Although US online leisure/unmanaged business travel market growth continues to outpace the total travel market, the days of lightning-fast online growth are gone for good.
The share of U.S. travel booked online (i.e., online leisure/unmanaged business travel as a share of the total market) will increase to 40% by 2013, growing just one percentage point over five years.
Yet despite the slowing overall growth trend, online penetration continues to vary significantly by segment.
Only two segments were expected to book half or more of their sales online in 2011: air (50%) and rail (54%). At the other end of the spectrum, online bookings were projected to comprise only 11% of cruise and 5% of traditional vacation packages. Both segments rely heavily on traditional travel agencies for distribution.
With the U.S. online market at a stage of maturity, in the short term, rail and hotel and lodging are the only segments expected to gain significant share in online penetration. By 2013, 56% of Amtrak's tickets will be booked on Amtrak.com, and one-third of hotel and lodging will be booked online, up from 29% in 2009.
PhoCusWright's U.S. Online Travel Overview Eleventh Edition is a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. travel industry, providing market sizing and growth forecasts for the total travel market and all major distribution channels through 2013. The report also provides in-depth analysis of the U.S. online leisure/unmanaged business travel marketplace, highlighting marketing and distribution trends for all travel segments including air, hotel, car rental, vacation packaging, rail and cruise.
It tracks distribution shifts among supplier websites and online travel agencies, as well as major offline channels. The report analyzes trends in market share, technological innovation and consumer behavior to provide a detailed overview of travel distribution in the U.S.
Topics include:
- Size of the U.S. total and online travel markets
- Market forecasts through 2013
- Distribution patterns by segment and channel
- In-depth analysis of air, hotel, car rental, vacation packaging, rail and cruise segments
- Consumer and technology trends influencing travel marketing and distribution
- Impact of macroeconomic changes
PhoCusWright has followed the evolution of online travel purchasing from its inception. PhoCusWright's U.S. Online Travel Overview Eleventh Edition – a Global Edition publication – is the industry standard for sizing and forecasting, providing deep, actionable insights into the U.S. travel market.
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