Expedia.com and Egencia have released the results of the 2014 Expedia/Egencia Mobile Index, a global study of mobile device-related behaviour and preferences among travellers in North America, South America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. The study revealed the deep dependence modern travellers have on their mobile devices – defined as a smartphone, tablet, e-reader, laptop or smartwatch. Worldwide, 94 per cent of people bring at least one mobile device when they take personal vacations, and 97 per cent bring at least one device on business trips.
The 2014 Expedia/Egencia Mobile Index was commissioned by Expedia and conducted online by Northstar, a global research and consulting firm. The study was conducted among 8,856 employed adults across 25 countries.“We are entering a new era where people are moving fluidly across desktop, phone, tablet, even wearables as they dream, plan, book and then ultimately take their trip,” says Dara Khosrowshahi, president and chief executive officer, Expedia, Inc. and president, Expedia Worldwide. “For business trips, mobile devices are already a requirement for most travellers, and mobile usage trends are still increasing. This is because mobile devices and enabling-apps make corporate travel smoother and more productive. Our study makes clear how business travellers integrate mobile functionality into their trips, and helps us develop the best experience on whatever device they use,” says Rob Greyber, president of Egencia.UAE TRAVELLERSSecond only to India, UAE travellers are the most dependent on mobile devices, with 86 per cent saying their smartphone is “very important/critical” versus 76 per cent of global travellers who say the same. 89 per cent of UAE travellers always bring a smartphone on business trips, and Emiratis are the most likely of all countries surveyed to always bring a laptop on leisure trips. These devices effectively serve as a concierge, guide and companion for travellers, who rely on smartphones, tablets and other mobile technologies during every stage of their trip. On the whole, more than one-third (35 per cent) of the world’s travellers use their smartphones more when they travel than they do at home. POWER IS PARAMOUNT The 2014 Expedia/Egencia Mobile Index revealed that over 60 per cent of UAE travellers come prepared in case their mobile device loses charge while traveling. 29 per cent of Emiratis keep a power cord with them at all times, to recharge their mobile device the moment it loses power. 21 per cent carry a rechargeable case/battery pack and 11 per cent would find a local shop or restaurant with a compatible charger who would allow them to plug in for a few minutes. Although 47 per cent of global travellers reported that they would wait to recharge a powerless phone until they returned to their hotel, only 21 per cent of Emiratis said the same.Despite the seeming desire to stay connected, only 38 per cent of UAE travellers purchase an international data/roaming plan when traveling. On the whole, Indians are by far the likeliest to do so, with 68 per cent saying yes, while in contrast only 12 per cent of the French purchase such a plan.FREE WI-FI IMPERATIVE Given the ubiquity of mobile devices, travellers increasingly prioritise wi-fi accessibility. Over half (60 per cent) of Emiratis indicate that wi-fi availability and pricing impact their purchasing decision when selecting a flight and hotel. When asked to rank mobile-related hotel amenities, UAE leisure travellers deem complimentary wi-fi even more important than business travellers who were asked the same, with 86 per cent rating it as very or somewhat important when booking a hotel for personal travel versus 79 per cent of business travellers.Globally, laptop and desktop computers are the most common ways to book travel. In contrast, smartphone use exceeds desktop use in the UAE, with 40 per cent indicating they use smartphones and 33 per cent using desktop computers to book travel compared with 25 per cent and 41 per cent of global travellers, respectively. Among both UAE leisure and business travellers, the most common smartphone uses include researching destinations, shopping for flights, and managing itineraries. Most used apps by UAE travelers: