Mobile has overtaken desktop bookings contributing to 53 per cent of overall domestic-hotel bookings for the first time. Last year mobile hotel bookings were 29 per cent of overall bookings, according to customer transaction data available with MakeMyTrip.
According to the company, hotel-booking on the move via mobile devices reached an inflection point in June. This was fueled largely by last-minute bookings, with nearly 80% of bookings made just upto a week before travel. This trend is especially stronger for nearby and drivable destinations compared to those accessed via flights or rail. Check-ins over long weekends drive a 2x spike, reflecting how last-minute bookings are also fueling weekend getaways.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and CEO-India, MakeMyTrip said “Mobile has clearly hit an inflection-point by overtaking desktop in hotel-bookings for June. While Advance Purchase (AP) trends on desktop bookings have not changed compared to last year, the majority of hotel bookings on mobile continue to be for shorter AP.”
The stat states that almost 80 per cent of mobile bookings are for check-ins upto a week in advance, 61 per cent for last-minute bookings (upto 2 days in advance) and a whopping 32 per cent for same-day hotel bookings. However, a closer look will show that there is a slow but steady shift in consumer habit of booking on mobiles. Travellers are now using their mobiles to book hotels with a longer advance booking period, Magow said.
The biggest beneficiaries of changing customer behavior have been small and budget-property owners in Tier III towns which have shown the highest yoy growth in mobile bookings. The platform has brought the long-tail of hotels onto the ecosystem thereby driving value for all stakeholders.
