Why tour operators and travel agencies should provide a mobile app to their individual travelers?

62% of the US consumers own a smart phone, 6 out of 10 mobile users download a travel app and 40% use it to find information on their travel destination.

Travel operators and travel agencies have been focusing on offering travel apps dedicated to the business segment however it is difficult today to ignore mobile applications on the consumer segment.

Better support to the client

People are nowadays used to store all kind of information on their smart phone and check it in average 150 times per day (source: the KPCB Internet Trends 2013)

Rather than letting your customer print out a set of different papers that he may loose, why could he not just open a user-friendly app that will clearly display all the details of his trip: flight details, accommodation booking, pre-booked tour and activities, etc… he could also at any time have a quick access to an emergency phone number to contact his travel agent.

However limiting a travel app to the outlines of his trip and including a few pdf files is a bit short and you can be sure that adoption and app loyalty will be disappointing for non-geeks users.

As tour operator or travel agent you can give further support by offering to your client not only a summary of his trip but also a complete offline travel guide of his destination including a rich travel directory (with hundreds of attractions, restaurants, shops, bars…), a clever trip planer and a travel journal.

No matter the kind of tour, offering offline maps and offline navigation to the customer is also a good way for your client to feel comfortable getting around in a foreign destination.

Brand loyalty and satisfaction

The typical relationship between a tour operator or travel agency and its customers ends more or less after the purchase transaction a few months before the trip.

Offering a branded mobile app to your client is an excellent way to pursue the relationship and increase loyalty: in average, mTrip users open the mobile app 8-9 times per day.

Your brand will be exposed to your clients several times per day and be associated to the wonderful travel experience they live.

The app is also a good way to get feedback from you client and listen to their expectations in order to improve or adapt some of your products.

Image and virality of the brand

Offering an exclusive branded mobile app to your clients allows you to distinguish yourself from the competition and adds value to your services. Not only they will have a special relationship with your brand but they will also share their pictures, reviews and travel journal with their friends on social networks like Facebook under your brand.

Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for more information about travel apps for tour operators and travel agencies.