Opinion continues to be divided about whether travellers are happy to share personal data if it improves the travel experience.
Some research from the GBTA on the Digital Business Traveler attempts to gauge attitudes on personalised offers, mobile payments, mobile app usage, using the likes of Uber and Airbnb and social media.
What's interesting about these latest numbers is that it asks travellers about the information they would share in return for a more personalised experience.
For example, more than half of participants in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain would be happy to share preferences on hotel services, flight times and airline and hotel brands in return for a more personalised experience.
However, the number of business travellers willing to give up their travel history and preferred leisure activities is much lower - with travel history only 23% for Dutch travellers would share the information, 40% of Italians and 33% of Spanish travellers.
The study shows that, for the most part, travellers do want to receive personalised services. In Spain for example, 82% of respondents felt personalised offers were either important or very important while in the Netherlands, 79% of business travellers felt the same.
In North America there is a similar picture with about seven in 10 travellers saying personalised offers are important or very important.
Travel management companies such as Egencia and CWT are already trying to offer a more personalised booking experience by honing in on previous hotel stays.
The GBTA research, which was carried out with Sabre, also asks travellers about the mobile apps they use while travelling. In North America, the five most commonly used are airline, lodging and ground transport apps from travel suppliers as well as an OTA-type site and a restaurant app.
It's a similar picture in Europe with business travellers using supplier and OTA apps more than itinerary management, expense management or their TMC's app.
When it comes to business-travel related apps (itinerary management, expenses, TMC), only about a fifth or lower of business travellers say they regularly use them whilst on the go.
The Digital Business Traveler research also includes some insight on what travellers are using the apps for, social media, attitudes to mobile payments and itinerary management.
Related:
The why, what and when of personalisation in travel
Consumers think Google knows them better than travel brands
NB: Airline image via Khunaspix for Big Stock Photo.