DAC recently attended the Digital Travel Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, where leading brands from the travel space gathered to share their best practices, challenges and solutions to thriving in the digital age. Here are our top 5 takeaways.
Inspiration is Key
As consumers search for the best destinations and experiences for the next vacation, they are looking for inspiration. Brands that can focus on creating share-worthy, inspirational content experiences put themselves ahead of the pack during this planning stage of the process.
Mobile First
Mobile continues to drive growth in online travel booking, with more people using their smartphones to plan their next trip. Brands that can create frictionless digital experiences – mobile-optimized content, fast load times and creative use of video stand to drive growth through this platform. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Media Data Traffic Forecast Update 2016, 78% of mobile traffic will be video by 2021, so wise brands are investing in this type of content now.
Speed Matters
Website load speed – whether on mobile, tablet or desktop is important for SEO and the customer experience. Slower sites will have fewer conversions, a high bounce rate and a low number of page views as customers are more likely to give up and move on than wait.
Get Personal
Search technologies are allowing brands to drive better, more personalized experiences than ever. Today’s connected travelers desire unique experiences that are tailored to their priorities – taking control of their bookings, itineraries and activities. Personalization not only captures the attention of travelers in the consideration phase, it can increase revenue and foster brand loyalty.
Explore With AI
The Power of Artificial Intelligence is being used to personalize services, predict travel choices, complete online bookings, and manage customer needs. Forward-thinking travel and hospitality brands are taking advantage of AI and Big Data to micro-target customers and personalize the travel experience.
For more travel insights, check out our white paper, Departures, Destinations and Disruptors, here.
