The vast majority of searches for travel-related terms such as "5-star" and "best time to visit" are now beginning on a mobile or tablet device.
Hitwise recently analysed the web activity of some three million British shoppers and found that 60% of travel searches originate on a mobile, with some important phrases even taking a massive 88% share of the overall volume.
Whilst some keywords are going to lend themselves increasingly towards mobile devices, such as "places to eat" (86%) or "things to do" (76%), Hitwise discovered other search terms that also are now dominated by non-desktop devices.
The aforementioned "5 star", alongside terms such as "luxury" and "glamping", come from mobile devices on more than 80% of occasions.
Hitwise managing director, Nigel Wilson, says the findings show that there are important considerations for those looking to bring in consumers at different points of the purchase cycle.:
He says:
"Marketers in this space need to understand how their audiences are utilising mobile to access information so that they can be everywhere the consumer wants, with the right experience desired.
"Rather than replicating experiences between desktop and mobile, it’s vital they create something different, engaging and attentive to the needs of that person at that time."
Other travel-related search terms scoring over 50% of total activity included:
- "Best time" - 83%
- "Flights from" - 68%
- "Flight status" - 83%
- "Near me" - 88%