PhoCusWright

(Dive Travel Business News - April 25, 2011) -- Despite predictions that the demise of the travel profession is all but arrived, travel professionals are experiencing an unprecedented come-back.  With natural disasters causing flight cancellations, revolutions putting tourist destinations off limits, and airline and rental car agencies confounding travelers with increasingly complex fees, vacations are becoming increasingly difficult to plan and execute.  On top of this, the Internet generates so much information that it has managed to confuse consumers trying to plan their own vacations.

A recent article in The Washington Post touts consumers are increasingly turning to travel professionals to handle their travel needs. Travelers are on information overload when it comes to planning their own trips. A study by Forrester Research found that the number of leisure travelers who enjoyed using the Web to plan and book their vacations dropped from 53 percent in 2007 to 47 percent in 2010. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - March 29, 2011) -- "Heat from the Middle Seat: The U.S. Consumer Perspective in Air Travel" a new study released by travel industry research firm PhoCusWright,  reveals that less than half of U.S. air travelers feel positive about their airline experiences. While traveler attitudes toward airlines are lukewarm overall, consumers report feeling worse about their airline experiences versus a few years ago, PhoCusWright says. Consumer attitudes towards their air travel experiences have soured over the same period that airlines have added baggage fees and other new charges.

PhoCusWright found that 38% percent of leisure-only U.S. travelers feel slightly or substantially worse about their airline experiences compared to a few years ago, while just 13% feel slightly or substantially better. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - May 27, 2010) --According to a new study by PhoCusWright, Travel recovery has begun although most travel companies are not feeling the relief. The report, entitled "Cutting Losses, Rebuilding Confidence: Key U.S. Traveler Insights,”cites  trends that are shaping lodging, air travel and other travel components. 

According to the study, travel has taken a one-two punch: Not only did fewer people travel (-11 percent) , but those who did travel spent less (-15 percent). The report indicates recovery will be restrained. While fewer consumers plan to pull back on their travel in 2010, the percentage of those who plan to travel more has not increased. Other Trends Include:

---Quality, not quantity
Even though travelers took fewer trips in 2009 compared to 2008, the trips they took were longer; trips of four nights or longer accounted for 59 percent of all trips in 2009.

---Economy busts the boomers
Older consumers (45+) pulled back on travel earlier than younger travelers, and were less likely to travel in general. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 23, 2010) -- PhoCusWright's Social Media in Travel: Traffic & Activity is the market research firm's latest study of the travel market published in April 2010.  The study provides a detailed examination of the role of online social media in travel. The study outlines the impact of social media on major online travel categories, and the implications for travel companies that wish to tap the potential of this highly dynamic form of traveler behavior.

"We're in a really interesting period of upheaval and chaos within the interface between travel suppliers and travelers," said Douglas Quinby, senior director of research at PhoCusWright and author of that group's new study. read more »

(May 20, 2008 - Modern Agent) -- Last month PhoCusWright released the Travel Agency Distribution Landscape report, which describes agents today as a large, dynamic opportunity in the market. And that comes from an organization which has, until now, mostly focused on online travel.

PhoCusWright says that while the Internet has been a significant area of growth and central driver of change in travel distribution over the past decade, the traditional travel agency segment remains significant, compelling, and deserving of careful study and consideration. According to the report, U.S. travel agents sold $110 billion in 2006, representing 41 percent of the total $266 billion travel market. The report says agents sold $107 billion, or 38 percent of the market in 2007, and projects that agency sales will be 33 percent of the total market by 2009. Yes, that’s a drop, but the report notes specifically that the rate of share loss has slowed. read more »