Holiday package price comparison frustration uncovered by survey from Apadmi

A survey of 1,000 people who have taken a holiday in the last 12 months has found for over half their biggest frustration is comparing package prices. Continue reading →

A survey of 1,000 people who have taken a holiday in the last 12 months has found for over half their biggest frustration is comparing package prices.

The key finding is included in a report for mobile technology specialist Apadmi entitled Transforming Travel Through Mobile Technology.

The degree of frustration in not being able to compare packages is more acute among those people with smaller budgets, the survey found.

Around half of those with budgets above £20,000 said this was their biggest pain point during the initial stages of looking for a holiday.

However for those on budgets between £10,000 and £19,999 and under £10,000 61% and 62% said this was their biggest frustration.

Other key frustrations uncovered by the survey included too much choice, misleading photography and a lack of detailed information.

The survey found 28% of holidaymakers believe brochures and websites don’t contain enough detail, 29% that imagery is misleading, and 27% that there’s too much choice.

Nick Black, chief executive of Apadmi, said: “It can be tricky to search for a holiday unless you have a specific destination in mind – you might know you want a relaxing break or a city getaway, but how do you know which resorts offer the right facilities and accommodation that will suit you?

“Often this requires a lot of research by the customer, comparing different options, discounts and websites. This is a lengthy and overwhelming process, and as our research suggests, travel agents can, and should, help solve this conundrum.

“Our report found that holidaymakers are increasingly looking for travel providers who give them a more personalised service to help narrow down their options. Artificial Intelligence is the most effective way to do this.

“Embracing this technology would remove many of the irrelevant travel suggestions many customers are currently presented with in the mass-market travel sector.

“It would also enhance customer service in-store, as travel agents can use data collected through AI to pick up where the customer left their plans online, providing that seamless, multi-channel experience that’s currently in such high demand from consumers.”

The survey found people throughout the age ranges wanted virtual reality and augmented reality to help them hone their decision and make a booking more than they did digital assistants. Overall 48% said they wanted to latter and just 21% the former.