This blog is an extract from our eBook 'Travel Trends Report 2019' written by Franziska Wernet. You can get your free copy here.
For a more direct way to speak to your customers, messaging apps are becoming the
fastest and most convenient way to connect and enhance their travel experience.
The Top 4 Messaging Apps
According to Business Insider, the average smartphone owner uses 27 apps on their
phone per month and the top four messaging apps (Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat
and Viber) have more monthly active users than the top four social networking apps
(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Google+).
Statista confirms this claim, stating that there are almost 4 billion users between WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat. This makes it the ideal method for tour & activity operators to communicate with their customers in real-time.
“53% of people are more likely to shop with a
business they can message directly.”
Facebook, November 2017
Messaging apps are already growing in their popularity and reliability in the tourism
industry. In our 2018 Tourism Survey, we asked participants which messaging apps
they use to communicate with their customers. 57.17% said that they use WhatsApp,18.16% are using Messenger and 1.15% use WeChat.
WeChat - China's no. 1 mobile app
The Chinese messaging app WeChat has evolved massively in recent years to become China’s number one mobile app and social media platform, with over 1 billion monthly active users. Starting as a simple chat platform like Whatsapp, today it combines social sharing, marketing, services (including travel services), and mobile payments.
According to Dragon Trail, 50% of WeChat users spent 90 minutes or more every day on the platform, so contacting them directly through the app is the perfect marketing tool.
Related article: 3 ways to use messaging apps to get more bookings
Read all the 2019 travel trends & consumer insight here:
