Consumers worldwide will purchase about 23 billion transport and events tickets using mobile handsets by 2020, according to a new report from Juniper Research. That figure is more than two times the volume expected this year, according to a press release about the report. 

Juniper said with a number of transport agencies enhancing app capabilities and integrating payment services such as Apple Pay, the past 12 months have witnessed an increase in mobile ticketing users using apps for payments, as well as ticket delivery and validation.

The research, Mobile & Online Ticketing: Deep Dive Strategy & Competition 2016-2020, found that on a global basis, airline app ticketing is the most established in terms of deployment and user adoption, followed by events ticketing. In 2015, Juniper found that the airline industry saw the highest year-over-year growth representing a 50 percent increase in app-based ticketing users. Juniper noted data from SITA that showed mobile is becoming the favored platform amongst passengers with bookings made using an app expected to grow nearly 40 percent in 2016.

"While app-based ticketing user adoption continues to be strong across a range of ticketing markets, sales volume growth will be driven by low-value metro and bus ticket purchases, most notably in the U.S. market," Nitin Bhas, research author, said in a statement.

Bhas argued in the research that ticketing apps need to incorporate additional services such as location-based services and content to delivery a better experience. He also noted that transit agencies are turning to beacons to help validate mobile tickets.