Mobile trends 2014for travel & tourism

Tine Thygesen@tahitahi

User generated method & content

Mobile strategy & development

52% consumers used mobile device to book travel. Laptop 48%. Mobile Marketer, March13

1. Planning

17% of global web traffic comes from mobileMashable, August 2013

1. Planning

A lot of planning, inspiration and booking starts on mobile

But mobile isn’t as hard as it looks

There are goals...

EngageInteract and communicate to turn

interest into bookings

Servicecore info, loyalty, assist as to get

shares

Awarenesscampaigns and

push to get eyeballs

and there are channels...

Own pageswebapps

Social profiles Facebook,

Google Plus

Travel site profiles

TripAdvisor

Others’pages, apps

MapsGoogle, Apple

PrintPublications,

brochures

Tourism CentersIn person, interactive

Mobile is “just” another channel. So it’s not a product to push in itself, it’s a service rendered

loyalty

awarenessMobile web ‣ Awareness, make sure the 20% that

access your info via mobile can read it

Loyalty Awareness

Mobile apps ‣ Offline! ‣ Best for in-destination

vs

Mobile is great for creating fans

52% use apps in-destination

‣ 94% research things to do‣ 75% search for restaurants‣ 80% for maps and directions

Loyalty

‣ Reward core customers‣ Encourage sharing

Trends:How will mobile impact travel

1: On-the-go becomes bigger, most of these late bookings will be made on

mobile

For hotels already 65% of late bookings are via mobile, for flights 15%.

Las Vegas already gets 30% of all bookings from mobile.

Biggest days are Fri-Sat, so it’s weekend trips

People will travel less prepared, with shorter notice.

Their discovery, planning and booking moves to mobile.

2: Your most important job becomes to provide internet

Unbiased validation, reviews, user generated content, word of mouth and social becomes even more important.

Therefore, it must be possible to share everywhere, instantly!

maps

3: Maps become a communication platform

Because people want contextual information they navigate and research

via the maps

Google and Apple maps becomes place to find opening hours, links and prices

Social geo networks like Yelp, Foursquare, Everplaces become more used to filter info

Exact location inside buildings now possible

Commerce moves to maps

4: Service and problems are helped immediately, on

location via mobile

Inform as the problem happens, cancellations, delays, waiting times

Rebooking and in trouble assistance directly in app

Advanced notifications, contextual and geo; like happy hour, event notifications, deals

Improved service due to mobile, like at Starbucks

5: Payments become easy, and we pay for different things

Pay with mobile is now almost ready for mainstream

Order food and drink without waiting for the waitress

Mobile purchase to jump the queue at attractions, cinemas, etc. Check-in on mobile, all is ready as you get there

Less margin on hotel and attractions so up-sell becomes important; tours, rental, spa, practical, restaurant

Premium on time: book hotel only during day, late checkout

6: More authentic and detailed communication

Advertising must be served together with UGC to provide trusted information, people

no longer trust unqualified statements

You won’t only book room type, but also floor plan, position at hotel, see pictures of all

details

1) New paradigm: DMOs become more content curators than content creators

2) More flexible IT systems and providers

Here are some hacks...

Short cuts to an effective digital presence

Technology should not be a burden, but a help!Choose IT suppliers who are flexible. It’s now common with several tech providers. Optimal scenario is for systems to be integrated, so everything is automatic.

Bring dynamic info into your site:

- Feeds into apps and website from streams, Instagram, Twitter. Now possible to get admin power to delete undesirable images.

- Embeds of content and ratings from external content providers. Should be automatically updated.

App pulls in automatic feed from an Instagram hashtag.

New: It’s now possible to build a filter function so you can delete undesirable images.

Optimize content already made, spread it.- Widgets: Send into partner websites Make your content collections available making widgets they can embed. Great to spread the word and for partners to take responsibility.

- Widgets: Turn into interactive displays Rather than investing in expensive on-destination solutions, use iPads and projectors to showcase maps and information. Can be done by partners too.

- Integration: Send directly into apps. Like Everplaces integration with TellUs/ New Mind so apps talk directly to database

All the above can be combined with blogs to make quick and dirty campaign landing pages.

showcase: EP into wordpress bloginstagram into german appwidget onto wall DAC

Interactive display, controllable by a mouse

Widget shows content from Everplaces on blogger’s own WordPress blog

Could also be on a website, and display places by image.

Be mobile on others’ pages and apps- Other people’s apps: Be included in event apps, supply content to partner apps (ferries, campsites, hotels), and NTOs.

When should you make own apps? ‣ Info that only you would share‣ Core local information, not out there‣ Brand control

- Location based networks: Key priority this year is Apple and Google Maps. Other sources that are often fed to multiple sites are Facebook, Foursquare, Yelp, TomTom

Tine Thygesen

Thank you!

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