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.

Europe Travel Market Report 2022-2026
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: June 2023 Analysts: Ralph Merten, Cathy Walsh US $2,495The European travel market is still facing headwinds in its post-COVID recovery. Featuring nearly 69% year-over-year growth in 2022, the market nevertheless still came up short of 2019 totals....

Germany Travel Market Report 2022-2026
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: April 2023 Analysts: Ralph Merten, Cathy Walsh US $795It was a mixed recovery year for German travelers, and in turn for the Germany travel market. While 2022 featured 85% year-over-year growth and the elimination of travel restrictions, Germans felt...

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...

Scandinavia Online Travel Overview 2019
Category: Market Overview & Sizing Published: December 2019 Analysts: Marty Kostmann, Ralph Merten, Karen Burka US $795Though relatively small in terms of total gross bookings compared to other European countries, the Scandinavian travel market is a leader in online adoption and digital transformation. In 2019, overall...