Luxe Beat Magazine JANUARY 2015 | Page 104

Smartphones and Tablets Top the Lis Vacation Essentia the New ‘Digital El Survey reveals over 60% use their mobile device as much or more on vacation than at home T he growing use of mobile technology when planning travel has spawned a new class of traveler – the Digital Elite – those who own and use two different mobile devices: smartphones and tablets. And this Digital Elite group of travelers is growing faster and spending more on vacations than less-connected travelers. Digital Travelers™, authored by travel and hospitality marketing communications firm lobal, a national survey of the travel habits, preferences and intentions of 1,250 active travelers. These insights come from the just-released 2014 Portrait of Seven in ten of the Digital Elite are illennials or ers . Overall, they are more ethnically diverse than travelers who are less connected. They tend to have higher annual household incomes and education levels. Additionally, they spent , more on vacations during the past 12 months than travelers who are less connected. In addition to spending more on travel, the Digital Elite increasingly view their devices as serving distinctly different purposes and in fact, 66% agree their smartphones and tablets are not interchangeable. “The Portrait of Digital Travelers is the only national study focusing on 104 smartphone and tablet usage while consumers are traveling,” said Steve Cohen, vice president, Insights and esearch, lobal. “ his in-depth look at the way mobile technology is changing the manner in which these travelers plan, book and now share travel experiences provides valuable insights into how marketers may refine their strategies to address the emerging preferences of this highly attractive market segment.” Are You A Member Of The Digital Elite? Below are selected highlights from the 2014 Portrait of Digital Travelers. • Growing Fast – The Digital Elite now represent of all travelers, up from 21% in 2012. • Traveling More – The