Travel and mobile internet is the perfect match; what better way to walk around the Coliseum in Rome, read about it’s history and interact with other travellers who have visited the attraction than on your mobile telephone.

Following on from yesterday’s post about the future of online travel, I do sometimes wonder why the travel industry is behind the times where technology is concerned. Let’s be honest, it’s only in the last 12 months that companies have started to come to grips with something simple as a blog.

Trip planning and mobile

Mobile has massive potential in Travel especially around trip planning. In Manchester airport en-route to Turkey, I was able to read content on Marmaris. On the Catamaran to the Greek Island of Rhodes, I download a map that helped me find ATM machines and attractions.

The downside of this is the cost

The European Union is trying to put pressure on mobile companies to reduce the cost of roaming charges and internet access. When surfing the internet on my mobile in Turkey, I was charged £10 for 4 MB’s data transfer so it is not a very cheap tool to find information on the move.

WiFi limitations

Another issue is the lack of free or cheap WiFi spots in some countries, compared to the UK where your able to get cheap or free internet access at most coffee shops, in McDonalds, and at airports and train stations. On the East coast line you can use free WiFi on board National Express trains.

Blogs leading the line in mobile technology

Surprisingly blogs like Travel Rants are leading in terms of providing mobile content within the travel industry, but companies are starting to realise its potential. Transport for London has a useful mobile travel alert service and includes downloadable maps and a journey planning tool.

The likes of Lonely Planet and Frommer’s have added content on to the iPhone and mobile portals like Orange. In August WAYN launched their mobile version of its social networking site. You can book flights on American Airlines and search for arrivals and departures using its mobile portal.

My wish list

Online booking is frustrating on a 19” monitor, so it will be some time before we start to see companies offering mobile booking. In its place, I would like to see services where I can get last minute deals sent to me by SMS, or they flash up on the mobile phone, like a desktop application.

I would like to see trip planning sites using mobile technology, and be able to communicate with travellers who have stayed in a specific hotels, or experts who can help me find local ATM’s, nearest hospitals etc. whilst I am travelling.

I would be interested to read what you like to see happen mobile technology.

• Time to say no to the extortionate cost of hotel internet access
• Five things I hate about airports
• New Apple iPhone 3G won’t improve experience for travellers
• Maybe there is a future for Mobile and Travel
• Google android powered phone could enhance mobile travel

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