[September 29, 2016] |
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Travel Apps or Travel Agents?
Global travel deals publisher Travelzoo (News - Alert) (NASDAQ:TZOO) has conducted a
survey* of 6,000 of its Asian, European and North American members to
determine how consumers in different markets research and book holidays.
While travel apps have been adopted by a vast majority of Chinese
respondents - with over 85% of Chinese Travelzoo® members saying the use
of travel apps as the easiest way to book a holiday, and over 70% saying
they plan to book flights, cruises, package holidays and hotels via apps
- among European respondents there is resistance to book travel on
mobile.
Richard Singer, Travelzoo's European President, said, "What the research
shows is the significant difference of opinion across various nations
regarding the most trustworthy and reliable ways of both researching and
booking travel. It's important for travel brands to recognise that these
cultural nuances are the difference between success and failure in
today's competitive travel environment. Having a top-notch app in China
is critical, while in markets like Germany and Canada the role of the
travel agent remains significant. As a business, Travelzoo is constantly
adapting the way our deals are presented to our members across the globe
- we have to stay on top of cultural trends and shifts in order to
appeal to the many markets we now operate in."
Travelzoo's survey also explores which sources its members trust the
most at the start of their search for a holiday when they are finding
inspiration on what and where to book. Respondents from all markets
place more trust in travel-deal websites (69%) than any other source,
including guidebooks, travel agents, review sites and feedback from
friends and family.
Canadians and Germans value travel agents more than any other nation
polled, with 40% of Germans and 37% of Canadians using agent websites
for inspiration. 10% of Germans and Canadians also say their final
decision on what to book would be most influenced by travel agent or
operator websites - for the UK and Spain this number drops to 2%.
A shift occurs in most markets when it comes to the final decision on
booking. Review sites and advice from family and friends surpass
travel-deal websites for all markets apart from France and Spain, where
deal websites retain their position as the most influential. Respondents
in Canada, China, the UK and the US say review sites have the most
influence on their final decision. In Germany, the final decision is
mos strongly based on advice from friends and family, with travel-deal
websites the second-most influential. German members are the least
influenced by review sites, with just 11% saying they would base their
final decision to book decision on what they see on such websites.
China's enthusiastic adoption of travel apps is confirmed by Vivian
Hong, Travelzoo's President of Asia Pacific, who said, "The Chinese
population has a very close relationship with digital technology, and we
are always keen to be the first adopters. For example, platforms such as
WeChat are becoming more influential than emails. According to the China
Internet Network Information Center, there are over 245 million email
users in China, and the email usage rate dropped by 36.7% last year. By
contrast, WeChat
has a total of 697 million active users in China. The market here is
much more trusting of technology."
While the other nations polled are a long way behind China in their
willingness to book holidays via apps, there is growing interest in
booking some forms of travel via mobile websites on smartphones. Spanish
and American respondents are second to China in their openness to mobile
bookings, with 62% of Spanish and 54% of US respondents saying they
would book or have booked accommodation this way. However, the numbers
booking via mobile are significantly lower in Canada (37%), the UK
(35%), Germany (31%) and France (29%).
Difficulty viewing the holiday information via smartphone is the top
concern for respondents from Canada (79%), the US and France (both 77%),
the UK (69%) and Germany and Spain (both 64%). Again, the response from
Chinese members is vastly different: the top concern in China is payment
security (36%), and problems viewing websites or apps via smartphone are
an issue for just 9% of Chinese respondents.
With so much competition in the market, travel companies are always
trying to find ways to keep their existing customers loyal and encourage
new customers to book with them. 85% of members from France, 60% from
Spain and 69% from China book with a specific company because they have
the best price or the best deals. In comparison, having a positive
reputation and brand perception is the biggest driver for respondents
from Canada (69%), the US (67%), the UK (60%) and Germany (57%).
*About the research
This research was conducted using an online questionnaire, which was
completed by 6,091 Travelzoo members across Canada, China, France,
Germany, Spain, the UK and the US in September 2016.
About Travelzoo
Travelzoo is a global media commerce company. With more than 28 million
members in Asia Pacific, Europe and North America, and 25 offices
worldwide, Travelzoo® publishes offers from more than 2,000 travel,
entertainment and local companies. Travelzoo's deal experts review
offers to find the best deals and confirm their true value.
Certain statements contained in this press release that are not
historical facts may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of
Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the
Securities and Exchange Act of 1934. These forward-looking statements
may include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans,
objectives, expectations, prospects and intentions, markets in which we
participate and other statements contained in this press release that
are not historical facts. When used in this press release, the words
"expect", "predict", "project", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate",
"intend", "plan", "seek" and similar expressions are generally intended
to identify forward-looking statements. Because these forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties, there are important factors
that could cause actual results to differ materially from those
expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements, including
changes in our plans, objectives, expectations, prospects and intentions
and other factors discussed in our filings with the SEC (News - Alert). We cannot
guarantee any future levels of activity, performance or achievements.
Travelzoo undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements
to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this
press release. Travelzoo and Top 20 are registered trademarks of
Travelzoo. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks
of their respective owners.
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View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160929005905/en/
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