UK among least ‘digitally-advanced’ travellers, Travelport finds

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UK among least ‘digitally-advanced’ travellers, Travelport finds

The UK is one of the countries with the least ‘digitally-advanced’ travellers, according to new survey results published by Travelport. The travel commerce platform asked 11,000 travellers in 19 countries a series of questions about how they use technology to … Continue reading →

The UK is one of the countries with the least ‘digitally-advanced’ travellers, according to new survey results published by Travelport.

The travel commerce platform asked 11,000 travellers in 19 countries a series of questions about how they use technology to plan and book a journey and how they use it while they’re away.

India was the most digitally-advanced of the countries surveyed, ahead of China and Indonesia in second and third spot.

The UK, from where there were more than 500 respondents, languished in 17th on the list, ahead of Japan and Germany, which propped-up the table of 19 countries.

Paul Broughton, country manager, UK & Ireland at Travelport, said: “The Global Traveller Survey clearly shows that the future of travel is digital. Travellers are becoming increasingly digitally dependent when it comes to planning, booking and experiencing travel, and the $7.6 trillion global travel and hospitality industry must adapt to provide responsive, relevant and timely services for customers.

“Whether young or old, and in whichever continent, providing relevant and timely digital tools and content is no longer an accessory but an essential means of reaching and satisfying the modern traveller from the moment they search to the moment they return from their trip.”

The survey also found the following results:

  • When planning a trip:
    • 85% of UK travellers use peer to peer reviews when researching a trip
    • 33% use voice search, using devices such as Siri or Amazon Echo, when researching a trip
    • 50% state the biggest pain point is time spent finding the best price
  • When booking a trip:
    • 40% of traveller’s research and book their trip on a smartphone
    • 46% believe a good digital experience is important when choosing an airline
    • 54% of business travellers add leisure days to a business trip
    • 53% avoid hotels that charge for Wi-Fi
  • When on the trip:
    • 62% of travellers believe that digital boarding passes make traveling so much easier
    • 57% would be lost without their smartphone
  • When at the destination:
    • They use an average of 14 different categories of apps when travelling
    • 47% appreciate time away from family when travelling on business

The Digital Traveller Rankings 2017: 

The table is based on a combination of the main indicators of digital usage for travel-related purposes by travellers in each country. For example, those from the UK typically use smartphones for boarding a plane rather than booking a journey, with 62% saying digital boarding passes makes travelling easier, compared to a global average of 71%.

  1. India
  2. China
  3. Indonesia
  4. Brazil
  5. Saudi Arabia
  6. Mexico
  7. South Africa
  8. United Arab Emirates
  9. Colombia
  10. Italy
  11. United States
  12. Spain
  13. France
  14. Russia
  15. Canada
  16. Australia
  17. United Kingdom
  18. Japan
  19. Germany

 

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