Travellers will spend more money at airport if the experience is right

Happy travellers are more likely to spend their hard-earned money at the airport, according to new research from Collinson. That’s good news for airports in the UAE, where 75 per cent of 500 travellers surveyed for this year’s “Airport Journey” report said they enjoy the airport experience.

Collinson’s research reveals that airport satisfaction does matter to a great extent. Nearly nine in 10 travellers (88 per cent) who routinely spend over $200 at the airport say the airport experience is an enjoyable part of the journey.

On the other hand, the least satisfied travellers are also the ones who spend less than $28, amongst whom only 40 per cent say they enjoy the airport experience.  Mignon Buckingham, corporate strategy officer, Collinson, said: “We’re passionate about understanding what makes travellers tick, so we can support our partners in their efforts to enhance and innovate the airport experience for every traveller around the globe.

It may seem unsurprising that happy customers spend more, but the devil is in the detail. The airport experience is fragmented and relies on an ecosystem of players, including airlines, airport authorities, security and operational service providers, merchants, duty-free, retailers, bars and restaurants”.