Travelers cling firmly to their mobile devices

Mobile devices have become an essential tool for many tourists, and especially for Chinese people and are now indispensable in the whole travel process, with people relying on them for bookings, finding travel information and sharing experiences, tourism industry insiders said.

"As many as 87 percent of Chinese respondents selected the smartphone as the first must-have during a trip," said Zhu Ming, vice-president of strategic partnerships and account management at Tripadvisor China. "In China, it has become an irresistible trend that the availability of tourism products and services on mobile devices must be taken into account throughout the entire tourism service chain."

Zhu, who spoke during the first session of the Shanghai World Travel Fair, which opened on Thursday, said travelers were relying on their phones at every stage of their travel experience.