Publication Summary

Given the dramatic shift from offline to online booking channels over the past 15 years, the abundance of forecasts anticipating the end of the traditional travel agent comes as no surprise. Still, one third of all travel in 2011 was booked through travel agencies – a sizable chunk of the market. Analysis of typical travel agent customers reveals an attractive demographic of older, higher-spending travelers who desire personal service. This article takes a look at who travel agent customers are, why they use travel agents, and how their travel behavior differs from that of the general U.S. traveler.

Also available:

• Travel Agents and Ancillaries: The Game Is On ($350)
• The Once and Future Agent: PhoCusWright's Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013 ($1,100)

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Table of Contents

7 Pages

Terms and Methodology

Oldies but Goodies

A Little Help, Please!

I'll Take an Upgrade With That

Hey, Big Spender

Methodology

The data presented in this analysis is derived from PhoCusWright's forthcoming report, The Once and Future Agent: PhoCusWright's Travel Agent Distribution Landscape 2009-2013. This study includes a survey of more than 1,200 U.S. travel agents and was fielded
in partnership with Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC), the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and
Travalliance, publishers of TravelPulse Daily and Vacation Agent and Agent@Home magazines. This study also includes analysis of transaction and sales data from the ARC COMPASS® data warehouse provided to
PhoCusWright by ARC for this study.