Mobile internet to transform travel sector: Richer
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Mobile internet services are set to transform the travel industry, according to the chairman of travel tech vendor, Genesys.Speaking at last week’s Arabian Travel Market, the company’s chairman, Paul Richer, claimed almost 60% of 18-24 year olds use web-enabled mobile phones to browse the internet, with 30% using them to research hotels and flights.Booking services via online websites is also taking hold, with more than 25% using mobile phones to make hotel or flight reservations, check in for flights or as boarding passes for trains or flights.”The first consideration for travel businesses should be determining how their website appears on mobile devices. Access your company website from an iPhone or Blackberry and check its usability and functionality, before even looking at other tools such as social media including video and apps,” said Richer.He also discussed social media’s potential for the travel industry, with Facebook alone having more than 500 million active users. Among Richer’s specific industry examples was the Facebook campaign of STA Travel. The site interacted with users by asking questions about preferred destinations, generating more than 40,000 friends for the page, which also provided links to STA’s Twitter, YouTube and blog accounts.Facebook was particularly useful in establishing a business’s presence among social media users, with the aim of generating ‘likes’ among users, posting regular updates on products and services, fostering customer-brand interaction and learning about customers.”A key advantage is the high benefit-to-cost ratio, with no expenditure required except your time and the cost of your internet connection,” he added.Using real world hotel and hospitality examples, he also demonstrated how customers have used Twitter to rapidly distribute brand information to ‘followers’, for organisations to respond quickly to queries and complaints and track brand mentions.He said it still remained to be seen whether apps or mobile websites become the dominant online mobile platform, but pointed to apps’ fixed presence and high visibility on users’ phones once downloaded as advantages.ATM itself has a dedicated app this year, providing up to date exhibitor lists, event features and instant access the latest ATM news, videos, press releases and photos.Richer also highlighted the promotional potential of online video for the travel industry, pointing to the growth of video sharing website YouTube. He referred to a Lufthansa video of a light-hearted pillow fight aboard a flight, which drew more than 220,000 views after being recorded and uploaded by a passenger. Showing passengers and crew members laughing and enjoying the moment, this demonstrated the benefits of video in conveying emotion, tone and energy along with the product.In providing even greater control over videos transmitted about organisations, Richer suggested that industry employees of hotels, airlines and tour companies could be equipped with devices to record poignant moments as they unfold.His presentation also demonstrated some of the potential pitfalls, including social media’s role in enabling individuals to publicly attack organisations. As an example, Richer referred to a video clip created by United Airlines passenger, Canadian musician David Carroll, which was viewed more than 3.6 million times.When his guitar was broken during a flight with fellow band members in 2008, Carroll recorded the spoof video clip after seeing UA baggage handlers throwing luggage, while the aircraft waited on the runway.
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