A survey has found 60% of mobile phone users have now downloaded and used a travel-related smartphone application.
Around 40% have admitted to using a mobile to plan a trip, while a similar figure have used their mobile while travelling to do other things apart from make calls, despite restrictive roaming charges for mobile web overseas for most people.
The study, carried out by TripAdvisor with respectable sample size of 1,000 US mobile users, also found that although the main reason for taking a mobile on a trip is to make calls (47% of respondents), one in five said the most important function was using chat tools and email on the device.
Alongside making calls and SMS messaging, mobile phone owners are using their devices in the following way when travelling:
- Taking and sharing photos - 65%
- Browsing the web - 54%
- Navigation - 52%
- Reading the news - 48%
- Playing games - 38%
When looking in particular at activities when using phones for travel planning, respondents said:
- Researching restaurants - 52%
- Researching destinations - 46%
- Reading reviews - 45%
- Booked or researched hotels - 42%
- Booked or researched flights - 34%
Other stats coming through in the survey included:
- Left a review of a hotel, restaurant, attraction - 23%
- Status updates to social networks - 38%
- Checked flight status - 51%