U.S. Travelers Are Using Their Mobile Phones A Lot More Than We Think

Despite roaming and data charges, an astounding 90% of U.S. travelers say they use their mobile phones when vacationing domestically or abroad.

That’s according to the latest TripBarometer survey from TripAdvisor, which similarly notes that 91% of travelers globally say they use their smartphones on vacation.

The most frequent use for U.S. travelers is to navigate their way around destinations.

The online survey of more than 50,000 TripAdvisor users who planned their vacations online, found that 73% used their mobile phones to get around a destination, 62% searched for restaurants, 52% looked for activities, half shared their travels in social media, and 27% searched for hotels.

That’s obviously good news for maps’ providers, restaurants, tours and activities businesses, and social media networks. The relatively low utilisation for hotel searches isn’t surprising because most people on vacation already have their hotel reservations, although seeking to change hotels or add days elsewhere isn’t unusual.

The survey also found that:

• 67% of U.S. travelers plan to take international trips in 2014, compared with 53% a year earlier
• 97% have a domestic trip on the agenda, just up from the 95% in 2013.

Research firm Ipsos conducted the survey for TripAdvisor. The online survey took place February 14 to March 10, 2014, and got responses from 50,637 TripAdvisor website users in 32 markets, and Ipsos online panelists who planned a trip online in the last 12 months. Some 10,370 people in the lodging industry from TripAdvisor’s database also participated in the survey.

More survey findings: