Smartphones are changing the way we travel and the way we market travel should adapt to this

Last month the Sabre Travel Network, a world leader in the travel marketplace, offered some insight into their biannual mobile survey of business travellers. The study, which was last conducted two years ago, demonstrates a significant rise in the number of business travellers who currently use, and desire to use smartphones for varied travel purposes.

• 43% of business travellers reported daily use of their smartphone to access navigation services.
• 63% of business travellers want to receive destination specific offers from local businesses, an increase of 85% in 2009.
• 47% of business travellers use their smart phone daily to view or receive advertisements, a 95% percent increase from 2009.

Changing the Game

Smartphones are changing the game in the leisure travel market too. Why? Convenience, of course. There are a plethora of services available to even the most inept Smartphone users. From handy websites to apps, some punch packing features include: Bar-code Ticketing is responsible for speeding up the check-in process at airports, and changed the way in which we purchase and redeem booking vouchers, theme park admissions and much more. Go Select allows users to purchase sightseeing passes in a number of US cities, print or save the barcodes, then scan at each attraction for hassle free entry. Geo Location and Navigation tools have revolutionised the ability to pinpoint locations and explore cities and sights across the world. Forget the trusty old Tom Tom, navigation is now only a pocket away on your smartphone! From driving in your hometown to exploring cobbled laneways in Bratislava, navigations services like Google Maps offer an impressive list of features. Translation services just keep getting better. Imagine sitting in a foreign café with no idea how to order in the local language. Try your hand at getting the pronunciation right, or take it a step further and seek out a translation service like Google Translate or Babblefish for prompt delivery of a (hopefully correct) phrase that your waiter can hear for himself! Travel reviews are nothing new, but the ability to instantly access reviews certainly eases the decision making process while travelling. Trip Advisor allows users to browse millions of honest reviews, by real travellers, about hotels, restaurants & attractions worldwide directly from their smartphone. Video calling has long replaced international calling cards and frustrating conversations with operators. The likes of Skype and Google Huddle allow smartphone users to not only call but see their loved ones in real-time. Not only is it cost effective, it does wonders for peace of mind. And then there’s Augmented Reality technology, the grandmaster development that enables you to scan your surroundings and be presented with a real-world view of the local area, boasting everything from animations to proximity of sightseeing hotspots, hotels, shops, pricing and so much more. Tripwolf boasts a travel guide app utilising this technology, and The Louvre in France has its own Augmented Reality Touring System to interactively guide visitors through the museum. While viewing a real-world image through the screen you are also presented with animations to enhance the experience and understanding of what you are looking at. These examples only scratch the surface of the increasingly popular travel tools available to smartphone users.

The fact remains that the game has changed and travel companies need to change with it. Those who are thriving are those embracing and leveraging smartphone technologies through advertising, app development and website optimisation to name a few. As the old adage goes ‘if you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you’ve got.’

Jaclyn Amoroso OnQ Marketing Blog