As travel planning shifts to mobile, consumers expect to find relevant information faster than ever before. Today, having a fast, easy-to-use mobile experience is critical. And the marketers who provide the best travel websites and apps are more likely to drive bookings and create long-term value.

"Mobile has fundamentally changed how [people] travel. When we started seeing big changes in mobile behavior, and seeing a lot more people using their mobile at the start of the journey, we had to rethink as a business how we wanted to address those customer needs. Our target customer is really anyone with a travel intent."

Travelers face a dizzying number of decisions in the process of planning a trip. Increasingly people are turning to their smartphones for immediate answers to their travel questions. Lisa Gevelber, Google’s VP of marketing, shares how travel marketers can keep up with these new mobile behaviors.

Google partneres with Phocuswright, a leading independent travel research company, to understand consumer attitudes towards travel planning, decision making, and booking. We surveyed adults who planned at least one vacation in the last year including a flight or accommodation. The research revealed key micro-moments that brands can capitalize on in the decision-making process.

Inbound marketing focuses on earning, not buying, a person's attention, which is done through social media and engaging content, such as blogs, podcasts and white papers. This content is interesting, informative and adds value, creating a positive connection in the eyes of the consumer, thus making him more likely to engage your brand and buy the product. So it costs less and has better a ROI.

Direct Booking is more competitive between Hotel Brand websites and mobile (25% share) and Online Travel Agencies (Expedia, Booking.com, TripAdvisor.com — 20% share)” – USDM, DIGITAL CONSULTING BUSINESS INSIGHT MEASURED IMPACT

Thanks to mobile, a traveler's decision making process includes more and more micro-moments—when people turn to a device with intent to answer an immediate need. In fact, 40% of the visits to U.S. travel sites now come from mobile devices.

Mobile has changed the way people book travel. Part four of this six-part series on travel micro-moments dives into the let's-book-it moments that happen after travelers have done their research—and how travel marketers can capitalize on these key conversion moments.

As a tour operator or activity provider, you notice travel trends every day. Maybe you’re welcoming more young travellers, British tourists, or foodies on your tours at the moment. However, it’s also beneficial to be prepared for upcoming travel trends. Here are the 2016 travel and tourism trends worth knowing about, as well as how to adapt your tours or activities to take advantage of them.