Booking.com has revealed today that the number of hotel bookings made through its service on a mobile device has tripled in the last three years.
Payments made either through the company’s mobile website, or plethora of apps available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire and Windows 8 devices, have risen from $1 billion in 2011 to over $3 billion in 2012.
The growth isn’t too surprising. Consumers have flocked to smartphones and tablets over the last three years and purchases completed with a mobile device have spiked as a result.
Darren Huston, CEO of Booking.com, also revealed today that its apps for Android, iOS and Windows 8 have been downloaded more than 20 million times over the last three years. No word on Kindle Fire numbers, however.
The <3 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
“Our customers want the same, simple and seamless booking experience that we developed for the desktop on all their devices – and we’re making sure they get it,” he added. “Once they are signed into their accounts, all their credit card details, searches, favorites, and booking information will be securely accessible from the cloud.”
There’s been plenty of movement in the flight and travel booking space recently. TripAdvisor announced that it had acquired JetSetter yesterday, a company that specializes in notifying users of last-minute deals and special offers.
Meanwhile, travel activity marketplace Peek expanded its service to the East Coast of the United States earlier this week, most notably covering New York, Miami and Orlando. It’s a significant milestone for the startup, given that it was only available in San Francisco, San Diego and Hawaii before.
Booking.com is a widely recognized brand though, and the company will want to hold onto that popularity as consumer behavior continues to shift towards a mobile-first mentality.
The company’s website is currently available in 41 languages and offers over 290,000 hotels and other types of accommodation across 180 countries. That’s pretty impressive, but it’s strengthened by the addition of over 18.5 million user-submitted reviews, which help other users work out the best places to stay.
Founded in 1996, Booking.com appears to be keeping pace with new competitors entering the market. If it can continue to nurture its mobile bookings, that industry position shouldn’t change anytime soon.
Feature Image Credit – Thinkstock
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.