According to new research published by Travelport, Americans rank in the bottom half of the world’s most digitally dependent travellers. Travelport conducted a global online survey of 11 000 travellers in 19 countries, including 1 000 respondents in the United States, analysing their reliance on mobile, Internet and digital technology for travel-related purposes.
The study also revealed new insights into how American travellers use digital tools to plan, book and experience travel.
Planning a trip: 79% of US travellers use peer-to-peer reviews when researching a trip; 71% use travel sites to discover new and exciting destinations based on their interests; and 60% use videos and photos posted by friends on social media as part of their research.
Booking a trip: 44% tend to research and book all their travel arrangements on their smartphone; 65% avoid hotels that charge for WiFi.
On the trip: 73% of Americans believe digital boarding passes make travelling much easier; 60% feel a good digital experience is important when choosing an airline.
At the destination: US travellers use almost 15 different categories of apps when travelling, with maps and instant messaging being the most popular; 72% like to see as much of the local area as possible while on business trips, combining pleasure with business.
The report also includes a Digital Traveller global rankings table. The rankings are based on a combination of the main indicators of digital usage for travel-related purposes by travellers in each country.
The 2017 Travelport Digital Traveller Global Rankings
- India
- China
- Indonesia
- Brazil
- Saudi Arabia
- Mexico
- South Africa
- United Arab Emirates
- Colombia
- Italy
- United States
- Spain
- France
- Russia
- Canada
- Australia
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- Germany
Erika Moore, Travelport’s Vice President and General Manager for the United States, commented:
“The middle-of-the-road survey results for the United States compared with other countries are surprising, considering typical American eagerness to embrace the latest technologies. Travelport’s survey indicates there are continuing opportunities for the $7.6 trillion global travel and hospitality industry to promote the adoption and use of new digital travel tools and content in the United States, as well as to adapt continually to provide responsive, relevant and timely services for customers. As a technology company and a world leader in digital and mobile capabilities, Travelport’s platform stands ready to provide the travel industry with the means to accomplish this goal.”
