Only 15 percent of tours are currently booked online, but that number is likely to jump in the coming years, especially in Asia, according to a tourism expert speaking at the ITB in Berlin.

Globally, the average online penetration rate in tourism is 61%, said Matt Cuckston, European Director of KLOOK. Yet tours aren’t widely purchased online.

“By 2020 about 20 percent of tours will likely be booked online,” Cuckston said. “If we want to attract Asian millennials, more tours will need to be bookable online.”

Cuckston, formerly of the British Tourist Board, says “super apps” like Klook are likely to give travelers a seamless way to book and ticket popular attractions, tours, local transportation, and restaurants all through one place, using QR codes or e-vouchers.

Cuckston cites the company’s sale of Hong Kong Airport Express tickets through the Klook app as part of a tourism package as a time savings for tourist operators and customers alike.

This is strictly an exclusive feature, reprints of this article in any shape or form without prior written approval from 4Hoteliers.com is not permitted. Michael Scaturro is reporting exclusively for 4Hoteliers.com at ITB Berlin 2019 - www.4Hoteliers.com/itb.

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