Presentation by Tim Gunstone, Eye For Travel at Travel Marketing Master Class Event - 22nd July 2014

1. How is The New Always-Connected
Travel Consumer changing how we
sell?
Tim Gunstone, Founder, EyeforTravel Ltd.

2. @eyefortravel

3. The 5 Stages of Travel
Travel stages courtesy
of Google Inc

4. Mobile is powering bookings…
45.3% of travellers surveyed would make a
last-minute booking on a tablet up to a week
before travel, while 43.8% would do so on a
mobile
Source: EyeforTravel’s Social Media & Mobile in Travel Distribution Report
2013

5. Mobile Budgets Are Increasing
In 2013, 57.3% of travel brands surveyed
planned to increase mobile spend…
…..versus 52.3% in 2012
#analyticseu

6. Mobile leads to new customers
In the first 2 months after
the launch of its iPad app,
Jetsetter saw over 250,000
downloads and 7,000 new
customers

7. Savvy travel brands ARE making
money from mobile
• In 2011 InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) had
seen revenues from mobile rise from $1 million
to $10 million in just 12 months
• By the end of 2012 mobile revenues hit $330
million
• In 2013 it’s hitting $40million per month

8. Where are travel
marketers
spending their
mobile budgets?
#analyticseu

9. @analyticseu

10. Wide cultural variances
#analyticseu

11. Attitudes vary by country
50% of Dutch
40% of French
40% of Brits
35% of Americans
29% of Germans….
….would not book travel via a
smartphone
EyeforTravel Ltd.
#analyticseu

12. Trend for last minute
• Google reported that 41% of
last minute queries to airline
websites were via mobile
devices
• For hotels, 33% of last minute
queries were via mobile
devices
#analyticseu

13. Germans still like to book early….
62% of Germans will book via a tablet a month or more in
advance with just 7% booking on the day

14. Whereas in France…
53% would book a month or more in advance and 10%
would book on the day

15. 2 consumer comparisons

16. German travel consumers
• Don’t like to book last minute (even via a mobile)
• Most likely to use a mobile device whilst on holiday compared to
other nations
• 39% want to check-in via their mobile
• Slow loading times (33% significant impact) and negative reviews
were strongest deterrents to booking (30%)
• 43% don’t share travel plans with friends/family via social media

17. Dutch travel consumers
• Higher aversion to booking via a smartphone (50% - often
citing security/payment as a concern) but are much less
averse to booking via a tablet
• Prefer to use mobile for map function (43%) and reviews
(44%)
• Hidden costs (56%) and slow load times (42%) biggest
deterrents to booking
• They like to be able to compare deals (62% said this would
mean more likely to book)
• Less social with 55% never share travel plans with friends via
social media

18. How much do
consumers want to
spend?
Of those willing to spend on mobile,
the majority felt comfortable
purchasing up to a value of €600 via
mobile
#analyticseu

19. Mobile is not just about bookings….
…your customer is looking to interact with your
brand via mobile
@anigba

20. Several Mobile driven
trends emerging

21. Mobile is driving on-trip ancillary
spend and Could be a a huge market
• Tours &Activities Euros 67 billion in USA and EU…
• It’s highly fragmented. Often run by small
organisations.
• No yield management no cross selling yet
Quoting Fernando Rodríguez Merino interview with
EFT

22. What’s driving/hindering On-trip
spend
• Relevant Mobile friendly media and the old
concierge
• Availability – the last battle ground in online
travel – most T+A providers are happy to offer
pre trip inventory but not on trip – This is
changing
• Price – for age old reasons
• Weather - for age old reasons
@eyefortravel

23. Mobile enabled On trip products for
intermediaries
• After the hotel or flight has been booked on
trip spend is a huge opportunity
• Travel intermediaries are succeeding with real
time offers – either self built or using third
party solutions – such as Check My Trip and
Trip Case

24. On trip mobile enabled products for
travel suppliers
• Suppliers have the greatest opportunity as
hotels and airlines own the customer when
they are on trip
• Travel companies can either source inventory
through Plug and play widgets that allow the
travel supplier to be the owner of bigger part
a traveller’s journey or are doing it themselves

25. People who win in this space will be
those that
• Understand their customer
• Tailor message
• Create the right partnerships

26. Mobile driving
inspiration

27. Mobile-originated content is
dominating the social media
space.
Short videos, photography
and micro-blogging can add
real value to your proposition
#analyticseu

28. ‘Social media and mobile are not two entities to
be worked on separately. They are part of a
#analyticseu

29. The industry is Integrating your
mobile and social strategies!
Gatwick airport uses a
Social, Local and Mobile
approach
They have a presence
across Facebook, Twitter,
Foursquare, Soundcloud,
and Instagram

30. The result?
• 50% of passenger enquiries at Gatwick are now via
their mobile site
• The size of their Facebook community has ballooned
to 42,700 fans
• Over 100,000 check-ins at Foursquare locations,
40,000 offers claimed
• First airport worldwide on Instagram – 3,125 followers
, 4,500+ images tagged #gatwick or #gatwick airport
#analyticseu

31. Data is becoming social media’s key unique
selling point for travel brands as the consumer
information available is vast and highly useful…
@anigba

32. Data is proving key to mobile
• Mobile limited sales space means you less
opportunities to provide the right product
• Reactive products based on the browsers
behaviour, location (and as many data sources
as you have access to) can mean more mobile
sales.

33. To conclude:
• Social Media, Mobile, Tablet and (shortly)
wearable technology are opening up a wide
range of new and exciting opportunities to
engage the new always connected customer
• It’s not all about bookings – but driving
awareness, engagement and loyalty. Mobile
and analytics lets you understand your
customer more and so sell mor travel product
• European attitudes to privacy, security and
technology vary so watch out. Could explain
the US Eu discrepency.

34. Thank You!
Tim Gunstone
Founder and managing
Director
EyeforTravel Ltd.
+44(0)207 375 7557
tim@eyefortravel.com