Mobile travel bookings in Saudi Arabia grew by 116 percent in 2017, according to new statistics from online travel company Cleartrip.
According to Cleartrip’s 2017 travel insights report, 31 percent of total bookings in Saudi Arabia were made through mobile devices, compared to 69 percent purchased through desktops.
In the neighbouring UAE – with saw a 60.65 percent increase in mobile transactions last year – 25 percent of total bookings were placed on mobile devices, compared to 75 percent on desktop.
Of the cities assessed, Riyadh was found to have the highest rate of mobile booking penetration, with 32 percent of total purchases made on mobile devices, followed by Jeddah, with 31 percent.
Additionally, the report showed a clear correlation between the number of travellers per ticket and the platform used for booking, with computers being increasingly preferred as the number of travellers increased.
For solo travelers, 27 percent of bookings were made through mobile, compared to 83 percent of reservations for groups of 10 or more made through desktops.
The findings also show that the majority of travel bookings in the GCC, particularly in Saudi Arabia, take place within a week of departure, with mobile platforms outperforming desktop in last-minute purchases.
According to the statistics, 48.3 percent of mobile bookings and 41.4 percent of desktop reservations in the GCC in the last year occurred up to a week ahead of travel.
In Saudi Arabia, 48.3 percent of travel bookings on mobile devices and 44.9 percent via desktop were made within seven days of departure.
Dubai was found to be the most popular destination for travellers in the region in 2017, followed by Sharjah, Manila, and Abu Dhabi.
The Armenian capital of Yerevan topped the list of trending destinations, with a 498 percent increase from 2016, followed by Tbilisi and Kathmandu, which grew by 210 and 207 percent, respectively.
Source: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/travel-hospitality/392228-mobile-travel-bookings-soar-in-saudi-arabia