BUYING TRAVEL ONLINE

TRAVEL products, including flights and hotels, are the most popular purchases for Australian consumers online, according to insights captured by the Sensis ebusiness Report. The recently released report is based on the responses of 1,000 small and medium businesses and 800 Australian consumers who were quizzed on their experiences with technology and the way they have adopted it into their lives. Sixty-two percent of Aussies said they had bought airline tickets online this year, up from 51% last year while hotel reservations also remained one of the most in-demand internet transactions, sitting at 53% in 2016, rising 5% from 48% in 2015. Airbnb reservations also registered as a prevalent online transaction with 15% of consumers using the disruptive accommodation rental site to secure themselves a place to stay. Overall, more than seven in 10 Australians participated in online shopping this year, jumping 10 percentage points from last year. These consumers reported that their average spend over the twelve month period was just over $3,300. Twenty-three percent of these purchases were reported to come from overseas businesses rising on the reported 21% in 2015. The survey also found that people in regional areas are much less likely to have made online purchases. Despite the continued rise in e-purchases, Aussies admitted that they were not completely at ease about online transactions. Eightyfive percent said they worried about their private information being stolen or misused and the same number said they held concerns about their credit card details being nabbed. Sensis commercial director Rob Tolliday said that from a business perspective e-commerce is constantly becoming an increasingly important avenue for purchases, especially in the travel sphere. “Fewer shops have a physical store front and those that do have to battle with major overseas retailers who have landed in the key shopping strips,” he said.