Now that we are living in such a digitalised world, with our phones or other connected devices there to answer all our questions, customers worldwide want everything, immediately, and in a personalised way. In their recent study, carried out in partnership with Phocuswright, Google let us in the head of travellers to know what they really want when planning a trip or even when experiencing the vacation itself.
In this study, more than half of the interviewees point out the multitude of sources they have to check to make sure they make the right decision for their holidays. Having one website that compares every option for them is substantial for travellers and would comfort them, and what best tool is there to search and book easily than their mobile phone? However, it appears that the travel industry is way behind on that matter: 1 in 3 traveller claims to not be comfortable with booking or even searching for their trip. This might be explained by the fact that mobile versions of websites are not always optimised and do not allow for a fluid browsing.
Even “loyal customers” might not be so loyal when it comes to getting the best deal. The study shows that a significant share of travellers involved in loyalty programmes with specific hotels or airlines still keep an eye on the competition in case they can find a better price with another company. This doesn’t mean that hotels and airlines should drop their loyalty programmes, but it should encourage them to reshape their customer relation management strategies to provide their customers with the high level of assistance they require and entice them to stay loyal customers. Travellers also appreciate when a company can significantly tailor their offer relying on their customers’ preferences or previous experience, and this could even be an attention they would be ready to pay more money for.
Another observation brought up by the study is that digitalisation led travellers to be more and more spontaneous, booking last minute short trips rather than planning for long stays.
Despite the climate of suspicion when it comes to sharing data online, travellers are more and more demanding when it comes to taking a vacation that fits their needs and their needs only. Travel companies have to be reactive and proactive to offer travellers what they want before they even think about it. To overcome the suspicion accompanied by sharing data online, companies should think of a way to be transparent and explain how their customers data is going to be used to fit their needs to reassure and encourage their customers to share them to optimise their online experience.
Written by: Marie Cyrot & Rodolphe Hermann
Sources:
Google/Phocuswright Travel Study 2017, Base: Leisure Travelers: US: n=857.
Google/Phocuswright Travel Study 2017, Base: Leisure Travelers who participate in a hotel loyalty program: U.S. n=528.
Google/Phocuswright Travel Study 2017, Base: Leisure Travelers who participate in an airline frequent flier program: U.S.: n=571.
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