68 per cent of smartphone owners use their device when travelling or planning to travel, according to the latest eCustomerServiceIndex results from eDigitalResearch and IMRG. 53 per cent of UK consumers, meanwhile, avoid in-store travel agents when researching and booking their holidays.

30 per cent of smartphone owners have used their handset to browse for holidays or travel tickets, whilst another 11 per cent have completed a travel purchase from their device.

“The travel industry has faced some turbulent times in recent years. A good multichannel strategy will be key for companies looking to grow in 2012, especially as our survey showed that 10 per cent of consumers will use their smartphones more when booking and browsing for their next holiday,” says

Derek Eccleston, head of Research at eDigitalResearch. “Our research has consistently shown that consumers expect a seamless experience no matter how they shop and browse, and therefore travel brands need to make sure that they offer the same features and functionality across all their booking channels”.

The survey also found that, when browsing for hotels, travel tickets, or holidays, 70 per cent of smartphone owners prefer to use a mobile-optimised site rather than an app – yet, when searching for information such as maps, timetables and weather forecasts, 70 per cent prefer to use a mobile app.