Some 83% of people booked their holidays online last year, with 41% doing so on their mobile phones.
ABTA said online was now ‘firmly established’ as people’s preferred booking method.
Revealing the results of its latest Holiday Habits report at this year’s ABTA Convention in Bodrum, Turkey, ABTA said the proportion of consumers who say they booked their holiday online has remained above 80% since 2017.
And the number that book on their mobile has risen significantly in the past five years, up from two in every 10 in 2017 to more than four in every 10 last year.
While the percentage of holidaymakers booking face to face is reducing, ABTA said the number booking with a travel professional has remained ‘relatively steady’.
Just over a third – 35% – of the 2,000 survey respondents booked with a travel professional last year, rising to around half of those who book all-inclusives, cruises or trips with older children booking with a pro.
When asked why they booked with a travel professional, value for money came out much stronger than in previous years, with 38% saying this was key last year, compared with 26% in 2022.
However, 51% said ease of booking was the main reason they used a travel professional, up from 44% the previous year, and 38% said it saved them time, up from 32% in 2022.
Some 30% said they booked with an agent for ‘access to expert help and advice’, up from 23% in 2022, and 34% said they felt more confident booking with an agent, up from 30%.
ABTA said there was also a ‘greater appreciation for the ease of booking in this way, the amount of time it saves and having access to expert help and advice – a ringing endorsement for the added value they bring’.
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ABTA said online was now ‘firmly established’ as people’s preferred booking method.
Revealing the results of its latest Holiday Habits report at this year’s ABTA Convention in Bodrum, Turkey, ABTA said the proportion of consumers who say they booked their holiday online has remained above 80% since 2017.
And the number that book on their mobile has risen significantly in the past five years, up from two in every 10 in 2017 to more than four in every 10 last year.
While the percentage of holidaymakers booking face to face is reducing, ABTA said the number booking with a travel professional has remained ‘relatively steady’.
Just over a third – 35% – of the 2,000 survey respondents booked with a travel professional last year, rising to around half of those who book all-inclusives, cruises or trips with older children booking with a pro.
When asked why they booked with a travel professional, value for money came out much stronger than in previous years, with 38% saying this was key last year, compared with 26% in 2022.
However, 51% said ease of booking was the main reason they used a travel professional, up from 44% the previous year, and 38% said it saved them time, up from 32% in 2022.
Some 30% said they booked with an agent for ‘access to expert help and advice’, up from 23% in 2022, and 34% said they felt more confident booking with an agent, up from 30%.
ABTA said there was also a ‘greater appreciation for the ease of booking in this way, the amount of time it saves and having access to expert help and advice – a ringing endorsement for the added value they bring’.
The post Online ‘firmly established’ as people’s preferred method of booking holidays appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
