The One Chart That Explains Everything About Digital Evolution Of Travel

Mobile booking and usage is the biggest area of development by all travel brands in 2014, and we’re just getting started. As PCs and online usage have completely changed (and arguably destroyed) the traditional travel purchase cycle, mobile is now completely upending that again, and few years down the line virtual reality and wearables are poised to do it all over again.

We’ve been covering all aspects of these changes on Skift from the start, but this handy chart from a new Boston Consulting Group study brings a lot of these changes together in one handy chart. The chart, above, shows the current situation in how consumers are using the digital tools in their travel purchase journey, and how that is being changed with mobile coming into the picture and becoming the center of the tools usage.

BCG puts it well:

Our research indicates that while most travel companies recognize the rapid ascent of mobile, they have yet to develop a full understanding of its reach and impact. Mobile rearranges the relationship between a travel company and its customers, much the way the original wave of digital disruption did, scrambling established patterns of behavior in different phases of the travel journey.

The mobile experience is a whole new universe of connectivity that’s local (it’s always where you are), personal (tailored to your needs and preferences), and social (all your friends are there as well). And it’s always on. For companies, the opportunity to build brand and relationships, drive incremental purchase opportunities, and add to the overall service offering is enormous.