·
Virtual
reality is the most appealing new technology travel booking concept in MENASA
according to 51% of respondents
·
43% of
respondents would pay for predictive itinerary planning services
YouGov
has unveiled the results of its latest Travel Booking Trends study for the
Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region today (26 April), day two
of ATM 2016, with one of the key findings highlighting that 51% of respondents
claim the concept of virtual reality in their travel booking process is very
appealing.
Scott Booth, Research Director & Head of
Travel, Tourism and Leisure at YouGov ME presented the research results as part
of an interactive panel discussion held at the new Global Stage arena today (26
April), under the theme ‘The Role of Big Data and
Immersive Technologies in the Future Travel Booking Experience.
The study sought opinion from over
10,000 travellers across 21 countries in the MENASA region and was designed to
understand the latest reaction to different aspects of the travel booking
experience. In particular, it sought attitudes towards peer-to-peer services, the
rise of travel planning services that use predictive technology to help develop
itineraries and virtual reality ‘try before you buy’ technology.
“One of the most exciting areas where technology is influencing
consumer behavior and online activity is the emergence of virtual reality tools
in the travel sphere. This kind of immersive experience gives you the chance to
try before you buy, and there are examples of this live on the exhibition floor
this week,” said Nadege Noblet-Segers, Exhibition
Manager, Arabian Travel Market.
Over half of respondents in the study found the concept of virtual
reality very appealing, making it the most appealing technological concept to
aid their travel planning and booking process. Many also indicated their
interest in virtual reality as adding value to the decision-making experience
with 64% willing to visit a travel store with the technology and 71% prepared
to download travel specific virtual reality content to their devices. One-third
also confirmed that they would book their next holiday following a positive
in-store virtual reality experience.
Scott Booth commented, “While the outcome
remains uncertain, this study demonstrates content is king—whoever has the
best, most accessible virtual reality content the soonest will stand to benefit
most directly from the technology. Over
time, we would expect immersive virtual reality content to become the norm, and
consumers becoming accustomed to making decisions on the basis of this highly
enriched content.”
When it comes to predictive itinerary planners, 62% of survey
respondents claimed they would use predictive itinerary planning services,
particularly Emiratis. In addition 43% claimed they would pay to use them,
which was particularly voiced amongst respondents in South Asia. That said, 47%
resisted the notion saying it would remove some of the joy of planning their
next holiday, interestingly this was also particularly prevalent amongst
Emiratis (65%). 71% also expressed concerns about ensuring their data was
completely secure before using the concept, which was particularly voiced
amongst Westerners (79%). Others were concerned about how online travel
companies would use their stored data (54%), with Westerners and Emiratis the
most concerned.
Booth continues, “Certain travellers
particularly enjoy planning personal holidays.
There is a sense of pride in pulling together and experiencing exactly
the right trip for them and their companions.
While predictive planners in a sense represent a loss of control in
planning, there is immense potential for a service that can dramatically reduce
the burden of planning and maintain or even elevate the quality and value of
holidays experienced.”
“With
62% of respondents claiming they would use a predictive itinerary planner, with
Emiratis the keenest (78%), followed by Westerners (52%). It appears that
within the next 12 months even more MENASA travellers will get the online
travel bug,” said Noblet-Segers.
Indeed,
YouGov’s 2015 Travel Oracle report for the MENASA region found that 38% of
travellers booked all their travel online in 2015 because they found more
options available online. Over the last 12 months 25% of leisure travellers
used an online travel agent to book flights, with 19% booking online direct and
just 11% booking via an offline travel agent. The report also found that 57% of
travellers claimed that technology had made their travel planning and booking
more spontaneous.
Peer-to-peer services, which are technology-based networks related
to the hospitality/tourism industry but offering services from individuals and
sold through a technology-based platform and include car booking services like
Uber and online accommodation portals like Airbnb, was another area highlighted
by the YouGov Travel Trends report.
Over three-quarters of respondents were aware of peer-to-peer
services for booking transportation, yet current usage statistics for business
and leisure travel are still fairly low, at just 15% and 12% respectively. However,
when it comes to accommodation, only 55% of respondents were aware of the
concept with just 9% currently using it for business or leisure purposes.
On the plus side, 27% said they found the idea of
using peer-to-peer taxi services very appealing, with 17% finding peer-to-peer accommodation
services very appealing.
Now in its 23rd year, ATM 2016 will build on
the success of this year’s edition with the announcement of an additional hall
as Reed Travel Exhibitions looks to add to its record-breaking achievements
earlier this year. ATM 2015 witnessed a year-on-year visitor attendance
increase of 15% to over 26,000, with exhibiting companies increasing by 5% to
2,873. Business deals worth more than US$2.5 billion were signed over the four
days.
For more information on Arabian Travel Market
2016, please visit the website at www.arabiantravelmarket.com