Criteo’s Q4 2017 Travel Insights Report reveals the increasing influence of mobile shopping in the travel industry.

Travel companies with mobile apps saw 60% of their bookings take place on mobile devices in Q4 2017, up from 41% during the same period in 2016, while online travel agents now see almost half (45%) of all bookings take place on a smartphone or tablet.

The report analyses browsing and booking data from more than 1,800 travel advertisers globally, looking at over 3bn bookings across desktop, mobile sites and applications, in 59 countries.

The increase in mobile travel booking is being driven by travellers looking for last-minute deals and over-night stays.

With mobile platforms making it easier to book, searches on smartphones and bespoke travel booking apps have spiked, and accounts for up to 89% of traffic, for last-minute bookings.

During the traditional post-Christmas travel booking period total Q1 sales are expected to increase by up to 80% compared to November.

“Travel companies are seeing more and more travel bookings coming from apps and smartphones,” said Pauline Lemaire, Head of Travel and Classified, Criteo.

“The flexibility of these platforms means that shoppers can leave their booking to the very last minute. However, with travellers everywhere taking advantage of these different touchpoints, retailers need to ensure that convenience doesn’t come at the price of a great user experience.

“This means connecting all of those touchpoints across devices and enabling the shopper to book that last minute getaway on the device of their preference.”

Other key insights insights include:

Conversion rates on apps are 5x those on mobile web and twice those on desktop – above the retail industry average

While suppliers have a lower share of mobile bookings, a third (32%) of their bookings are preceded by a click on a different device, demonstrating the importance of data collaboration to improve mobile performance

33% of over-night stays are searched for on apps, as holidaymakers move away from desktop for quick breaks

Mobile bookings in Europe (25%), edge ahead of North America (22%)

Mobile is still growing for Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) as 45% of bookings take place on mobile devices in comparison to just 16% for suppliers

Up to 80% of last-minute bookings are made on mobile devices

Criteo’s Q4 Travel Insights Report is based on the analysis of over three billion bookings across the year from more than 1,800 travel advertisers. Individual browsing and booking data from 59 countries was assessed.