PHUKET: Despite the popular belief that holidays are supposed to be a time to escape, nearly nine out of 10 travellers worldwide admit to being attached to mobile technology while they are away.
Eighty seven per cent of travellers globally, and 85 percent of Thai travellers, report using mobile devices when they are travelling, according to the 'TripAdvisor TripBarometer Mobile and Social trends survey'.
The desire to stay connected with family and friends at home and fear of missing out are the principal reasons driving this growing attachment to mobile connection and social media usage while on holiday.
However, hospitality businesses globally are not delivering on the needs of today's connected traveller.
Keeping Connected with Mobile
According to the TripBarometer, travellers from Indonesia are the most inclined to use mobile devices when they are on the road (98pc), while Canadians at 59pc, are the least likely, but still a majority.
Globally, out of all generations, 18 to 24 year olds are the most avid users of mobile while travelling (94pc) and women (88pc) are slightly more attached to their mobile devices while on holiday than men (85pc).
Mobile is making it possible for travellers to stay connected at all times during their trip, whether it be via smartphone or tablet.
While calling (73pc) and texting (62pc) remain the key reasons for travellers to use their smartphones while travelling, a significant portion of travellers are using mobile technology to access social media and to look for recommendations on the go.
Thai travellers are more likely to use their smartphones to access social media and share on social networking sites than the average global traveller.
Mind the Gap: The Mobile Opportunity
The TripBarometer reveals that hospitality businesses globally are not currently meeting travellers' mobile expectations and Thailand is no exception.
Despite the appetite that travellers have for their mobile devices on holiday, close to a third of hoteliers globally (31pc) and in Thailand (34pc) don't do anything to reach mobile users.
While in 2013, only 36pc of hoteliers globally prioritised mobile marketing, 53pc of them plan on expanding their mobile offerings in 2014. According to the study, 52pc of Thai hoteliers plan to increase their mobile offerings in the coming year to include mobile booking functionality (31pc), mobile-friendly website (20pc) and mobile specific special offers (8pc).
Social Media to Plan and to Travel
Nearly half of Thai travellers (47pc) relied on social media to plan their last trip, using it to get recommendations (77pc), to see pictures and videos of where they're going (70pc), to look for deals (64pc), and to find inspiration for what to do and see while they're there (43pc).
According to the survey, Thai travellers are also engaging heavily on social media during their holiday. More than 4 out of 5 Thai travellers (86pc) use social media while on the road - significantly higher than the global average (61pc).
Furthermore, Thais are also more inclined to use social media to get recommendations and update their social networks, compared to the average global traveller.
In line with the global average, 25pc of Thais admit to using social media to brag about their trip.
Looking across the globe, Indians (37pc) and Indonesians (30pc) are the most likely to brag on social media while on holiday, while travellers from Greece (5pc) and Italy (8pc) are the least likely to show off.
Turning to Social Media for Engagement
A majority (81pc) of Thai hoteliers are using social media to engage with current and potential guests, which is in line with the global average (82pc). The most used platforms by Thai owners for engaging are Facebook (76pc) and YouTube (30pc).
From a business point of view, the study shows 58pc of Thai owners claim to be getting value from Facebook and only 4pc believe to be getting a value from YouTube.
The other 19pc of Thai hoteliers who do not use social media to engage with guests cite lack of knowledge (42pc) and time (39pc) as key reasons.
The good news is, 58pc of hoteliers in Thailand plan to invest more in social media in 2014.
''Travellers' reliance on mobile devices and social media is consistent with the trends we're seeing at TripAdvisor,'' said Marc Charron, President of TripAdvisor for Business.
''TripAdvisor has 79 million average monthly mobile unique visitors, an increase of more than 216pc from last year.
''Over 50 million people have installed our various apps, and we see that travellers are using them not only for planning but during their trips.
''Additionally, one in three TripAdvisor reviews are submitted by Facebook connected users, demonstrating that travellers are still keen to share their experiences via social media platforms after their trips.
''TripBarometer findings revealed that there are opportunities for hospitality businesses to provide value at various points throughout a traveller's journey.
''Businesses should engage with potential and current guests on mobile and social media to interact with them in real time through special offers and apps that are popular with travellers.
''Ultimately, mobile offers a direct link to travellers on the go,'' added Julio Bruno, Global Vice President of Sales, TripAdvisor for Business.
Methodology: The research was commissioned by TripAdvisor and conducted by Edelman Berland, an independent market research firm, conducted via online survey in June and July 2013. Survey respondents were 10,469 accommodation business owners and 19,692 18+ adults who have booked travel online and taken at least one trip in the past year.
Respondents were from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK and US.
A total of 3372 travellers and 1247 accommodation business owners from Asia participated in the study.
