COVID-19: Research, Fast Facts, Podcasts, Hotel Forecasts, Resources... 
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COVID-19 resources for you
May 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 11 - An opportunity for NDC post-coronavirus
May 2020Norm Rose, a Phocuswright analyst and veteran travel technology consultant, thinks the reset phase that airlines currently find themselves in will accelerate NDC as a standard (and more) in aviation.
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: Sydney
May 2020As a result of measures taken in the city, Los Angeles' rate of RevPAR decline across the weekly forecasts covering the six weeks between March 29 and May 3 has not been nearly as steep as other U.S. gateway cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco. Differences in YoY RevPAR variance for March and April showed that the impact on Los Angeles was less severe than for most major markets. This...
InPhocus, Episode 10 - Farelogix tells all on the failed Sabre deal
May 2020In this latest episode of InPhocus, PhocusWire's Kevin May talks to Jim Davidson, CEO of Farelogix, to get his take on the entire story, including the background to the deal, the court case, the decision to nix the acquisition two weeks ago and what's next for the business.
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: Los Angeles
May 2020As a result of measures taken in the city, Los Angeles' rate of RevPAR decline across the weekly forecasts covering the six weeks between March 29 and May 3 has not been nearly as steep as other U.S. gateway cities like New York, Boston and San Francisco. Differences in YoY RevPAR variance for March and April showed that the impact on Los Angeles was less severe than for most major markets. This...
InPhocus, Episode 9 - Stuck in the middle with you
May 2020In this latest episode of InPhocus, we hear from David Litwak, CEO of Mozio Group (who also co-hosts the How I Got Here podcast), about his experiences as a platform for ground transportation and its difficulties with some online travel agencies. We then dig into the wider problems that OTAs and others that sit in the middle of the digital travel ecosystem have faced over the course of the last few...
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: Boston
May 2020Boston started March in better shape than New York across the board, but its downward slope accelerated much more aggressively. Despite the city's successful curve-flattening, the leisure travel ban has contributed to Boston's YoY occupancy falling off. This Phocuswright Hotel Forecast shows some potential good news for Boston is that modeling for 2Q20 shows continual improvement in May and June...
InPhocus, episode 8 - A chance to use your time wisely
April 2020Travel startups, perhaps more nimble than their larger peers in the industry, should use this opportunity to take a deep breath, ensure the finances will keep the lights on and think differently. Gerry Samuels offers guidance to new businesses that have survived the initial slump in their usual activities but have some time to consider how their businesses will look in the future.
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: London
April 2020One concerning factor in the London Hotel Forecast is that the city's steep ADR decline may indicate more discounting than merely attributable to share shifts from luxury to midscale and economy chain scale properties.
InPhocus, episode 7 - Travel crises often ignite revolutions in the industry (sorry, not this time)
April 2020The current crisis will undoubtedly alter the traveler's experience of airports, accommodation, airlines and activities - but will it inspire any change in the models that underpin the industry and its relationships? Perhaps not this time, as we discuss in the latest episode of InPhocus with Phocuswright Research creator Lorraine Sileo, who has heaps of experience of seeing how the industry...
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: San Francisco
April 2020The term devastated does not sufficiently characterize the state of San Francisco hotel demand in April. Driven by a 95% evaporation of hotel occupancy, the RevPAR decline exceeded even New York City’s YoY drop. San Francisco will hit bottom this month, see a slight improvement in May and considerable (relative) rebound in June ...
InPhocus, episode 6 - Being smart is all we have at the moment
April 2020Forecasting with smart data, a future role for hotels and intermediaries, loyalty programs and what lies next for Airbnb - hefty subjects during any time period but especially so during the coronavirus outbreak. For the latest episode of InPhocus, we bring in Phocuswright analyst and hotel expert Robert Cole for a discussion on all of the above.
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: Singapore
April 2020While many are looking backwards to compare the current market environment with the post-9/11 or 2008 Great Recession periods, Phocuswright prefers to look forward – trying to address the tough questions weighing on our collective minds. This Hotel Forecast focuses on Singapore.
COVID-19 Hotel Forecast: New York City
April 2020While many are looking backwards to compare the current market environment with the post-9/11 or 2008 Great Recession periods, Phocuswright prefers to look forward – trying to address the tough questions weighing on our collective minds. This Hotel Forecast focuses on New York City.
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.
Fast Facts: Traveler Sentiment in the Age of COVID-19
April 2020Phocuswright surveyed travelers from the U.S., the U.K., France and Germany to understand traveler sentiment during the coronavirus pandemic and early indicators on travel intent post-pandemic. The survey included questions about how travelers' plans have been impacted, their satisfaction with companies when changing their travel plans, considerations for future travel, and more.
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.
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...