Mobile apps will change travel habits in Asia

Mobile-enabled
services are rapidly changing the way travellers purchase travel, according to
Abacus International. Booking transactions in Asia finished at a record high in
2010, up +11% over the previous year, with a sharp increase in both smartphone
usage as well as mobile Internet.

 The rise of mobile technology and the proliferation of mobile-enabled services is set to change
the way people travel. That’s according to Asia Pacific’s leading travel
facilitator, Abacus International, in its latest Insights Updates on the mobile
travel trends to expect in 2011



Mobile-enabled services are rapidly changing the way travellers purchase
travel, according to Abacus International. Booking transactions in Asia
finished at a record high in 2010, up +11% over the previous year, with a sharp
increase in both smartphone usage (54% penetration by 2015) as well as mobile
Internet (450 million subscribers in Asia Pacific).

Asia Pacific has the largest number of mobile subscribers

 The world with over 2.1 billion phone subscriptions in 2010, coupled with a
forecasted growth of +50% by 2020.



Mobile internet services are also expected to generate US$80 billion in Asia
Pacific, with smartphone penetration at 40% across Southeast Asia in Q4 2009,
led by Singapore at 77%.



With the proliferation of mobile e-mail and mobile browsing, the growth of
multimedia messaging, mobile music, social networking, and even location-based
services, mobile is “the next wave for travel-related services”, the company
underlined.



There is “little doubt” that mobile will be the next platform for travel
management, Abacus added. As part of Abacus International Insights Updates,
dedicated to helping the travel industry better understand and be better
equipped to the strategic business and technical implications

BY ANKIT KUMAR
PGDM -2sem