MAIDENHEAD, UK – SDL released the findings from its latest survey in a report “The Modern Traveler: A Look at Customer Engagement in the Travel Industry.” In this report, SDL illuminates consumers’ habits as they relate to the travel industry – specifically personal travel such as holidays or vacations.
To uncover the expectations and behaviors of modern travelers, SDL Campaign Management & Analytics surveyed 4,000 consumers in the United Kingdom, United States and Australia. The findings indicate that travelers’ preferences differ depending on the channel they are using at the time of interaction.
Online
Online reigns supreme when it comes to booking travel, with nearly 80 percent of respondents making travel arrangements online. Of all the regions, the United States does far less travel booking in person at only 5 percent. With84 percent of respondents stating that a positive online or web experience is important or very important when booking travel, the connection between the online experience and the likelihood to share a positive experience becomes critical, as the power of word-of-mouth recommendations is one of the most credible forms of information available today.
Mobile Apps
The survey respondents indicated that more than 60 percent use mobile apps when traveling. However, there are certain geographic markets leading the way in mobile app usage. At the top of the usage charts are the United States and Australia with 75 percent of U.S. travelers and 65 percent of Australian travelers using mobile apps while on vacation or holiday. This is in comparison with the United Kingdom, where less than 50 percent of the travelers use mobile apps while traveling.
Results show that email is still an important channel for travelers, and it is mainly preferred for travel reminders, such as airline reservations, hotel check-in times and tickets for events. In fact, 83 percent of global survey respondents like to receive travel reminders by email with only nine percent not wanting any reminders at all.
via New SDL survey unveils important customer experience insights for the travel industry.