As the coronavirus continues to send tremors through the business and travel sectors globally, new data has shown a major drop in downloads, bookings and revenue on travel apps following the outbreak.
This week, Qantas airline has revealed the impact of the coronavirus, costing the company as much as $99m, as the outbreak dampens demand for travel in Asia.
New data from mobile attribution specialist AppsFlyer reveals that other airlines may also face the impact of the coronavirus, as global mobile travel app usage and revenue declines.
The data reveals that the outbreak is causing significant drops in downloads, bookings and revenue across travel apps in China in particular. AppsFlyer analysed 40 million app installs, comparing mobile activity from a pre-coronavirus period to during the outbreak (1-20 Jan vs 21 Jan-9 Feb).
Key findings include:
- A 20% drop in the number of travel apps installed on devices globally, with an 18% drop in EMEA and a 25% drop in APAC
- Hong Kong saw the biggest impact in APAC, with a 43% drop in bookings and a 48% drop in revenue across travel apps
- A 22% drop in bookings on travel apps across APAC, with bookings also down 9% in EMEA and 13% globally
While the impact of the virus is largest across APAC, the data indicates that hotel and flight apps globally are being affected, with a 21% drop in revenue and a 20% drop in downloads globally, including an 18% drop in downloads in EMEA and a 25% drop in APAC.
There has also been a major drop in bookings on travel apps, with a 13% drop in booking globally, including a 22% drop across APAC and a 9% decline in EMEA.
Meanwhile, as people look for human connection, there has been a surge in downloads and usage of entertainment apps following the outbreak, including a 62% increase in entertainment app activity and a 56% increase in casino gaming app activity in China.
Mobile attribution specialist AppsFlyer analysed 40 million app installs, comparing mobile activity from a pre-coronavirus period to during the outbreak (1-20 Jan vs 21 Jan-9 Feb).
Regional breakdown of the decline in bookings, revenue and installs:
APAC break down of the decline in bookings and revenue
