Mobile-device travel bookings on rise in region, PayPal advises Thai tourism firms
PayPal says Thai travel firms need to improve their online presence, as more people use their mobile devices to book their trips.
"Today’s digital traveller demands simplicity, convenience and trust when making travel bookings, and mobile is the way to go. If people could have a simple and secure payment [system], they would make more online bookings," Rahul Shinghal, country manager for PayPal Southeast Asia, said yesterday.
However, many Thais prefer to make online bookings from personal computers at home rather than from a mobile device as they still worry about security, he said. But PayPal expects to see more transactions on mobile devices.
"Many tourists travelling into Thailand made their bookings online or via mobile devices. A huge portion [were from] the China market, Australia, and some from Asean nations," Shinghal said.
"As an online and mobile payments leader with 165 million customers in over 203 markets worldwide, PayPal is focused on helping travel businesses in Thailand tap into this global opportunity."
According to the report "PayPal Insights: The Digital Future of Travel 2014", more than half of travellers to or within Southeast Asia made their bookings online. For Singaporeans, the figure was 93 per cent, while 95 per cent of travellers from Malaysia made travel bookings online.
Travellers in the region were also heavily reliant on online information sources for planning their trips. More than 98 per cent of Malaysians, 96 per cent of Singaporeans and 87 per cent of Australians said they studied such sources as travel websites and online forums to plan their trips.
Shinghal said many digital travellers made their bookings at the last minute. A total of 54 per cent of those surveyed for the report booked a trip within a week of deciding to travel, while 38 per cent booked their tickets within a week of their departure.
Travellers from China were among the most spontaneous of the countries surveyed, with 71 per cent having booked a trip within a week of deciding to travel, and 58 per cent booked a trip within a week of departure.
"Almost one in three, or 29 per cent, of Thai travel businesses do not have a mobile presence today. However, Thai travel businesses continue to be ahead of their peers in Southeast Asia. Only 50 per cent of businesses in Singapore and 54 per cent in Malaysia offer mobile-friendly services to customers," Shinghal said.
