Revenue for hotel bookings via mobile devices still lags behind those made on a desktop, according to research from Bookassist.
The hotel direct booking specialist analysed the behavior of mobile users on more than 1,000 European hotel websites to reveal that, while traffic via mobile devices continues to grow, it is desktop that still gets the most revenue.
Earnings from both mobile and tablet bookings is increasing by double digit percentages but Bookassist points out it is from a low base compared with desktop revenue.
Revenue share for bookings from mobile phones in Spain and Portugal is now at 13%, an increase of 14% in the past six months compared to the same period in 2017. In France revenue share now stands at 13%, an increase of 43%.
By contrast, desktop booking revenue share for these destinations represents 75% for Spain and Portugal and 78% for France.
The research, covering January to June 2018, also reveals mobile traffic now accounts for 60% of sessions for hotels in Ireland and the UK while for Spain and Portugal the figure is almost 50%.
Traffic via mobile devices is still growing although the rate of growth has slowed according to Bookassist. The company also says tablet traffic is dropping rapidly in favour of mobile phones. Across all territories, traffic via both desktop and tablets is declining.
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The company also points to research from Statista showing that mobile now accounts for half of global web pages while in Asia the figure had already hit 65% more than a year ago.
Bookassist says that mobile is not reaching its full potential given the increase in mobile sessions versus the low revenue share.
The company adds that it is addressing the issue via its responsive web system and mobile booking technology.