Mr. Merten has authored and contributed to a range of Phocuswright reports and other research centered on the European travel industry. He has helped shape Phocuswright's European research, in particular the Europe Online Travel Overview, where he oversees market sizing and coordinates Phocuswright's European analyst team. Since 2007, he has written various spotlights dealing with European online travel agencies, tour operators, airlines and car rentals. Ralph has also managed numerous custom research projects focusing on travel technology and marketing strategy. He is executive vice president at h2c GmbH, a professional service provider for the hospitality industry, and holds a degree in aircraft and aerospace technology from the Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
Areas of Research
Ralph is well versed in the trends that shape the European travel marketplace. His knowledge of the region's many markets enables him to research and analyze each country's unique opportunities and challenges, while appreciating Europe's interconnectivity with the global travel industry.
Niche No More: European Short-Term Rentals
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: April 2022 Analysts: Charuta Fadnis, Ralph Merten, Dirk Rogl, Fabian Gonzalez, Peter O'Connor, Stanislas Feminier US $695Short-term rentals (STRs) have experienced a renewed interest among users and hosts alike. Despite the pandemic’s dampening impact on hospitality, many travelers considered a short-term rental for their...
Europe Travel Market Report 2021-2025
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: March 2022 Analysts: Cathy Walsh, Ralph Merten US $2,495Slowly but surely, the European travel market began to mount its recovery in 2021. After dipping to just 64% of its 2019 size in 2020, gross bookings climbed a projected 31% in 2021. Still limited by...
Germany Travel Market Report 2021-2025
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: March 2022 Analysts: Ralph Merten, Friederike Winkowski, Karen Burka US $795Germany has long been Europe’s largest travel market, and in turn suffered devastating losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on travel. Following a 59% market decline in 2020, gross...
Europe Online Travel Overview 2019 Market Sheet
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: January 2020 Analysts: Coney Dongre, David Juman, Ralph MertenThough concerns over Brexit and several high-profile bankruptcies threatened to derail growth in some segments, the European travel market advanced 2% in 2019. Offline bookings continue to decline as...
Europe Online Travel Overview 2019
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: December 2019 Analysts: David Juman, Ralph Merten, Linda Schmidt US $2,495Though concerns over Brexit and several high-profile bankruptcies threatened to derail growth in some segments, the European travel market advanced 2% in 2019. Offline bookings continue to decline as...