Hoteliers targeting on-the-go bookings

A modest number of hotel companies are upping spend on mobile apps and social media, according to a new study.

A modest number of hotel companies are upping spend on mobile apps and social media, according to a new study.

The report, published by hotel market intelligence provider TravelClick, found that some hoteliers were increasing investment to capture web traffic and “on-the-go” bookings.

Almost 15% of survey respondents said social media would receive the majority of their focus, while little more than 10% said money spent on mobile would be increased.

For one in seven hotels between 21% and 30% of overall web traffic comes from mobile devices, with one in five only generating up to 10%.

More than a third said in future their website would be the biggest growth channel for bookings.

Elsewhere, Steven Taylor, Starwood Hotels’ vice president of marketing, predicted tablets and smartphones would capture one in three online pounds in the hospitality sector this year.

“Our volume of mobile bookings is growing five times faster than web did 10 years ago. By 2015 we expect interactions with mobile guests to surpass those of desktop users,” he said.

Similarly, a senior spokesman at Hilton Worldwide said mobile adoption and high-speed internet penetration had created new traveller expectations, specifically in the areas of immediacy and accuracy.

The spokesman said: “Guests expect to be able to shop and conduct commerce from anywhere, anytime. Ensuring hotels are accessible via all aspects of mobile (search, mobile web, apps) and offering dynamic promotions is key to keeping up with demand.”