Travellers leaving it late - Rezdy

Australian travellers are avoiding forward planning, according to a survey by independent global tour and booking software company Rezdy.


“There has been a rising number of travellers booking their tour or attraction through online travel operators within 24 hours of it starting,” said Simon Lenoir, chief executive, Rezdy. “This has increased steadily over the past three years, rising from 24 per cent in 2014 to 37 per cent of total bookings to date this year.


"It’s not new for travellers to want to book their tours and attractions close to the date, particularly those that are impacted by weather conditions. What is new is the ability for them to be able to connect to such a wide range of suppliers and get booking confirmation in real-time rather than having to wait for an email or call to be returned, sometimes only to hear that it is sold out. No one wants to spend precious travel time on their laptop, phone or tablet waiting to hear back about a booking enquiry.  


“Travellers are also using smart phones to do more than just search, with up to 35 per cent of all bookings made from mobiles. This tells us that agents and suppliers whose websites aren’t mobile optimised or equipped to accept last minute online bookings are missing well over a third of the market share,” said Lenoir.

Travellers leaving it late - Rezdy

Australian travellers are avoiding forward planning, according to a survey by independent global tour and booking software company Rezdy.


“There has been a rising number of travellers booking their tour or attraction through online travel operators within 24 hours of it starting,” said Simon Lenoir, chief executive, Rezdy. “This has increased steadily over the past three years, rising from 24 per cent in 2014 to 37 per cent of total bookings to date this year.


"It’s not new for travellers to want to book their tours and attractions close to the date, particularly those that are impacted by weather conditions. What is new is the ability for them to be able to connect to such a wide range of suppliers and get booking confirmation in real-time rather than having to wait for an email or call to be returned, sometimes only to hear that it is sold out. No one wants to spend precious travel time on their laptop, phone or tablet waiting to hear back about a booking enquiry.  


“Travellers are also using smart phones to do more than just search, with up to 35 per cent of all bookings made from mobiles. This tells us that agents and suppliers whose websites aren’t mobile optimised or equipped to accept last minute online bookings are missing well over a third of the market share,” said Lenoir.