Travel bookings are going mobile

SINGAPORE – Asia consumers are the most online-savvy in booking travel accommodation, according to a study commissioned by AsiaRooms.com and Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY). 75% have indicated that when it comes to booking travel accommodation for leisure and business trips, reservations have been done online (10% higher than global average) and Singapore ranks the highest at 84%.
 

The study also aims to gain greater insights to the travel booking habits of consumers globally which includes the usage patterns of mobile devices. Amongst the markets surveyed, Asia takes the limelight and leads the global ratings in travel bookings online, mobile searches, and mobile purchases.
 

The use of mobile devices for travel accommodation booking is notably a rising trend in Asia. When surveyed, 59% of respondents in Asia indicated that searching for travel accommodation online via mobile ranks as their top usage. Asia came in 13% higher than the global average, with Thailand ranking the highest at 65% amongst the countries in Asia. The second most popular activity was to compare prices of travel accommodation online, with 50% of the respondents from Asia stating they do so (10% higher than the global average). An encouraging 33% of consumers in Asia have said that they book travel accommodation via their mobile devices (8% higher than the global average).
 

The study also revealed that 58% of consumers in Asia are using their mobile devices to make online purchases. 63% of consumers in Asia have also said that they are likely to use mobile devices in the future for making travel accommodation booking (10% higher than global average). The top reasons quoted for respondents not wanting to use the mobile device more often is that content is hard to see on the mobile device (40%) and that the internet connection on mobile devices is slow or unstable (35%).
 

Evidently, mobile connectivity is increasingly important for consumers in Asia as we found that 83% of the respondents own a mobile phone with internet access (Wi-Fi access or/and mobile data/subscription plan). This echoes the findings from Nielsen’s latest report on mobile penetration rates. Nielsen’s report found that smartphone penetration in Asia Pacific is booming, penetration in a number of Asia Pacific markets have already surpassed those of the U.S. as well as many European nations.
 

“Consumers are increasingly connected as well as demanding greater convenience at their fingertips and this trend is here to stay. AsiaRooms.com aims to bring our offerings to consumers via the most convenient platform and be top-of-mind when they are looking to book travel accommodation. As an example, our newly launched mobile app delivers a simpler, secure booking experience ‘on-the-go’; we have found this contributes towards a perfect holiday or business trip. We see travel and mobility as big passion points for consumers in Asia and will continue to extend our reach relevantly in the marketplace,” said Clarence Lin, Head of Marketing, APAC, AsiaRooms.com.
 

“With Asia seeing a boom in smartphone penetration rates, the usage of mobile devices whether for accessing the internet, mobile commerce, online banking or entertainment, will certainly continue to influence the lifestyle habits of consumers. This presents greater opportunities for Lenovo as we continue to pioneer innovative mobile devices, like the latest Lenovo Yoga Tablet and Vibe smartphones, and for our partnerships with leading lifestyle brands like AsiaRooms.com.”

“It is heartening to see consumers increasingly integrating mobile devices into the various aspects of their lives and we will continue our focus on creating the best devices and building our ecosystem to provide new experiences for consumers,” said Terence Ng, Director, Global Ecosystem & Cloud Services, Lenovo.
 

The survey findings are based on the responses of over 12,000 online participants in over 25 major international markets, covering the Americas, Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, and Oceania. Respondents were demographically representative of the internet-active adult population.