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"Today, especially in the Middle East, travellers are constantly connected to the internet and it is no surprise that mobile is part of their exploring and decision-making process," commented Marie De Ducla, Head of Travel Industry at Google Mena.
"The lack of bookings made online through smartphones is surprising, but represents a massive opportunity for the travel industry to improve their online presence, and tap into the UAE and KSA travellers who more and more are using their phones as a digital concierge."
Trending: video now key to decision-making
A new opportunity exists for travel brands in online video and the data is significant. According to the study, travellers use video as a popular source for the first two stages of planning travel - when "thinking about taking a trip" and "choosing a destination."
In Saudi, 81% of leisure travellers; 92% of business travellers and 87% of affluent travellers watch online videos. Among those who watch online videos 85% of them watch at least once a week, while 69% watch several times a week and approximately 80% watch those videos on YouTube.
The video platform is also a place where advertisers and brands will find active audiences trying to reach Saudi travellers. According to the survey, 68% of affluent and 75% of business travellers in KSA said online videos introduced them to a travel brand they were not aware of, and nearly 70% responded that online videos encouraged them to consider the brand that was being advertised.
When it comes to the UAE, the data shows UAE travellers also rely on online video when making travel decisions. UAE business travellers (84%) watch more online videos than leisure (68%) or affluent travellers (62%). Nearly three-quarters watch online videos once a week and 77% of those are viewed on YouTube.
Additionally, affluent UAE travellers use online videos as their number one source for planning trips (21%) in conjunction with online map sites. Following videos and maps, affluent travellers use airline websites (18%), travel review sites (13%) and search engines (5%) when making travel decisions.
Other key findings:
Reasons for travel
-Visiting family is cited as the number one reason for travel across UAE and KSA
-They make up 71% of trips for KSA travellers and 55% for UAE travellers
Travel planning
-Last minute booking is extremely high in Saudi for leisure and business travellers; with more than 50% of the respondents saying they book less than two weeks in advance
-In the UAE, 35% of respondents say they book less than two weeks in advance
-Locals in the UAE use Internet to plan leisure trips more than anyone else (61%)
-Arabs in the UAE use internet more than anyone else to plan business trips (50% of those surveyed)
