New research by Cisco AppDynamics across EMEA shows that travelers increasingly use smart digital apps and services to plan, book, and organize their travel.
The study polled 4,000 people from the EMEA region and discovered that the majority of those polled now prefer a digital experience by using apps for the majority, if not all, of their travel needs. Using digital solutions, almost every aspect of the travel experience is now aided or improved, from researching and planning potential destinations, managing bookings, purchasing tickets, Covid vaccination status updates, checking the weather forecast, and even selecting holiday clothing.
With 83 percent of people in the region planning a vacation this year, apps and digital solutions are now central to the travel experience for 71 percent of those surveyed.
According to the study’s findings, consumers will use 25 different digital services and applications to help them plan, book, and travel for their next vacation. Meanwhile, 55% of those polled said they do not plan to bring paper tickets on their next vacation, instead of relying entirely on airline and travel apps, digital wallets, and email for the duration of their trip.
The post-pandemic world has given travelers new realities, so it is not surprising that 80 percent of people said they will use apps to prove their Covid-19 or vaccination status. As a result, the impact of poorly performing applications is felt particularly strongly: 70% of people said their vacation would be disrupted if an app used for airline, rail, or hotel booking failed. Fourty-one percent went so far as to say it could ruin the entire trip.
When faced with problems with a travel app, 37% said they would immediately switch to an alternative. However, only 6% of those polled said they would contact the company behind a poor performing digital service.
As the findings of this study clearly show, app and digital solution providers must collaborate to ensure seamless digital experiences as customers travel for vacation. Poorly performing apps will be quickly abandoned in favor of better alternatives, which is why developers must effectively manage and optimize IT performance across increasingly complex and fragmented IT systems. This necessitates the availability of a unified view of IT performance and availability across the entire IT environment.
By combining IT performance data with real-time business metrics, developers can quickly identify and resolve issues without interfering with the end user experience. Consumers today expect seamless digital experiences at all times, regardless of platform. Businesses that deliver on this will gain loyal customers while increasing revenue and improving their bottom line.