Eighty seven per cent of travellers globally, and 85 percent of Thai travellers, report using mobile devices when they are travelling, according to the 'TripAdvisor TripBarometer Mobile and Social trends survey'.
The desire to stay connected with family and friends at home and fear of missing out are the principal reasons driving this growing attachment to mobile connection and social media usage while on holiday.
However, hospitality businesses globally are not delivering on the needs of today's connected traveller.
Keeping Connected with Mobile
According to the TripBarometer, travellers from Indonesia are the most inclined to use mobile devices when they are on the road (98pc), while Canadians at 59pc, are the least likely, but still a majority.
Globally, out of all generations, 18 to 24 year olds are the most avid users of mobile while travelling (94pc) and women (88pc) are slightly more attached to their mobile devices while on holiday than men (85pc).
Mobile is making it possible for travellers to stay connected at all times during their trip, whether it be via smartphone or tablet.
While calling (73pc) and texting (62pc) remain the key reasons for travellers to use their smartphones while travelling, a significant portion of travellers are using mobile technology to access social media and to look for recommendations on the go.
Thai travellers are more likely to use their smartphones to access social media and share on social networking sites than the average global traveller.
Mind the Gap: The Mobile Opportunity
The TripBarometer reveals that hospitality businesses globally are not currently meeting travellers' mobile expectations and Thailand is no exception.
Despite the appetite that travellers have for their mobile devices on holiday, close to a third of hoteliers globally (31pc) and in Thailand (34pc) don't do anything to reach mobile users.
While in 2013, only 36pc of hoteliers globally prioritised mobile marketing, 53pc of them plan on expanding their mobile offerings in 2014. According to the study, 52pc of Thai hoteliers plan to increase their mobile offerings in the coming year to include mobile booking functionality (31pc), mobile-friendly website (20pc) and mobile specific special offers (8pc).
Social Media to Plan and to Travel
Nearly half of Thai travellers (47pc) relied on social media to plan their last trip, using it to get recommendations (77pc), to see pictures and videos of where they're going (70pc), to look for deals (64pc), and to find inspiration for what to do and see while they're there (43pc).
According to the survey, Thai travellers are also engaging heavily on social media during their holiday. More than 4 out of 5 Thai travellers (86pc) use social media while on the road - significantly higher than the global average (61pc).
Furthermore, Thais are also more inclined to use social media to get recommendations and update their social networks, compared to the average global traveller.
In line with the global average, 25pc of Thais admit to using social media to brag about their trip.
Looking across the globe, Indians (37pc) and Indonesians (30pc) are the most likely to brag on social media while on holiday, while travellers from Greece (5pc) and Italy (8pc) are the least likely to show off.
Turning to Social Media for Engagement
A majority (81pc) of Thai hoteliers are using social media to engage with current and potential guests, which is in line with the global average (82pc). The most used platforms by Thai owners for engaging are Facebook (76pc) and YouTube (30pc).
From a business point of view, the study shows 58pc of Thai owners claim to be getting value from Facebook and only 4pc believe to be getting a value from YouTube.
The other 19pc of Thai hoteliers who do not use social media to engage with guests cite lack of knowledge (42pc) and time (39pc) as key reasons.
The good news is, 58pc of hoteliers in Thailand plan to invest more in social media in 2014.
''Travellers' reliance on mobile devices and social media is consistent with the trends we're seeing at TripAdvisor,'' said Marc Charron, President of TripAdvisor for Business.
''TripAdvisor has 79 million average monthly mobile unique visitors, an increase of more than 216pc from last year.
''Over 50 million people have installed our various apps, and we see that travellers are using them not only for planning but during their trips.
''Additionally, one in three TripAdvisor reviews are submitted by Facebook connected users, demonstrating that travellers are still keen to share their experiences via social media platforms after their trips.
''TripBarometer findings revealed that there are opportunities for hospitality businesses to provide value at various points throughout a traveller's journey.
''Businesses should engage with potential and current guests on mobile and social media to interact with them in real time through special offers and apps that are popular with travellers.
''Ultimately, mobile offers a direct link to travellers on the go,'' added Julio Bruno, Global Vice President of Sales, TripAdvisor for Business.
Methodology: The research was commissioned by TripAdvisor and conducted by Edelman Berland, an independent market research firm, conducted via online survey in June and July 2013. Survey respondents were 10,469 accommodation business owners and 19,692 18+ adults who have booked travel online and taken at least one trip in the past year.
Respondents were from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Caribbean, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, UK and US.
A total of 3372 travellers and 1247 accommodation business owners from Asia participated in the study.
I am surprised that the Chinese don't top the list at 100% as I have regularly seen them on bus tours at places of interest, with not one looking out of the window. They are to a man or woman heads buried in their phones or tablets.
Posted by Logic on October 25, 2013 12:26