hotel
Hotels.com revealed today that 22% of us will go on holiday this year without booking a room. 2,000 were involved in the survey which found that people’s attitudes have differed considerably over the last few years towards travel. In 2003, 2,886, 720 would have booked a place to stay compared to 6,681,120 now, which is a huge increase of 68%!
The free spirited traveller is usually synonymous with young people; the stats reveal that it’s the older generation that are more impulsive on holiday. Over 55s are more likely to leave base camp without panning where they will lay their head down and 27% arrange accommodation during their holiday. 41% of 45-50 year olds like the spontaneity of travelling without firm plans and that is why they choose not to book beforehand. 40% admitted that they have no idea how long they will want to stay at a location.
London is the place where most of these impulse travellers live, with 29% sorting out their hotels when they are actually on holiday, which they reveal is all part of the trips appeal.
The increase in this type of traveller is more likely down to the smart phone, with apps that mean you can live your life on the go more than years ago. Hotels.com said that 70% of its bookings were through mobile apps most being for a stay on the same day of arrangements.
Laura Watts from Hotels.com commented: “The advances in technology and boom in mobile devices have had a significant impact on our day-to-day lives, none more so than our leisure time. A decade ago, or even as recently as 2008, the majority of our holiday plans – from tickets to accommodation – would have been fixed in stone. However, with the rise in smartphone usage and the increase in apps, we no longer need to be tied into a set plan. Mobile apps make it easy to book on the go, so if you want to be spontaneous, you can be, tailoring your plans according to what you want when you’re away.”