Mobile phone technology is set to become the next big thing in the travel industry, and companies are being told to develop a strategy to take advantage of the astounding growth.

It has been reported that mobiles will be the most popular way of accessing the internet within the next four years, taking over from computers, and travel businesses are being urged to invest.

Fiona Hunt, Google Australia's head of industry, government, travel and tourism told a recent Sydney conference, “The future is mobile, without question. It is a huge wave. It’s so rapid that it’s almost a little scary, even for us here at Google and we have our finger on the pulse.

“You need to start thinking about mobile technology because it will be on us very quickly indeed. You need to think about how to distribute, how to market and how to covert.”

Google searches from mobiles have risen 500% in the past two years, and Ms Hunt said that because many of these searches were geographical, it is important businesses have a presence on Google Maps.

To illustrate the potential for success, Easyjet's recent online campaign yielded a conversion rate six times higher from mobiles than through laptops.

Mobile technology will also allow businesses to inform passersby of deals on offer by sending a message to their phone as they walk by their shop front.

“As you walk past a shop it will tell you about a great gift idea for your dad,” Ms Hunt said. “Or when you walk past a travel agent it will tell you of a great weekend offer they have for the Hunter Valley or about a special package at the hotel you’ve just walked past.”