Travelport, a business services provider for the global travel industry, has indicated that the use of technology in tourism could boost business, with mobile users interested in receiving promotional messages while on the move.
The survey revealed growing interest from mobile users in receiving more promotional messages about hotels, dining offers, airport information and recommendations while in transit. 41 percent of travelers said they wanted to receive more relevant offers.
“This survey clearly highlights the importance of efficient technology solutions, more business intelligence and richness of functionality and content to ensure travel agents are fully supported in the sales process,” said Bryan Conway, Chief Marketing Officer at Travelport.
“By delivering this we will empower travel agents to engage even more with their customers, especially those who have a good grasp on how to use new technology. It very much endorses our thinking and product strategy in these areas and we remain committed to developing innovative technology.”
Social media was also pinpointed as a powerful tool for engaging travellers about other offers and also as a means for retrieving feedback.
The research also revealed that travellers are increasingly confused about the amounts of information they find on the Internet.
Most travellers have smartphones or are planning to own one in the next six months, making the medium a prime tool to distribute information.
Tourists use the smartphones to find out more about the area they are visiting. Internet users under 35 years old consider a smartphone to be their ‘personal travel assistant or companion’ enabling interaction to take place at any time.
Travelport has presence in African countries such as Kenya and South Africa.
