel Bookings Rise Dramatically

Travel Mole: Almost a quarter of those planning and booking a holiday will use a mobile device to do so, according to a TripAdvisor survey. An astonishing 22% of the 1,200 people who responded to the travel site’s mobile device survey said they had used the hardware when organizing a holiday, with 29% using it for researching or booking accommodation.

Some 27% researched destinations via their mobiles, 26% read peer reviews, 23% researched restaurants and the lowest figure, 18%, booked or researched flights.

TripAdvisor spokeswoman Emma O’Boyle said: “We’re seeing phenomenal growth in the number of travelers planning their holidays – both before they leave and during their trip – on mobile devices.”

Just under half (45%) of respondents said they used their mobile to research their holiday whilst they were abroad, reading about restaurants, checking flight status and researching attractions and tours.

Added O’Boyle: “Whether travelers are looking for the nearest attractions or top-rated restaurant, these findings show that smartphones and tablets are an increasingly important travel companion.”

TripAdvisor also found that roaming charges were still the biggest barrier to mobile use abroad, with 47% saying these were the reasons for not using their mobiles while 18% said it was poor connectivity and 7% because of the small screen.

The survey also found that Europe has a head start on the UK when it comes to mobile use for travel, with 27% of Europeans planning a trip using a device as opposed to 22% of Brits. Meanwhile 39% of respondents had a travel app, 14% had written a review on their mobile and 15% had checked in to a place using the phone.