How Mobile Apps are Enhancing the Travelling Experience

Over the past two decades, we have witnessed significant changes in the travel and tourism industry. These changes can be attributed to most travel processes slowly passing from the physical world to the digital one. Travel companies across the board have, especially, acknowledged and embraced the international effect of Mobile technology. Ever since various mobile apps assisting in different travel procedures have entered the scene, travelling experiences have catapulted to unimaginable heights. 

Industry experts often team up with App development companies to devise new and innovative ideas and services to bring the whole process of “booking a trip” to the palm of everyone’s hands. With a few simple steps and a few taps on the mobile screen, the booking process has become pleasantly convenient for travellers. 

By becoming a one-stop solution for its users, mobile apps have made travel agencies and physical booking obsolescent. According to a survey by eMarketer in 2020, travel-based mobile apps are in the top seven most-downloaded app categories. However, currently, it is in the top 5. At present, over 80% of travellers are planning their trips entirely on their mobile phones.

The advancement which has been noticed so far in travel-based mobile apps has made things more convenient, comfortable and quicker for travellers. With all the information just a touch on the screen away, travellers can take well-informed decisions from the comforts of their homes.

App development companies with affiliation with travel-based companies are putting in their best efforts to make the travelling experience hassle-free for their potential customers. Features like planning the itinerary, location viewing, accommodation bookings, ticket bookings, cab booking, route mapping, and much more are continuously being added every day. 

These features have not only benefitted the travellers but the travel agencies as well. With the added ease of planning, more potential customers are inclined towards booking more trips through apps. This evidently has remarkably increased the sales of travel-based companies. This improvement drives both parties to keep on collaborating to come up with more innovative features and thus, enhancing the travelling experience. 

If you are still unsure about the role mobile apps played in improving the travelling experience for both customers and travel-based companies, we will be delving further into the topic in this article.

Easy and Intelligent Booking System

We already know that travel-based mobile apps can assist travellers in easily planning and booking their trips. But an app with an intelligent booking system can also help them with a few other functions like setting up reminders, price comparison, timely notifications on new discounts, saving future bookings and categorization in one platform and much more.

Through the travel-based app, you can book a trip to your favourite destinations from the comfort of your home. Customers are just a click away, and all it takes is just a few minutes out of the customer’s precious time and a clear decision about where you want to go.

Customized Services 

Trip customization or customising the services the traveller is interested in and wants to pay for, is a huge selling point for travel-based companies. Previously it used to be a privileged customer service, but now it is a major part of the travel industry itself. Travel-based companies worldwide have embraced this as an asset to drive in more customers and retain the previous clientele as well.

With a few taps on the screen, the user can customise and design all the aspects of their trip. From which flight they will travel with, whether they want to book a car service, which hotel they want to stay in and the attractions they want to visit, everything can be hand-picked by the user without the interaction or intervention of a third or fourth party.

Ease of Payment & Cashless Travel

One of the best reasons to download and use travel-based mobile apps is the various smart payment method. The incorporated online payment methods provide the app users with an easy and complete mode of transactions. It also provides users with a one-stop approach for paperless and contactless payment methods. Furthermore carrying cash around with you while travelling to a foreign land can be very dangerous. So for the purpose of security, this is essential.

Some people will be confused by the concept of cashless payment, but it has been used by many travel-based companies for a while now. It is basically using your reward point or miles as currency. Mobile apps help you keep better track of them and will let you know for which offers they can be used. Though it is not something that is followed worldwide, it still has great value in some regions.

Exploring Destination

People are always curious about the place they have to want to visit. There can be many unknown variables that can sometimes derail even the most well-thought-out travel plans. So it is natural that people will look up the destination beforehand. These travel-based mobile apps can give customers a glimpse of their destinations through pictures and videos. 

Apart from real-life images and videos, travellers can also have access to customer reviews, weather updates, and a general idea of the overall layout of the place. These can help the users navigate while they are at the destination through virtual demonstrations. Once you have a better understanding of the location, its surroundings and its culture, you can prepare and pack accordingly. 

Recommendations and Discounts 

In today's competitive world, all the players in the travel industry are grasping at every medium available to reach and attract new customers while also retaining the old ones. Since 80% of customers prefer to use travel-based mobile apps to make bookings, it is also a strong medium for travel agencies to influence customers' decisions by offering amazing incentives and deals to their users. These incentives can be discounts on airfare or hotel bookings. Sometimes travel agencies advertise such offers on their travel-based apps. 

Therefore, using such mobile apps can improve the overall travelling experience of the customer by providing them with updates about new offers and discounts. Another reason to use apps to book your trip is an AI-based recommendation system based on the customers’ past behaviour. So, after analysing what a particular customer is interested in and past purchases, the system can put forth other offers close to the customers’ preferences.

In conclusion, the introduction of travel-based mobile apps is one of the most revolutionary steps for the industry to enhance the customer experience. These apps play a vital role in improving overall sales by making searching, booking and payment process for a trip significantly easy for the traveller and the travel companies. It gives travellers access to a wide array of travel options, including but not limited to offers and discounts, previous client testimonies, destination reviews, and different airline options with an overview of airfare, transit, and other facilities. With the additional advantage of doing all of it with the touch of a button from the comfort of your home, travel-based mobile apps have remarkably enhanced the overall travelling experience.