Brits get spontaneous: Last-minute holiday bookings take off
Mobile devices are making Brits book more last-minute holidays, according to new research.
A survey carried out by hotel booking site lastminute.com found that more than half of the 2,000 UK people questioned used a smartphone or tablet to look up and book a hotel less than a week before their departure date, with many making bookings for the same day.
The poll also found that it is not just holidays that see users turn to their smartphone for a late booking.
Nearly a third of those surveyed said they were willing to book a hotel in order to extend a night out with friends, while 13 per cent said they always did this out of fear of missing out on a great night.
Matthew Crummack, chief executive of lastminute.com, said: "Mobile technology is having an extraordinary impact on our lives. This is only the start, but mobile is already completely changing the way we plan our leisure time - I believe more than the internet did before.
"Our latest research demonstrates the UK's phenomenally rapid immersion into the mobile world and the fun which comes with it. We see every day how more and more customers book hotels between 6pm and midnight for stays that very night, taking last-minute living to a whole new level."
Almost one-fifth of those polled said they had booked a hotel room at the last minute if they felt a date was going well, while 23 per cent had booked a hotel in their own town in order to get some "me time".
Travel apps are hugely popular across both the iOS and Android smartphone platforms, and the ability to book hotels and travel in just a few taps of a phone's screen has increased the amount of mobile booking that takes place.
A 2013 survey showed that seven in 10 Britons owned a smartphone, and experts predict that mobile devices will continue to dominate - with the "internet of things" - the idea that the appliances in our home will connect together - becoming a growing trend.
Samsung UK president Andy Griffiths has spoken of the technology giant's thoughts on the subject, saying: "There has been a huge change in the way the connected world is established, and so, to take that forward 10 years, it's interesting to note that the main trend, we believe, by then will be the connected home."
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