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InPhocus, Episode 4 - A jolt to make us all think
April 2020In this episode of InPhocus, Kevin May interviews Yeoh Siew Hoon, founder of WebInTravel, to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on both her country and the industry, plus how its arrival as mass global event is giving brands and the industry's millions of workers the opportunity to consider how they might emerge in better shape.
Before 2020, growth slowed but was continuing
April 2020In 2019, gross bookings increased marginally to $398 billion, up just 2% compared to a 6% gain in 2018. Before the current pandemic, moderate travel growth was expected to continue through 2023, with annual increases in the 3-4% range.
InPhocus, Episode 3 - Living with the virus, thinking about a reset for tourism
March 2020PhocusWire spoke to Doug Lansky, a Sweden-based destination management expert, believes destinations have an opportunity at the moment to massively rethink how they use technology and tourism modeling to better understand how to manage their cities and attractions once the pandemic is over and some semblance of order resumes. After learning that he'd contracted the coronavirus, we asked if he could...
Would you use Amazon over your current preferred booking method?
March 2020More than two in five online travelers in the U.S. and France, and about one third in the U.K., Germany and Japan indicated that they would be likely to book travel on Amazon over their current preferred method, if Amazon were to offer travel booking services.
InPhocus, Episode 2 - In the midst of a crisis we can rethink the rules
March 2020Our guest for the latest episode of InPhocus: Florence, Italy-based Giancarlo Carniani, manager three properties in the city and president of Confindustria Alberghi Firenze, the region’s hotel association. This podcast interview was inspired by the PhocusWire interview by Mitra Sorrells.
You might like these resources
March 2020We're here to help you through this challenging period with analyst expertise, PhocusWire resources and the Phocuswright community of partners, brands and contributors. It's important to keep up-to-date on all of the news impacting the industry, so we’ve put together all of the resources we have.
InPhocus, Episode 1 - Coronavirus came from nowhere and turned 2020 on its head
March 2020InPhocus is a brand new show from PhocusWire and Phocuswright - where the media and research divisions of our family unite for a regular dissection of the news, issues and trends in travel, tourism, hospitality and technology.
Most notable developments impacting the accommodations segment
March 2020Though there has always been tension between hotels and intermediaries, there are clear signs that the conflict is subsiding. Hotels now have the tools necessary to make OTA partnerships work to their benefit and are focused on ensuring that OTA sales are incremental, rather than coming from their loyalty members. Online will continue to grow for both direct and indirect bookings; it’s just a matter...
Online channel split varies widely depending on the segment
March 2020Online travel agencies have faced their share of hurdles across the globe but remain resilient in the U.S. market.
The future of OTAs: 5 key developments
February 2020Though OTA growth will slow amid a more complex set of competitive threats, U.S. OTAs will continue to grow their top line in 2020. Recent Phocuswright research shines the spotlight on the 5 key developments that have major implications for the future of the OTA marketplace.
Lines blur between traditional and mobility business models
February 2020It remains to be seen if the cross-pollination of car rental products and mobility services creates clear winners and losers, or if more consumer choices create a larger car rental marketplace. Car rental executives believe that demand outweighs current capacity, creating room for growth for any supplier that can demonstrate strong fleet management, operational efficiency and analytics-driven...
Consumer demand is shaping the experiences market
February 2020Consumer demand is surging ahead of supplier readiness, but activities and experiences providers are adapting to shifting behaviors and investing in digital tech to advance travel’s third-largest segment.
European travel market advances, thanks to online, mobile and leading suppliers
February 2020Led by Europe’s two largest markets – the U.K. and Germany – online bookings grew at approximately three times the rate of the overall market in 2019.
Hotel revenue management opportunities in a dynamic and challenging landscape
January 2020The field of revenue management has since evolved to support an array of strategic decisions made by hotels, management companies, and travel intermediaries aimed at optimizing profit and enhancing the overall value of the physical asset. As a result, the role of revenue managers has expanded.
Destination and vacation decision making, planning and timing
January 2020The majority of travelers in seven markets explored by Phocuswright analysts actively research destinations and possible vacations at least several times a year. In markets outside of China, one in five travelers research at least monthly.
European OTAs invest heavily in mobile sites and apps
January 2020In 2019, OTA mobile bookings for the European market climbed 11%, while OTA desktop bookings actually fell 1%, following a flat year in 2018.
A milestone for online bookings in Europe
January 2020By 2021, Europe will surpass the U.S. to have the highest online penetration of any other region.
Will biometric adoption surpass voice?
January 2020Biometrics is actually more of a reality for travelers than many people may realize. As biometric technology rolls out, businesses must proceed with caution and be mindful of both legal constraints and consumer sentiment and concerns.
