Online outclasses travel agencies. Thursday, 11th March 2010 Source : Roland Wildberg at ITB Berlin 2010 - Exclusive

German tourists do use the web more than ever today: “The figures clearly prove that internet for the travel market is essential ”, Peter Aderhold from renowned German association of internet travel marketers VIR (Verband Internet Reisevertrieb) refers on ITB 2010 in Berlin.

For five years now V.I.R monitors German tourists web habits. What started with a petty meeting in one of the smallest lounges at Berlin convention centre, now is a busy event with about 50 people in the audience. That draws a direct link to the  rapidly growing importance online world does have for the tourism industry.

Especially in Germany and the Western world, with those countries are heading the rest of the travelling community. Revenues of the tourism online industry in Germany have been growing from 9,5 billion euros in 2005 to 23,3 billion euros in 2009 – a market share of more than 43 percent of the whole German travel industry revenues.

In 2010 experts believe the online market to reach half of the business’ revenues. “Internet is a bunch of ideas, chances and possibilities, for us to attract people’s attention and make them feel their wanderlust”, V.I.R. member Michael Buller adds.

To make the best of it, V.I.R. promises to do their share in helping the Internet become safer and more user friendly. This can be taken for granted, as V.I.R. is a lobby formed by eight of the biggest players in German and international e-booking agencies such as lastminute.de, expedia.de and opodo.de. Nearly 70 percent of German population (age of 14 and more) today is regularly using the web. 

The biggest increase is found within people with higher income. From the online users, 53 percent already used the internet for travel booking. Generally half of the population did search for valuable information about tourism topics already. The absolute share of travel booking web surfers increased from 15 percent in 2005 to 29 percent in 2010 (survey made in January). Using the web barely for travel information shows similar growth: From 33 percent in 2005 to currently 51 percent.

Among the online booking people, 31 percent organized their accommodation (in 2006 there were 29), 23 percent buy their flight (19), 21 percent book an admission ticket (19), 19 percent order a package tour (17), 13 percent book a ticket for transport (11) and 9 percent rent a car (8).

Focusing on the tourism information search activities, there is a remarkable decline in looking at destination info from 80 to 73 percent.

Together with a decline in looking for accommodation, this perhaps can be explained in the general economic downturn.

Among the share of people who have been doing research about tourism products in the internet, 13 percent already consult social networks, further 26 percent can imagine to do so in future.

15 percent already visits video sites for travel information, 13 percent does so on photo sites. At least nearly one third of German population is planning to book their 2010 holidays via web.

While women tend to book up to three months in advance (32 percent females in comparison to 25,7 percent males), men prefer last minute bookings (10 percent males in comparison to 6 percent females).

Concerning the actual booking action, travel agencies already have been outdistanced by the internet: Regardless if the booking happens two days or two weeks before the vacation up to 50 percent like to book with their mouse but only 24 (two days) to 38 (two weeks) percent prefer to sit next to a counter.

And according to V.I.R., this is only going to increase.