A study in the US has indicated that 51 percent of smartphone owners accessed travel content on their devices during the three-month period ending February 2012, with nearly one in every five smartphone owners using their device to book air travel or hotel reservations.

According to a study on mobile travel activities based on data from the new comScore Travel Advisor report, smartphones now meet a variety of needs for travellers, such as coordination of schedules, locations, trip itineraries and transactions.

Activities

The most popular air travel-related mobile activity was checking airfare prices, in which 26 percent of all smartphone users engaged. Smartphone users were nearly as likely to look up an airline phone number, flight schedules, and check a flight's status, each of which was conducted by 25 percent of the audience.

While many of the most popular behaviours were consumers seeking information, they also engaged in transactional behaviour. 21 percent of smartphone consumers checked in for a flight on their device, while 18 percent booked a flight on their smartphone and 10 percent cancelled a flight.

Among hotel-related mobile activities, looking up hotel address/directions was the most popular (conducted by 29 percent of smartphone owners), followed by researching attractions or things to do near hotel (23 percent). Reading hotel reviews and comparing hotel prices and availability were performed by more than one in five smartphone owners in the past three months, while 18 percent used their device to book a hotel room.

The report shared that 62 percent of smartphone owners that accessed travel information were male, compared to 52 percent of the entire smartphone audience, while 78 percent of smartphone travellers were between the ages of 18-44, compared to 63 percent of the total smartphone audience.

Treating smartphone users differently

Travel marketers have to be astute enough to understand how their consumers are using mobile devices especially the owners of smartphones during their entire travel planning, buying, in-destination and post journey process.

As technology is paving for faster innovation, it is imperative for travel companies to understanding their target audience’s behaviour and to prioritise where they invest.

For instance, in a recent interview with EyeforTravel, luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent USA shared that  as more of its clients take their smartphones with them on holiday, the company has found that travellers are researching dining and entertainment options as they are traveling. Also, as Internet connectivity continues to improve in the third world regions that Abercrombie & Kent operates in, its travellers are also sharing photos in real-time.