The number of leisure travellers using their mobile devices for travel information has increased by over 450% since 2009

Fewer tourists are using their computers to access travel information, according to a GiestCentric report and, according to IDC, by 2015 more users will access the internet through their mobile devices than anything else. Not only are potential customers using their mobile devices to access the internet, but to plan their trips as well.  Since 2009 the number of leisure travellers using their mobile devices for travel information has increased by over 450%, according to The 2012 Traveler Study by Google and Ipsos MediaCT.

Percentage of travellers that use a mobile device to search for travel information:

LEISURE TRAVELERS
- 2009: 8%
- 2010: 18%
- 2011: 31%
- 2012: 38%

BUSINESS TRAVELERS
- 2009: 25%
- 2010: 40%
- 2011: 56%
- 2012: 57%

A great deal of these users ends up making their bookings via mobile device. 40% of leisure travellers book using mobile browsers, while only 12% book using apps. 36% of business travellers book using mobile browsers while only 17% book using apps.

Of the seven reasons that led potential customers not to make a booking from their mobile devices, four of them were due to the website's lack of quality, another due to a lack of trust in the security on mobile devices, and the remaining two due to factors outside of hoteliers' control.

In a study conducted by GuestCentric with over 300 hotels, a whopping 60% of smartphone bookings were for same night or next night stay. (TravelDailyNews, January 2013)