Tickets purchased via mobile and wearable devices will exceed 14 billion by 2018, accounting for 54% of total digital ticket sales across transport and events sectors.
This is according to a Juniper Research study titled Digital Ticketing: Juniper's Vision for 2020.
The report estimates that the total number of ticket payment transactions made via mobile devices will exceed those conducted via personal computers for the first time in 2017, driven by metro and air ticket purchases. Quick response and contactless ticketing technologies, adds Juniper, will dominate mobile payment platforms by 2020.
"Globally, metro, bus and airline app ticketing is the most established in terms of deployment and user adoption, followed by events ticketing. By 2020, the number of digital ticketing users across all platforms will exceed 1.8 billion, with mobile near-field communication accounting for 215 million unique users," notes the report.
One of SA's largest electronic ticketing provider, Ticket Pro, says the global findings reflect local numbers of tickets bought via mobile.
Brandon Duffield, MD of Ticket Pro, explains: "Approximately 65% our event tickets are bought via mobile devices. Mobile phone purchases are the leader in volume sales, as desktop sales decline. However it all depends on the event type, as some events see almost 90% bought in our retail stores."
These numbers, explains Duffield, can be attributed to the convenience and speed brought by mobile, which enables things to get done quicker remotely. However, he adds that the US market is still far ahead.
"In the USA, 75% of tickets are bought on a mobile phone or app on the phone. The US has stopped most events been sold or printed on a physical ticket," notes Duffield.
However SA-based online travel booking site, Travelstart says their research indicates a lower number of fligh tickets purchased via mobile phones by tourists.
"According to information supplied by our business intelligence and product and software development teams, the number of flight tickets purchased via mobile between January and October 2017 ranges from 17% to 21%. Although using mobile devices provides much convenience, majority of travellers in SA are not yet comfortable using a mobile device to make big-ticket purchases," explains Travelstart.
Juniper further found that with the increased integration of chatbots, ticketing providers can offer a wealth of services directly to consumers via their dedicated app. "Whilst the potential opportunities for consumers are clear, the use of chatbots also aids ticketing providers, providing insight into user preferences and demands," explains research author Nitin Bhas.
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