One in five of all travel bookings made online in Europe within a year will be made via a mobile device, with the UK leading the way as the the most device-happy country.
This is the landmark statistic from a presentation made by PhoCusWright at the recent FITUR conference in Madrid, Spain, as the continent starts to fully embrace mobile devices.
The figure of 20% across leisure and corporate travel is almost double (up from 11%) the volume of bookings fulfilled on mobiles in online travel during 2013.
The UK is predicted to come in at 21% by 2015, with Italy at 20%, France and Germany with 18% and Spain and Scandinavia as a whole expecting some 17% of bookings via mobiles.
Europe as a whole, by the end of 2014, will have hit 15%. The UK stood at 13% in 2013.
Other data-points predicted for 2015 include:
- Total online bookings will reach an all-time high of 47%
- Euro 126.7 billion spent online across leisure and unmanaged business travel (out of total Euro 270.2 billion)
- Supplier-direct accounts for Euro 74.5 billion
- Online travel agencies will have Euro 52.2 billion
In comparison to other regions around the world, Europe has now passed its US counterparts as the most digitally savvy.
The US will have online penetration of 43% by 2015, followed by Asia-Pacific with just less than a third of all bookings (31%) coming through online channels.
NB: Disclosure – Flights and accommodation for the author’s visit to Spain was supported by FITUR.
NB2: European mobile image via Shutterstock.