How can the travel industry catch up with its consumers' online habits?

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The tourism industry has shown itself to be one of these leading industries - for example, hotel franchise Thomson Holidays UK was the first business-to-business online shopping system to be installed in 1981.

Online interactions between tourism consumers and tourism agencies have been carefully nurtured over the years and even now we are still learning how agencies can better meet the online needs of the modern tourist. A recent study by IAB SA and Effective Measure showed a number of eye-opening statistics about the online behaviours of tourism consumers.

Easy to use websites with relevant and engaging content

92-94% of consumers use the internet to research holiday options and 84% enjoy reading articles about holiday destinations for inspiration. A great website that is forthcoming with package prices is invaluable to consumers doing research on a holiday; engaging articles and frequent deals keep the website fresh and will encourage people to return. Consumers shop around for quotes and deals online so making this information accessible to them with easily filtered results will only help to increase your sales and revenue.

User-friendly online enquiries and booking systems

There was a time when the price of custom booking engines and queries for your travel website made it an unrealistic option, now there is the option of multiple plug-in booking systems, such as NightsBridge for online reservations, Amadeus for flights and car rentals, and many more. In fact, according to the report, 60% of consumers do all their travel-related research and bookings online, therefore developing this functionality is crucial to the success of your website and business.

Wish list and sharing opportunities

As many as 54% to 57% of consumers will add a holiday destination onto their wish list to revisit later, which is why so many agencies offer an online wish list that can be easily shared. SureTravel offers a My Suitcase functionality that allows consumers to add any package to their Suitcases, add comments, and share it via email with a friend. Social media sharing is also an integral part of the modern tourism consumers' process as 48% to 51% makes use of it to seek travel recommendations from trusted friends.

Meet them on mobile

54% of consumers actively use their smartphones and tablets to browse holiday destinations and make bookings online. Launching a mobile app to market specials and current offerings is far easier now with developers such as Realm Digital offering mobile products such as its Retail mobile solution, which is currently being used by travel agent Sure Travel. Apps like these are affordable and mean that agencies and other tourism suppliers can feature their news listings, specials, and use geolocation to find closest agents, etc. The possibilities of using mobile are endless. The use of smartphones can be taken one step further with bookings being stored on the Passbook App or using smartphones as room card access. Mobile is definitely the driving force behind the exponential growth in online travel booking and sales.

Realm Digital has worked alongside leading travel and tourism companies and have observed how the industry has evolved and grown exponentially over recent years. The steady shift from desktop to mobile and the increase in travel agencies engaging with their customers on all digital levels is as a result of the industry's incredible ability to adapt and flourish within the digital landscape.