Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) today released Tap into mobile: managed travel in the digital economy, an investigation into the impact of mobile in the managed travel space.
The free-to-download study suggests that mobile bookings are set to climb steeply over the next decade and will influence not only the entire traveller experience but will shift how travel managers control their travel programs, using the latest mobile technology to help support and connect to their travellers.
Both travellers and travel managers expect mobile booking to increase significantly, reaching 25 percent of online transactions by 2017. In addition, CWT’s research predicts that mobile bookings will more than double in the next two years.
CWT research also shows that it took up to eight years for online booking tools to reach the same level of activity that mobile is expected to achieve in the next three years. The study highlights the high expectations that both travellers and travel managers have for mobile travel services and their awareness of the advantages and benefits it will bring.
Supporting the idea that traveller experience is key, the study highlights that neither travellers nor travel managers expect mobile to significantly drive down travel costs; instead ease of doing business, productivity and traveller wellbeing all rank higher as key benefits of mobile. As a result, managed travel apps are becoming more sophisticated, and companies who act now will reap the most benefit, as they steer travellers towards the apps that support the travel program.
The study also highlighted that an estimated average of 62 per cent of travellers already carry company smartphones and 56 per cent of companies surveyed already, or plan to, have a ‘Bring your own device’ policy. Globally, travel managers also consider the potential impact of mobile on the travel program to be high, rating it 6.8 overall on a scale of one to 10.
Looking to North America, CWT’s research shows:
- Travel alerts are very important to travellers, who rank them third most important after flight status updates and itinerary information.
- Travellers in North America consider mobile booking on-the-go less important than their counterparts in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, with 55 percent considering it important or critical, versus 62 percent in Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
- While North American travel managers and travellers consider ease of doing business, productivity and well-being (in that order) the most important aspects of mobile features, European travel managers emphasize well-being, followed by productivity and compliance with travel policy.
Looking to the Asia Pacific region, CWT’s research shows:
- Travel alerts are very important to travellers, who rank them the third most important mobile service feature after flight status updates and itinerary information.
- Travellers in Asia Pacific, along with those in Latin America, place more importance on mobile booking on-the-go (62 per cent consider it important or critical), compared with North America (55 per cent) and EMEA (45 per cent).
Looking to the EMEA region, CWT’s research shows:
- European travel managers and travellers consider well-being, productivity and compliance with travel policy (in that order) the most important aspects of mobile features, in contrast with their colleagues in North America, who emphasize ease of doing business, followed by productivity and well-being.
- Travellers in EMEA consider mobile booking on-the-go less important than their counterparts in Asia-Pacific and Latin America, with 45 per cent considering it important or critical, versus 62 per cent in the other regions.
CWT’s research shows travellers in Latin America, along with those in Asia-Pacific, place more importance on mobile booking on-the-go (62 per cent consider it important or critical), compared with North America (55 per cent) and EMEA (45 per cent).
