Travelers dislike surprises. Before they 
book a trip, they're inclined to not only scour reviews, but also study pictures of a hotel, local attractions, restaurants and even the cabin of the plane.
Such panoramic views might be best suited to a desktop, laptop or even a tablet. But just as consumers are content to purchase clothing, home goods and electronics on their smartphones, they're showing a growing preference for making travel plans on their mobile devices, too.
Convenience trumps all, but some of travelers' other habits might surprise you. If you're a marketer who works in the travel industry – or, by extension, the hospitality industry – you probably also dislike surprises and so want to be prepared for them.
Like an on-time jet, the travel industry takes off
You might never know it from the number of bricks-and-mortar travel agencies, which are as rare as newspaper boxes, but the travel industry has finally rebounded from the recession. It also shows resilience in the face of ongoing security scares, both foreign and domestic.
Just as more people read newspapers online, travelers have resolutely shifted their buying habits online; the online travel industry is expected to grow to $762 billion in 2019, according to Statista.
Eschewing laptops and desktop computers, travelers prefer to search for and book family vacations and luxury trips on their mobile devices, according to recent data from Google. And travelers' expectations fly as high as a plane that has reached its cruising altitude.
Would-be travelers raise the stakes
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Consumers “browse” for travel – sometimes every day. You might think searching for travel information is a need-based activity. But Google found 31 percent of consumers look for travel information on a daily basis, which suggests they are actively looking for special offers or discounts. And when they find something compelling, they make their move on a mobile device. In fact, in the 90 days prior to participating in the Google research, consumers spent an average of nearly $300 on travel.
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Consumers possess an itchy finger. They're not content to wait for a web site or app to deliver the information they're looking for; they'll simply switch to another website or app. Specifically, Google found 79 percent of consumers don't pay much attention to the source. This is another way of saying they show no loyalty. For optimistic marketers, this finding portends opportunity – the chance to lure consumers, give them what they want, pamper them a little and engender their loyalty.
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Consumers value speed. Google has previously noted 53 percent of consumers will abandon a website or app if it takes more than 3 seconds to load. This is bad news for the travel industry, which logs a a load time of 10.1 seconds on Google's “speed index.” This said, other industries don't fare much better, with business and entertainment logging average speeds of 8.7 and 9 seconds, respectively.
If you're feeling the pressure to give consumers what they want, let the marketing professionals at ADTACK assist your best efforts. Begin by downloading our “Jumpstart Your Inbound Marketing” guide. Then call us for a consultation so we can work with you to minimize surprises – and give your mobile-minded customers what they want and need.
