What is Mobile's Part in the Travel Game?

Vacations, while relaxing once on location, are a demanding event that often requires consumers to conduct countless hours of research before they make any plans official.

Phocuswright, a travel industry research firm, has recently released a report that details how consumers are using their mobile devices when making travel plans.

According to the report, 33 percent of U.S. leisure travelers conducted research on their smartphones regarding where to go on a future vacation and 32 percent used their smartphones to shop for travel-related products like hotels and flights. Interestingly, while many travelers turn to their smartphones to research and shop for products and destinations, 78 percent still prefer to book their travel plans on a desktop.

"The industry has been very focused on mobile booking for quite some time now. And while that growth is exciting to watch unfold, it's only just part of the story," says Phocuswright's senior analyst of consumer research, Marcello Gasdia. "More travelers are relying on mobile much earlier in the travel planning funnel -- to look at pictures, watch videos and see what they can afford.”

 Request Website Magazine's Free Weekly Newsletters