eMarketer’s latest report looked at the travel industry and how mobile travelers utilize their devices. Not only are travel sites making travelers’ lives easier by creating mobile-optimized sites, they are also using some of their revenue to build and deploy mobile applications.

Given the mobile explosion, consumers do everything on the go. Making, discussing, researching, and sharing travel plans is no exception. Mobile has revolutionized the travel industry and travel experience forever. It has already enabled travelers to check-in to flights, use their devices as boarding passes, find restaurants and shopping, get directions and more.

eMarketer predicts nearly 25 million US mobile users will research travel destinations and information, while 12 million will actually book reservations this year. The transformation of travel will spill into 2012:

• 18% of smartphone owners and 16% of mobile internet users will book their travel via devices
• 34% of smartphone owners and 31% of mobile internet users will research travel via devices

What is this data really saying? Smartphones are affording opportunities we never thought possible, for consumers, as well as forward-thinking companies.