India and Indonesia with their large young populations of 'digital natives' are, unsurprisingly, the top two countries with the most digitally-advanced travellers, with India holding the top spot for the second year in a row (2017 & 2018).
Brazil (up one spot to third), China (slipped to fourth place from second) and Nigeria (unchanged) make up the top five on the Travelport Global Digital Traveller league table (see table below).
The Index is based on a combination of the main indicators of using technology to enhance the travel experience. For example, India in the #1 position is due to 69% of the country’s travellers using voice search, over 60% wanting digital room keys and 88% saying they are influenced to travel by friends on social media.
*new country surveyed in 2018
Commenting on the index Mark Meehan, managing director for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa of Travelport, said: “India and Indonesia have grown around the smartphone and it’s no surprise to see them remain the most digitally engaged in our survey.”
He added that companies wanting to do business in these countries “need to understand how digitally advanced they are and meet the travellers in the digital platforms they’re using, like instant messaging apps and social media. Travel brands need to provide the seamless, integrated experience travellers have told us they want.”
Read the full story here.
