advertisement
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Reddit

Research reveals how tech savvy South African travellers are

With the festive season coming up you might be looking to do a spot of travelling and chances are good that you will turn to your smartphone to plan that trip.

This is according to data in Travelport’s Global Digital Traveller Research 2018. As many as 16 200 people who had taken at least one return flight in 2017 were surveyed. Respondents were chosen from 25 countries.

The research reveals that 46 percent of local respondents research and book their trip entirely on a mobile device and 56 percent say not being able to access booking information on their devices is “very painful and frustrating”.

Local travellers also love apps. Travelport’s research reveals that South Africans use 11 different apps while travelling which is higher than the international average of nine.

The days of travellers cheques and the like also appear to be drawing to an end with 49 percent of respondents revealing they use a digital wallet or payment app while travelling.

“Our findings demonstrate that providing relevant and timely digital tools has now become an essential means of reaching travellers in South Africa from the minute they search until the moment they return from their trip,” country manager for Travelport in South Africa, Claudette Thorne said in a statement.

“Investing in a smooth digital experience for a brand or service is therefore essential if travel providers are to remain relevant and competitive. The travel and hospitality industries need to continually adapt to provide responsive, relevant and timely solutions for customers,” Thorne added.

Other highlights from the research include 46 percent of local respondents using voice search to research their trip, and 87 percent are open to using biometrics to reduce the time spent waiting at security lines at the airport.

The full Global Digital Traveller Research 2018 report can be found here and we highly recommend giving it a read if you’re in the tourism sector.

[Image – CC 0 Pixabay]

advertisement

About Author

advertisement

Related News

advertisement