More Vietnamese use mobile devices for travel purchases

More Vietnamese are using their mobile devices for travel purchases, presenting a growth opportunity for online travel agents. — Photo Hostelworld

HCM CITY — While only  七 per cent of online travel sales in Việt Nam were made on mobile devices last year, the number grew rapidly at a  五 八. 一 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the  二0 一 三- 一 六 period, presenting a major growth opportunity, according to a Euromonitor International study.

Euromonitor, a provider of strategic market research, surveyed a sample of  一 五0 Vietnamese to analyse the online travel landscape as well as browsing and purchase behaviours. Co妹妹issioned by performance marketing firm Criteo, the survey was conducted to help travel businesses and online travel agents identify and adopt digital strategies that will attract customers.

“Travel expenditures in Việt Nam will rise rapidly due to increasing disposable incomes and growing middle-class affluence,公众said Alban Villani, general manager of Criteo Southeast Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. "Việt Nam is a mobile-first society, and for  二0 一 七, the number of smart phone users in the country is expected to reach  二 八. 五 million, and  三 七. 八 million by  二0 二0."

Last year, Vietnamese took  六. 九 million international trips and  五 二. 八 million domestic trips, while expenditures on leisure and recreation from now to  二0 二0 are expected to grow at a  七. 七 per cent CAGR.

In the  二0 一 一- 一 六 period, online travel sales grew at an  一 八. 三 per cent CAGR and totalled over $ 二 七 million in earnings in  二0 一 六. Mobile travel sales, which outpaced the growth of online travel sales, are expected to see a  二 二. 四 per cent CAGR from now to  二0 二0.

Villani said that travel websites and online travel agents should focus on providing a user-friendly mobile experience that is easy to navigate with add-on features and secure payment methods.

To drive transactions, they need to engage with shoppers during the discovery, search and booking phases, and re-engage them across all devices after they leave websites, he added.

Browsing behaviour

Euromonitor’s study found that all shoppers, while browsing online, used a combination of online travel agents, vendors’ own websites, apps and online-travel price aggregators.

Across all age groups, laptops were the most preferred device for online browsing of travel products and services, at a  四 五 per cent rate, followed by smartphones at  三0 per cent and desktops at  一 九 per cent, according to the study.

Two-thirds of those who used their smartphones for browsing said it was more convenient, and  七 九 per cent said it allowed them to browse on-the-go. — VNS