From 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. Most travelers take just a handful of leisure trips each year. After accounting for the trips to visit family and friends or to attend social obligations – weddings, graduations, reunions – the pool of trips left where travelers actually get to choose their destination independently shrinks. Within various markets across the globe, including the U.S., Brazil, Australia, China, Mexico, Germany and the U.K, less than half of leisure travelers traveled to a destination they could choose at their whim over the past year.Analysts: Alice Jong, Mark BlutsteinTopics: Destination & Activities Marketing, Consumer TrendsSegments: Hotels & Lodging, Online Travel Agencies, Tours & PackagesRegions: Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report
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U.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. A quarter of U.S. destination selectors say they actively research new trips at least once a month; destinations and travel marketers need to consistently entice travelers to remain top of mind.Analyst: Mark BlutsteinTopics: Consumer Trends, Destination & Activities MarketingRegion: U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report
Phocuswright’s Experiences 2019:U.S. Market Opportunity and Consumer Behavior tracks the U.S. travel activities sector, examining how U.S. consumers view and engage with activities, and charts the activity provider and seller marketplace.Analysts: Alice Jong, Cathy WalshTopics: Destination & Activities Marketing, Consumer TrendsSegments: Air, Hotels & Lodging, Online Travel AgenciesRegion: U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report
Technology has driven massive shifts in consumer travel behavior. Travelers now dream of, research, shop and book their travel across devices, and are led into the funnel through various advertising channels. The travel industry has bounced back after a few difficult years, and advertising budgets are likewise rising. Based on a combination of executive interviews, surveys and market sizing work, this report represents a deep dive into the travel ad spend landscape in the U.S. and Europe, exploring the essential trends that define digital travel advertising.Analysts: Alice Jong, Bob Sacco, George Skarpelos, Marina Lähteenmäki, Douglas QuinbyTopics: Market Overview & Sizing, Destination & Activities MarketingSegments: Air, Car Rental & Ground Transportation, Cruise, Hotels & Lodging, Online Travel Agencies, Rail, Tours & PackagesRegions: Europe, U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report
Europeans love to travel, and nearly half of European travelers begin planning their trips at least three months in advance. But what do they look for in a destination, and where do they go? This report, part of the Europe Consumer Travel 2018 series and based on a comprehensive survey of French, German and U.K. travelers, examines where European consumers go on their trips (and why), and reveals the key information sources they rely on for destination research.Analysts: Mark Blutstein, Brandie WrightTopics: Consumer Trends, Destination & Activities MarketingRegion: EuropeResearch Type: Report
The travel value chain has finally begun to understand the opportunity to generate incremental revenue from in-destination tours, activities and dining, and the competition to provide these services has never been more intense. Phocuswright estimates that the global tours and activities market will reach US$183 billion by 2020. The competitive landscape is broad and fierce, ranging from traditional and online travel agents, to hoteliers, tours and activity aggregators, and the online powerhouse, Google. Given the fragmentation and competition in the in-destination activity space, who will ultimately be the victor?Analyst: Norm RoseTopics: Destination & Activities Marketing, Technology InnovationSegment: Tours & PackagesResearch Type: Report
Tours, activities and attractions is one of TripAdvisor’s fastest growing segments, and the company’s CEO has stated that “Things to Do” could be TripAdvisor’s next billion dollar category.Analyst: Douglas QuinbyTopic: Destination & Activities MarketingResearch Type: Report
While the travel industry tends to be preoccupied with what’s happening in air and hotel, it’s the activities on the ground that inspire travelers to go places. Travel activities, the aggregate of in-destination spend on tours, activities, attractions and events, is the third-largest travel segment and accounts for 10% of global travel revenue. This report explores the state of travel activities to assess the market landscape, the challenges ahead and the opportunities for distribution in the broader travel marketplace.Analysts: Alice Jong, Bing Liu, Douglas QuinbyTopics: Destination & Activities Marketing, Market Overview & SizingSegments: Air, Hotels & Lodging, Online Travel Agencies, Tours & PackagesResearch Type: Report
While travelers frequently fantasize about idyllic destinations, leisure travel encompasses many types of trips beyond the dream getaway. In 2016, U.S. travelers often ventured out with financial considerations in mind, and therefore opted to put off that dream vacation. This Spotlight explores U.S. travelers’ trip motivations and other factors that influence destination selection. It also provides fresh data on trip length, travel spend, travel party composition and more.Analysts: Cathy Walsh, Mark BlutsteinTopics: Consumer Trends, Destination & Activities MarketingRegion: U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report
Emerging markets are advancing rapidly, private accommodation and in-destination activities are coming of age, and new technologies are reshaping online travel search, shop and book from the inside-out. There has never been a more exciting time in the world of online travel. From AI to APAC (and a whole lot in between), this report – presented by Expedia Affiliate Network – highlights what to expect from digital travel in the year ahead.Analysts: Maggie Rauch, Mark Blutstein, Alice Jong, Brandie Wright, Douglas QuinbyTopics: Consumer Trends, Destination & Activities Marketing, Mobile, Market Overview & SizingSegments: Air, Hotels & Lodging, Online Travel Agencies, Tours & PackagesRegions: Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East & Africa, U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report
Aiming to address a significant market, tours and activities (T&A) startups have long struggled to achieve a critical mass of funding and industry support. In this analysis we look at the history of T&A startups, assess the current landscape, highlight some key concepts and trends, and look at where the sector is headed.Analyst: Michael ColettaTopics: Destination & Activities Marketing, