The Smartphone: The travel buddy we can't live without

Traveling is fun. It always has been. But travel has changed so much that it’s hard to believe that at one point they even offered smoking and non-smoking sections on such a confined space 30,000 feet up in the air.

Back then the one and only thing that passengers ensured was safe and with them always was their passport. It truly was that one thing that simply could not get lost or left behind. Today, that too has changed as a new piece of hardware has joined the ‘I can’t lose this’ category of travel items. That item is the modern-day smart phone.

The smart phone has become the travel buddy that all travelers cannot be without. It’s with us during the research and booking process, the check in process, the arrival process, and throughout the entire time we are sight-seeing, discovering new foods, taking in cultures, and returning to our home city. It’s replaced the travel agency, the map, the camera, the translation book, and even our physical airline ticket among many things travel related.

The travel, tourism and hospitality industry know just how important the smart phone is to their target customers and it is precisely why so many have turned to mobile and in-app advertising to reach and engage new and previous customers during the entire customer journey. Google think reports that 83% of travelers do their research on a mobile device before finalizing their travel plans and its within that critical mobile moment that hotels, airlines, and travel destinations are connecting best with customers.

For the Canadian travel and tourism and hospitality market this means connecting with over a third (33 per cent) of Canadian travellers who plan to go on as many vacations this year as they did in 2022. But out of the total number of travelers 64% of Canadian travellers will be looking hard to ensure their money gets the most out of their 2023 travel plans.

As the spring travel season kicks off brands and agencies in this space will need to leverage mobile technology in a way that is effective at engaging money conscious travellers during the mobile moment. Specifically, ensuring that offers are being seen by the right target audience at the right time.

Discover how in-app mobile advertising is connecting travel agencies, airlines, hotels, and tourism destinations with customers during the research and planning stages of their next trip. Learn how to capitalize on that mobile moment today!

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Carlos Guevara is the Marketing Director at APEX Mobile Media and previous host of the podcast "In Search of Good Data." He has also helped various organizations in the private and non-profit sector to become more customer-centric with the use of enriched data and modern marketing and advertising technology and strategies.