A tourism model under siege in Spain
December 2019The Spanish travel industry has celebrated several years of strong inbound visitation and a healthy domestic market. However, while tourism forecasts for 2019 remained positive in the first half of the year, second-half performance is projected to decline due to the Thomas Cook collapse, the Brexit delay and violent protests in Catalonia.
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Travel industry not there yet when it comes to gender equity
December 2019488 men and women in travel technology participated in this essential survey, Phocuswright's second detailed look at gender equity. The results uncover how companies within the travel technology ecosystem stack up when it comes to promoting women's leadership.
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4 key developments shaping the German online travel market
December 2019Germany is well positioned to remain Europe's largest travel market. Although revenue dipped slightly in 2018, travel gross bookings are expected to rebound this year.
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Recovery continues in French travel market
December 2019Following several challenging years, recovery continues in the French travel market. The French travel market is projected to grow modestly in the medium term, climbing from €47.0 billion in 2019 to €49.9 billion by 2023.
Mega investments in travel
November 2019Funding to travel startups increased 55% year-over-year to $5.7 billion in 2018 . The investors participating in the biggest funding rounds often overlap, as potentially highly lucrative deals are coveted and exclusive to a select few.
Public OTA gross bookings growth rates slowed in 1H19
November 2019Across all regions, public online travel agency (OTA) gross bookings growth rates slowed in the first half of 2019 (1H19). Collective gross bookings of publicly reported online companies rose just 11% year over year (YoY) in 1H19, compared to 21% in 1H18.
Adoption and developments in voice use in travel
October 2019As voice-enabled features become more pervasive, consumers continue to be more comfortable using voice to book travel, with 37% of U.S. consumers saying they would be comfortable doing so.
Total U.K. travel market projected to grow 1.7% by end of 2019
October 2019The total U.K. travel market is projected to grow 1.7% in 2019, bringing travel gross bookings to £50.8 billion. Bookings are expected to grow at a similar rate annually through 2023. However, given the U.K.'s significant reliance on global travel suppliers and intermediaries, negotiations with the EU represent a wild card that could further impact travel market performance.
The race for platform dominance
October 2019In 2011, Marc Andreessen, co-author of the first widely used web browser (since turned venture capitalist) famously proclaimed that "software is eating the world," observing that global economies were shifting from being hardware-based to software-based. Fast forward just a few years, and this saying already requires an update: Platforms are eating the world. Platform companies have come to command,...
Total immersion in travel planning
October 2019The transition to an immersive web will not happen overnight, but the progress so far makes it clear that it is coming. A clear roadmap exists, and the changes that need to take place are already underway. As supporting technologies continue to evolve, travel companies should continue experimenting with XR functionality and begin to devise a long-term strategy for incorporating immersive...
The definitive report on the state of travel startups
October 2019Phocuswright has tracked the digital travel startup landscape for over a decade. During this time, the digital travel ecosystem has undergone tremendous transformation. Travel startups continue to raise funding, challenge the status quo and lead the wave of disruption globally. This article previews the key findings from our latest travel research report, The State of Travel Startups 2019.
The evolution of air distribution
September 2019Phocuswright's latest travel research, Evolution of Air Distribution, is a comprehensive four-part series analyzing the complex dynamics of the air distribution sector. This includes History and Background, Industry Segment Perspectives, New Distribution and Retailing Models and Challenges and Future Insights.
Personalization: work of genius or an unwanted affront to personal privacy
September 2019For laser-targeted, highly personalized marketing campaigns, a fine line of demarcation exists between being considered a work of genius or an unwanted affront to personal privacy. That line is independently drawn by each individual, and not controlled by the marketer.
Segments benefit from shift in travel trends
September 2019Although a smaller share of Americans traveled for leisure in 2018 compared to the previous year, some travel segments clearly benefited from a shift in travel trends.
How China became the world’s 2nd-largest OTA market
September 2019At $44.7 billion, China had the world's second-biggest OTA market in 2018, compared to the U.S. at $77.1 billion, and its 27% growth over 2017 was more than four times that of the U.S. Overall gains in travel spend are a major driver of this impressive expansion, but OTAs are also aggressively and successfully pursuing both new travelers and a greater wallet share among more experienced travelers.
Winning combo contributes to growth in Middle East travel market
August 2019According to Phocuswright’s latest travel research report, Middle East Online Travel Overview 2019, a winning combination of government investment, positive economic change and consumer affluence is leading the Middle East travel market into a period of strong growth.
Global online bookings growing 2x as fast as overall market
August 2019The global travel industry performed better than most other economic sectors in 2018, beating GDP gains in most markets. According to Phocuswright’s latest travel research report, Global Online Travel Overview 2019, total travel bookings increased a projected 7.3% to US$1.4 trillion. Critical to global travel companies, online travel bookings are growing twice as fast as the overall market.
