The tourism industry has witnessed drastic and accelerated changes in the past three years, largely driven by the Covid-19 pandemic and technological advances. This dynamism has not only affected traditional forms of travel and accommodation but has also led to the expansion of tourism offerings in the digital space. In this environment, tourism operators have had to adapt to survive, and tourists have modified their consumption patterns to align with new realities.
Impact of digitization on the customer experience
One of the most significant changes has been the digitization of tourism. Online platforms for booking accommodation, experiences, and transfers have democratized access to various forms of tourism, in addition to boosting the local economy and offering a much wider range of options to consumers.
According to SaleCycle, the remarketing and abandoned cart recovery company, in its ebook titled “Tourism Online Trends and Statistics. The reactivation of the tourism sector”, during 2022 and 2023 the tourism sector has increased its figures in areas such as airlines, hotels, travel agencies, cruises, buses, and mobile user search. In addition, it is mentioned that there was a decrease in abandoned shopping carts.
Changes in consumption patterns
In the last three years, tourism has had ups and downs. Still, it has been noted that July is the most popular month for generating online sales in this sector, something driven by summer vacations, which translates into travel, hotel rentals, and vacation spots. On the other hand, December became the month with the least online sales in the tourism field.
It is worth noting that, speaking of devices, users spend 40% more through the computer than the mobile, which could be due to the fact that they feel more comfortable making their reservations on large screens. Desktop sales account for 62.5% of total online sales.
Still, it could be said that user traffic comes through the mobile phone (at 60%) which would indicate that people review tourist offers through their smartphones and then make reservations on the computer.
In terms of sales, there is a big difference between 2020 and 2022. In the first year mentioned, the difference between sales from computers and from mobile phones was 75%, while in 2022 it has been reduced to 40%. On the other hand, mobile and desktop traffic has not stopped growing over the years, registering an increase of 48% from 2021 to 2022.
Another aspect to highlight is the probability that users decide not to complete their tourist reservation processes. According to the ebook, during the last 3 years, September has registered the lowest cart abandonment rate and January the highest. In addition, the cart abandonment rate in the sector for this 2023 has been 85.63%.
The average order value in the tourism sector has increased by 27% since 2020, and December is the month when people spend the most money on tourism-related matters, while August has turned out to be the season in which users invest less in their orders.
SaleCycle’s ebook offers a detailed overview of the evolution of the tourism sector from the pandemic to the present day, highlighting how this industry is experiencing a significant resurgence. This resource is especially valuable for those interested in understanding the latest trends and developments in the field of tourism, providing a comprehensive perspective on how travel and the industry have evolved in recent years.
