We use such mobile apps when we are on vacation

What mobile applications do we regularly use during our vacation? What should a mobile app that reflects guest needs know, and what is there no need for at all? The latest survey by Innotime Hungary Kft. sought to answer these questions. A total of 823 people participated in the non-representative research, which covered the entire country.

Social media is in first place, navigation apps are in second place, but accommodation booking is also on the podium

It is hardly surprising that social media apps are used most often during vacations and relaxation, with 63.41% of respondents regularly loading them when they go on vacation, and another 29.91% also checking their social media pages sometimes while on vacation. Navigation apps (e.g. Waze or Google Maps) are in second place, with 60.71% of respondents using them regularly, while 29.31% of respondents use them occasionally.

 

Accommodation booking apps are also extremely popular, with 701% of respondents using them regularly or occasionally, but only 371% of respondents book flights via an app. Translation apps, which help overcome language difficulties, are rarely used by travelers, but are used relatively frequently (531%).

More people use shopping apps regularly during vacation than tourism apps

While about a quarter of respondents (26%) regularly use store apps during their vacation, interest in tourism mobile apps is much lower, with only 11% using them regularly. The situation is even worse with museum mobile apps, which less than 8% of respondents try regularly, while nearly 40% never use them, and 19% have never even heard of these apps. The situation is similar with treasure hunt and other playful city exploration apps: half of the respondents said they are aware of them, but never use them, and more than 21% are not even familiar with them.

Real-time schedules and descriptions of attractions are in greatest demand

According to more than 431% of respondents, the most useful function of regional and city mobile applications is providing real-time timetables, and 391% of respondents download such an application to their phone in order to learn about attractions. Interestingly, in these applications, the built-in navigation, information about the bicycle network and real-time traffic jam monitoring were rated as „good to have, but not bad to have”. They also had a similar opinion about the fashionable audio, guided city tours in tourism applications; for just over a fifth of respondents, such a service is a motivation to download the app, while for nearly 501% of respondents, this content is practically irrelevant.

Travelers prefer to buy tickets and attractions through mobile apps

The availability of instant ticket purchase options in city mobile applications has become particularly important. Within this, providing the option of instant ticket purchase is particularly important for 611% of respondents, and purchasing entrance tickets to attractions is particularly important for nearly 571% of respondents. The availability of ticket purchase options for programs is less popular, with nearly half of respondents stating that it would be good if it were available, but it wouldn't be a problem if it weren't, and only 21% of respondents considered the inclusion of this service important.

The perception of games and interactive features available in apps is divisive

While the ability to provide community feedback (ratings and reporting issues) and the instant sharing feature on social media were considered useful, more than half of respondents considered the ability to take selfies from the app to be an unnecessary feature.

When it comes to using point-collecting and stamp-collecting application games, the answers are very divided. 26% likes such programs, 35% said that he likes to use such apps because they draw his attention to sights that were not on his "bucket list", while 37% does not use such opportunities because if he visits somewhere for the sights, he does not want to be on his phone even during the trip.

The answers to treasure hunt games are similarly ambivalent: nearly a third of respondents said that treasure hunting during a city tour is an excellent family activity, 22.51% of respondents use such an app if they visit somewhere several times because they focus on the sights the first time, while 391% of respondents never download such types of apps.

The role of augmented reality (AR) in these applications is expected to increase in the future. When asked „Are you interested in mobile applications that show the old face of a region/city in such a way that when you focus your phone on a given location, the old image of the place appears on your phone?” the majority of respondents, 47%, answered „yes, I really like these because they help you imagine what the city might have been like in the past.

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In summary, it can be stated that tourists' use of applications is determined by functionality: if they want to use navigation, they do not prefer general city or destination applications, similarly, they use well-established applications for the production and sharing of social media content or for booking accommodation. In the case of tourism apps, in addition to the presentation of attractions, the availability of local, real-time timetables and the possibility of purchasing tickets and entrance tickets to attractions stand out.