Are U.S. Travelers Embracing Chat & Messaging?

Globally, the growth of chat and messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger, WeChat, iMessage and WhatsApp has been staggering over the last few years. As of October 2016, there were more global users of chat apps than of social networks^[1], and there are expected to be 3.6 billion users by 2018^[2].

This growth has brought a shift in how chat environments are defined. No longer just for transmitting short bits of text, chat and messaging apps are maturing into vibrant communication platforms capable of exchanging rich media, conducting commerce and hosting artificial intelligence-powered bots. And they are setting their sights higher: Most messaging platforms are now moving toward becoming self-contained operating systems, serving "mini-apps" within their own app.

Are U.S. consumers embracing chat and messaging for travel? Phocuswright's How U.S. Travelers Use Chat and Messaging analyzes:

• Top chat and messaging apps used by travelers
• Frequency of use
• Demographics
• Use cases across planning, booking, in-destination and customer service
• What's next for chat and messaging

As the snapshot below shows, use of messaging apps is indeed increasing among travelers overall. But the numbers vary greatly across demographics, specific apps and use cases.

(Click image to view a larger version.)

Learn who is using chat and messaging and what they are using it for. Gain a deeper understanding of where this important communication medium is headed, including chatbots, artificial intelligence and chat OS environments. Move your brand ahead of the curve with the data and analysis in this new Phocuswright report, How U.S. Travelers Use Chat and Messaging.

Do you subscribe to Phocuswright research? Innovation Edition subscribers can dig deeper into these insights and more with access the entire technology series, The U.S. Traveler Technology Survey Seventh Edition.

Not an Innovation Edition subscriber? You have a few options:

1. Gain access to Phocuswright's How U.S. Travelers Use Chat and Messaging report by purchasing here (US$495)
2. Purchase the entire U.S. Traveler Technology Survey series – comprised of six individual reports including How U.S. Travelers Use Chat and Messaging – here ($995)
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^[1]   Source: Business Insider
^[2]   Source: Activate