Cheapflights.co.uk has identified key traits and practices of individuals based on their smart phone choice with its travel habits of mobile phone users infographic combining the results of a recent survey in which more than 700 people took part, along with information based on search data. The comparison of Blackberry, iPhone and Android Phone users produced some interesting results which concluded that iPhone users were the most romantic, Android users the most adventurous and Blackberry users the biggest spenders on holiday. "It might seem like just a bit of fun, but in an age where people are so brand driven, the type of mobile you carry really does provide an insight into aspects of your personality. We took this thinking a step further and applied it to travel behaviour, which enabled us to determine the type of traveller a user is, based on their choice of mobile phone," says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk. Some of the main findings from the survey and Cheapflights.co.uk's user search data: - 14 million hours per year are spent searching for flights while at work, and Blackberry users spend 38 per cent more time searching for flights during working hours than either iPhone or Android users. - Of the three different mobile personalities, Blackberry users appeared to be the biggest spenders with a whopping 50 per cent more likely to splash the cash in a jet set holiday destination like Marbella. - iPhone users' destination choices showed them to be the bigger risk-takers with a love of shopping and romance. The results showed they are twice as likely to gamble in Las Vegas compared to Blackberry users. iPhone users were also four times as likely as Android users and ten times as likely as Blackberry users to choose a romantic break in Paris - they were also 7 per cent more likely to travel for a dirty weekend than Blackberry users. - When it comes to general adventure, Android users came out on top, highlighting New Zealand as one of their favourite destinations. They're also the 'techiest' of the bunch, being 50 per cent more likely to visit high-tech Tokyo than the Blackberry and iPhone users. - While iPhone users have a big appetite for fun, risk and romance, it would appear they have an almost equally big appetite for work as they were 17 per cent more likely to take calls from work while on holiday, compared to 12.9 per cent for Blackberry users and only 7.5 per cent for Android. - When it comes to dining out, Blackberry users were the least likely to take their partner on a business trip and 3.9 per cent more likely to buy their partner dinner on business expenses compared with iPhone users. The results go on to compare a wealth of other information, including CO² emissions produced by smartphones compared with those produced by the travel industry. The figures also reveal the number of users visiting travel websites through a mobile device and a breakdown by phone type of the most popular travel app.
European hoteliers lag their U.S. counterparts in social-media adoption
A study from eHotelCheck.com shows that hoteliers in the U.S. and Middle Eastern cities take the lead in social-media adoption. For the second year in a row, San Francisco topped the ranking while hotels in Dubai surged to the second spot, up nine places compared with last year. Selected major destinations were ranked based on their ‘Tripadvisor Top 10’ listed hotels’ adoption of and the internet users’ response to the main social-media tools. Social Media use by hoteliers becomes a global phenomenon Wide use of the online social-media tools within the hospitality industry definitely does not only belong to the innovators in San Francisco anymore. The results of eHotelCheck’s 2011 global scan show that over the last year many more hoteliers from around the world turned to social media to attract and retain customers, and started using tools, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tripadvisor – the main global social-media tools used in the tourism industry, to interact with internet users – their (prospective) guests. Guests of European hotels are active online reviewers The hotels in Europe may lag behind their U.S. and Middle Eastern counterparts, however, measured by the number of online reviews on Tripadvisor, their guests are active contributors within the virtual community. Especially London, Paris, and Rome have active online guests, but their most appreciated hotels make only limited use of social media. Major increase in Facebook adoption “The results of our global scan show that presentation through social-media tools is becoming more and more the norm for hotels and their guests”, says Niels Schipper, the founder of eHotelCheck.com. “Particularly Facebook has seen a huge increase over the last year, with an astonishing 84% increase in its adoption by hotels and more than a tripling of the number of Likes by its users”. Currently still only 59% of the hotels included in the study have a Facebook account. Adoption rate of Twitter is slower Compared to Facebook and Tripadvisor, Twitter shows lower and slower adoption by hotels as well as internet users. The share of hotels with a Twitter account increased by 46%. Over the period of one year, the top 10 hotels in the selected 33 destinations as ranked on Tripadvisor increased their online audience by 172.000 Followers, currently averaging 3.500 Followers per account. At the moment, it is the hotels in Las Vegas that are setting the bar in Twitter adoption.
UAE tourist arrivals forecast to hit 9 million in 2012
The number of foreign tourists heading to the UAE this year is expected to reach almost 9 million, according to the latest industry forecast issued by international industry consultant Business Monitor International (BMI). The BMI report forecasts that overseas arrivals in the UAE during 2012 will climb to 9 million, a healthy 9% increase on the 8.2 million tourists that arrived in the UAE last year. Echoing that sentiment, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the leading travel exhibition in the Middle East, is witnessing strong online visitor interest ahead of this year’s event, with the number of pre-registered visitors already up 132% from the same time last year. “With unrest particularly in Egypt and North Africa last year, the UAE experienced an influx of tourism, boosting its status as a regional safe haven,” said Mark Walsh, Portfolio Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions. “With Emirates and Etihad opening-up at least ten more destinations between them this year, not including low cost options FlyDubai, and Air Arabia, future tourism growth is assured. ATM not only provides a platform for the travel and tourism industry, it acts as a barometer and the massive increase in our online registrations certainly supports BMI’s forecast,” he added. Guest numbers at Dubai hotels rose 10% year-on-year to nearly 4.6 million for the first half of 2011, BMI said, as more visitors from the Middle East travelled to the UAE. A record number of guests also checked into hotels in Abu Dhabi last year, according to latest figures released by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA). Over 2.1 million guests checked into hotels in the country’s capital, beating an official target by 100,000 and the previous record high of around 1.8 million in 2010. Despite a large increase in the number of available rooms, Dubai was the sole tourist destination in the region that has shown a rise in both occupancy and revenue per available room (RevPAR) in 2011, with increases of 4% and 4.5% respectively, according to a recent report by Ernst & Young. According to another report by STR, the UAE is leading the region in development projects with 21,238 rooms under development and tourism initiatives underway across all the emirates including Sharjah, Ajman, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah. “With oil prices stable at around $100 per barrel, the oil-exporting Gulf states are witnessing greater fiscal stability and investing billions of dollars into tourism infrastructure,” he added. Indeed, Walsh’s point is reflected in the online visitor registrations for this year’s four-day Arabian Travel Market show, which opens on 30 April 2012. Nearly 2,000 visitors have so far registered for the event. In addition, the number of pre-registered visitors from the UAE has reached 1,201, representing an increase of 156% from the same time last year. Meanwhile, the number of visitors interested in buying products and services is up 126% to 1,868. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and approaching its nineteenth year, the show has grown to become the largest showcase of its kind in the region and one of the biggest in the world. In 2011, 2,232 exhibitors covering floor space of just under 20,000 square metres attracted more than 22,000 attendees. The line-up for this year’s Arabian Travel Market will bring together annual favourites and a number of brand new events including the inaugural UNWTO regional tourism ministers’ conference and the WTM Vision forum, which will focus on Middle East travel trends and the online travel market. Covering the entire week, the popular Seminar Theatre series of sessions will address industry hot topics from developments in the aviation sector and hotel branding to Sharia-compliant travel. The all-new Tech Theatre is a dedicated platform that provides an opportunity to gain invaluable insight into leading edge industry-related technologies including social media and GDS. For the second year running, Arabian Travel Market will once again host its own unique industry version of The Apprentice to uncover the best emerging regional talent. Other regular features include the New Frontiers Award, which recognises outstanding contributions to tourism development in the face of overwhelming adversity, and the perennially popular industry Careers Day will wrap up the week.
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