WI-FI In Demand, But Only If It’s The Right Price

 

The amount of business-class passengers using WI-FI in hotels has soared, but has been matched by resentment at having to pay for it.

 

2000 business travellers were interviewed online, with results finding that WI-FI use in hotels has leapt from 56% to 73% during the past 12 months.

 

Market research agency BDRC Continental conducted the British Hotel Guest Survey, and found that although advances in WI-FI technology had seen a huge jump in demand, it had also had the effect of making business passengers less willing to pay for the service, as they saw it as costing the provider little.

 

Tim Sander, research director at BDRC Continental, said: ‘Every year we have seen usage of Wi-Fi increase amongst both business and leisure travellers,’

 

‘But in the last 12 months the proportion of business travellers has jumped from 56% to 73%.’

 

‘This, in itself, is not surprising given how technology has improved, but what was interesting this year is that business travellers are starting to resist what they clearly consider to be excessive charges.’

 

The point at which customers were asked to pay for the service was where they logged off, according to the poll.

 

40% stated they probably or definitely would be prepared to pay £5 for a Wi-Fi connection, while 39% said they probably or definitely would not.

 

When the price was increased to £15, however, 79% said they would not be willing to pay, compared with 9% who would.

 

The survey found that 49% of business travellers would be ‘very likely’ to swap their first choice of hotel brand for one that offered free Wi-Fi, given the chance.

 
Also revealed was a rising tendency for one-stop online shopping, with 37% of travellers stating they prefer to buy things such as train travel and holiday car hire on the same hotel portal; an increase of 6 percentage points compared to last year.

The poll should make interesting reading for tour operators, travel agents and hotel providers!