The digital age is upon us, and young people are using it to their advantage. When it comes to travelling, more people seem to be jetting off, and what once was seen as a luxury has now become a necessity for the younger generation.
Business Wi-Fi providers, KBR look to see whether having an internet connection can determine how we travel:
Changes to booking travel
Companies around the world are having to readjust their strategies to attract new and potential consumers, especially within the travel industry. When it comes to the millennial demographic, 46% book travel through a smartphone, which means websites must be optimised and responsive to fit customer needs. To validate how much digital perks have impacted the way we travel, 87% look to popular social media platform, Facebook, for travel inspiration, meaning that they are using the internet before they lay down any solid foundations for booking a holiday.
According to research carried out by Statista, free Wi-Fi is the deciding factor for both business and leisure travellers. But what were the statistics surrounding these types of travellers?
What do business travellers priortise?
Over any other quality a hotel has, 49% of travellers were inclined by free Wi-Fi. This was followed by free breakfast, which came at a poor 14%, proximity to mass transit, transportation and shops all at 11%, and a small 6% with regard to having a comfortable work chair and a desk in a room — which comes as a surprise due to the purpose of their trip.
This highlights the importance of an internet connection for someone travelling on business — through the use of the internet, people are able to connect no matter where they are in the world. This in turn has encouraged hotels to make the appropriate changes.
What do leisure travellers priortise?
To ensure a strong enough connection to upload pictures to Instagram, 25% of leisure travellers prioritised free internet. What’s more, 22% required a free breakfast after their night’s stay, 15% had free parking at the forefront of their minds and 10% needed a hotel with a swimming pool included before booking.
According to research, it has also been found that 65% of people log onto guest Wi-Fi within the first seven minutes of their arrival — it’s clearly become an addiction.
What do travellers want and need?
A hotel in London conducted research to see what guests found more important — the location of the hotel or an internet connection. When guests were asked, 67% said Wi-Fi was the deciding factor on whether they chose a hotel or not, topping 65% of people who said they would decide purely on geographic location. This could be due to the fact that transport has become more efficient around the country, with most services also introducing free Wi-Fi connection to commuters.
A surprise to most after looking at the statistics surrounding Wi-Fi, only 58% of guests cared about their night’s sleep. But what can hoteliers do to work with what customers are demanding?
Almost 60% of hotel representatives said that they were going to heighten their technology budget to enhance their guests’ experience using Wi-Fi. This was because, on average, short-term guests will bring up to three devices and guests that are staying for longer periods tend to bring more — showing that hotels must start to meet the demands of their consumers to stay on top and highlighting the importance of making bold movements within the accommodation industry.
Sources:
- https://web.iceportal.com/8-statistics-millennial-travel-trends/
- https://systemagic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Final-Draft-Hospitality-Report-2017-March.pdf
- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/travel_news/article-2860465/Fast-free-WiFi-important-consideration-booking-hotel.html
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/niallmccarthy/2015/08/03/most-travelers-consider-free-wi-fi-the-most-important-factor-in-choosing-a-hotel-infographic/#1857529235cb
Leave a Reply