PhoCusWright study reveals Chinese mobile travel adoption soaring

NEW YORK – Nearly ubiquitous adoption of web-enabled mobile devices in China is setting the stage for rapid growth in mobile travel bookings over the next few years. According to a new report from travel industry research authority PhoCusWright, Chinese mobile adoption has leapfrogged ownership of desktop and laptop computers, and travelers are using their mobile devices to do a broad range of travel-related activities.

A stunning 98% of Chinese travelers own a web-enabled mobile phone, a larger share than those who own either laptop (92%) or desktop (87%) computers. Half of travelers access the Internet at least daily through their phone.

"Chinese travelers are heavy users of the mobile web and a significant share feel comfortable using their phones to do everything they would otherwise do on a computer or tablet," Douglas Quinby, PhoCusWright's vice president, research. "Mobile travel bookings are likely to grow sharply in the coming years, given Chinese travelers' clear propensity for engaging in other travel-related mobile activities."

More than half of Chinese travelers who access the Internet through a mobile phone have researched travel destinations with their phones, and one in four have booked/purchased travel products such as hotel rooms or flights. The incidence of all travel-related mobile activities is significantly higher among frequent travelers, who tend to spend more on travel and are more affluent.

PhoCusWright's China Consumer Travel Report uncovers the country's vibrant consumer travel landscape. In addition to providing a complete demographic profile of the Chinese traveler population, this report reveals traveler attitudes and behaviors in relation to a range of travel-related activities.

Topics include:

    Traveler profile and demographics, including leisure travelers by region
    Attitudes towards travel and future leisure travel intentions
    General travel metrics, including travel incidence and expenditure by city tier, frequency and duration of trips, travel party composition, international travel and top domestic/international destinations
    Travel purchasing trends, including preference for Chinese vs. foreign brands, packaged travel and lodging types
    The travel planning process – including online and offline channel usage across the destination selection and shopping phases of travel planning
    Online/offline booking analysis, as well as booking trends across key travel products including lodging, air, car rental, rail, cruise and destination activities
    The role of social media in travel planning and attitudes about social networks
    Key mobile trends, including ownership of web-enabled devices and travel-related activities conducted via mobile phone

Sourced: TravelDailyNews