Travel website traffic increasingly from mobile

Mobile is increasingly being used by consumers for retail browsing and purchasing, and the same goes for travel. According to a new study from Business Insider, the majority of travel websites are now seeing mobile account for more than half of all visits.

by Helen Leggatt

Creating frictionless mobile experiences, especially via apps, is something that travel companies need to focus on in light of Business Insider's latest data.

Findings show that, of the 10 top travel websites analysed, only four (Booking.com, Kayak.com, Delta.com and AA.com) had mobile site visits below 50% of its total website traffic.

TripAdvisor.com racked up 629 million US mobile site visits in 2015 - 55% of all US traffic, Expedia had 338 million mobile site visits (50% of total traffic) and Southwest.com 276 million (51%).

Within the next four years, 70% of all online travel bookings will be made on mobile devices, says Business Insider.

Last month, research from digital hotel marketing firm Fuel revealed that 30.7% of consumers said they use at least one mobile app in travel planning. Apps are particularly important because many websites are not responsive, instead being just a mobile-dedicated version of the main website.

"This can cause headaches for the user who is now confronted with small text and boxes that are difficult to click on a mobile device," says Business Insider. "Building a branded app can help travel sites compete against others in the space by keeping users within its platform."