Spike in Caribbean people booking travel on mobile phones

Expedia says it has seen more people making mobile bookings in almost all of its markets in the first two quarters of 2015.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Friday September 4, 2015 – New data released by one of the world’s leading travel companies shows a significant increase in people in the Caribbean market making bookings for hotels, flights and other travel plans using their mobile devices.

The Expedia group says growth has been more than 55 per cent for the first half of the year, when compared for the same period in 2014, with the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Jamaica among the major markets seeing a spike.

Mobile bookings allow travelers to make travel bookings on the go, and Expedia says it has seen more people going that route in almost all of its markets in the first two quarters of 2015.

“Today’s technology has revolutionized the way we do business,” said Demetrius Canton, Director of Lodging Partner Services for the Caribbean with the Expedia group.

“Expedia group’s cutting-edge mobile applications allow travelers to plan their trips and book in a convenient, flexible way. Expedia group consistently provides expert advice to valued partners on how to take advantage of our various platforms and participate in exclusive mobile promotions, flash sales and more, creating opportunities for both the consumer and the hotelier.”

Executive Revenue Manager for Royal Resorts, Jonathan Valdez, has experienced the benefits of these technology innovations first-hand.

He says the resort’s relationship with Expedia has resulted in double-digit growth over the past three years.

Hotel partners such as Bahia Principe Hotels in the Dominican Republic have also experienced significant results utilizing Expedia group’s mobile platforms. The brand has generated nearly 120 per cent growth in mobile bookings during the first half of the year when compared to the same period in 2014.

“Today’s technology is advancing rapidly and we must adapt to these new trends. We can now manage a tremendous number of our daily life activities through the use of mobile devices, and planning a vacation is no exception,” said Ana Medina, Ecommerce Manager for the Americas at Bahia Principe Hotel Resorts.

“Our business strategy has been tailored to capture this audience through dynamic actions, and as a result we have obtained significant growth in the first two quarters of the year, which in part is due to our partnership with Expedia.”

The Expedia group provides hotel partners with access to travelers worldwide through more than 150 websites in more than 70 countries as well as a myriad of mobile sites and apps from brands such as Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Egencia, Travelocity and Venere.

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