Almost a quarter of Britons have used a mobile device as part of their travel planning process, a new study shows.
TripAdvisor poll shows a quarter of people use mobile for travel
Almost a quarter of Britons have used a mobile device as part of their travel planning process, a new study shows.
The poll of 1,300 British users of TripAdvisor found that 22% have used smartphones and other mobile devices, with researching and booking accommodation the most common activity.
But Brits are lagging behind in mobile device adoption for travel with 27% of Europeans planning their trips via mobile. The survey found that 45% of Britons have used a mobile device to research their trip while in their destination, compared to 53% of European respondents.
Of those Brits who plan travel on their mobile device 29% have booked or researched accommodation, 27% have researched destinations, 26% have read traveller reviews, 23% have researched restaurants and 18% have booked or researched flights.Almost half have used mobile devices to plan and research their trip on arrival at their destination.
For those respondents who use their mobile device while travelling, 29% researched restaurants, 28% checked their flight status, 21% researched attractions, 18% researched accommodation and 16% researched tours, according to the poll.
But roaming charges remain the biggest barrier to using mobile devices when on overseas holidays. The greatest frustrations for British travellers when using a mobile device while travelling are roaming fees and sporadic connectivity.
The study found that 39% of British respondents have a travel app installed on their mobile device. A TripAdvisor spokeswoman said: “As mobile, tablet and smartphone use increases at breakneck speed, the way travellers plan their trips is fundamentally changing.
“We’re seeing phenomenal growth in the number of travellers planning their holidays – both before they leave and during their trip – on mobile devices. Whether travellers are looking for the nearest attractions or top-rated restaurants, these findings show that smartphones and tablets are an increasingly important travel companion.