Travel remains an important spending priority for Americans
August 2019Each year, the U.S. leisure travel population fluctuates due to economic conditions as well as personal factors. A strong economy usually correlates with growth, while a weak economy can spur a decline, as some Americans opt to forego leisure travel altogether. 2018 bucked the trends. According to Phocuswright’s recent travel research report series, U.S. Consumer Travel 2019, not as many Americans...
Why Amazon's Flight Launch in India Doesn't Mean That Amazon Is the Next Big Global OTA
August 2019Amazon launched flights in India in May 2019. Big news? Definitely. Amazon's reentry into travel was much anticipated after its ill-fated effort to build a hotel business in 2014. According to Phocuswright’s latest report Why Amazon’s Flight Launch in India Doesn’t Mean That Amazon Is the Next Big Global OTA, the mere size of the global travel market, $1.5 trillion in 2019, is too big to ignore....
Destination decision: new vs. repeat destination
July 2019Increasingly, travelers operate in an ongoing travel inspiration stage. For travel companies and destinations, more opportunities than ever before are available to engage customers with content. More opportunities are accessible to discover new destinations for consideration. Travelers who seek to visit a new destination will prioritize the places that they have always dreamt of seeing, ticking...
ONE Order: changes we can expect
July 2019ONE Order is likely to revolutionize airlines' commercial operations and the broader supporting industry - but slowly. It will allow the industry to move away from a proprietary, technology-dependent model that still uses digitized paper-based processes, to one where airlines and their partners interact in real-time to deliver a customer-centric experience.
Brexit, dead ahead?
July 2019One of Europe's most influential online travel markets is set to leave the European Union. How will the U.K. go it alone, and which markets and major players will feel the brunt of Brexit? A group of experts came together at Phocuswright Europe 2019 to discuss new borders and old partnerships, fresh challenges and smart solutions, as well as practical ways to maneuver around the...
Research highlights: mid-year wrap up
July 2019We're halfway through 2019 and the global Phocuswright analyst team continues to produce reports at an unprecedented rate. It's a perfect time to highlight the trends and data that shape our research and reflect the ever-evolving dynamics of online travel. This is what's defining the global travel market in 2019.
Destination selection trends in 7 major travel markets
July 2019Travelers from these markets only take a few leisure trips a year, but travel is rarely far from their minds. Mobile devices mean that information is always at their fingertips, and travelers are eating it up. Destinations and travel marketers need to consistently entice travelers to remain top of mind.
How Chinese travelers choose where to go
June 2019Though there are several shared themes across markets in the destination-decision process, different travel markets will always have particularities. However, no market stands out as strongly from the herd as Chinese travelers. According to Phocuswright’s latest research on how travelers choose where to go, how Chinese travelers view themselves, how they research destinations, what influences them,...
Value proposition: Money matters in destination selection
June 2019Travelers carefully consider many destination attributes during their decision-making process. Whether gathering information about available activities, lodging options, cost, weather, culture, customs and more, travelers contemplate many components when assessing if a place will align with personal desires and requirements.
APAC: Big and getting bigger
June 2019Asia Pacific (APAC) is the world's largest regional travel market. With rapid infrastructure development across airports, seaports, railroads, hotels and highways, and disposable incomes on the rise, travel opportunity continues to expand regionwide.
The market for indoor mapping tech
June 2019Indoor mapping technology has rapidly evolved over the last several years, and airports are some of the prime beneficiaries according to Phocuswright's latest travel research, Consolidation in Indoor Mapping Technology Market. Deployments from FRA to SFO have seen successful results, with impressive revenue, efficiency and customer satisfaction metrics. While GPS will continue to direct travelers to...
What the world's biggest OTAs have been up to
May 2019According to Phocuswright's latest Public Online Travel Roundup, Full Year 2018 travel research publication, growth rates in the world of public online travel once again slowed in 2018, but remained in double-digit territory, rising more than twice as fast as the total global travel market. Read the insights into regional focuses for the world's biggest OTAs.
How travelers choose where to go
May 2019From perfectly filtered social media posts to heartfelt recollections of friends, visually stunning scenes from movies, and glossy magazine covers, travelers are exposed to an array of inspiration sources that seed ideas of spectacular places they hope to one day see. But with a world of options, travelers must carefully whittle down their options to the one that most speaks to their wishes.
Announcing the 2019 Phocuswright Europe winners
May 2019Eight innovators presented at the Phocuswright Europe Battleground, the pitch competition for startups, and four innovators presented at Launch, the platform for established companies to introduce new products.
Dream, book, travel, repeat.
May 2019U.S. travelers only take a few leisure trips a year, but travel is rarely far from their minds. Mobile devices mean that information is always at their fingertips, and travelers are eating it up. Learn more about what Phocuswright's new research graphic has to offer ...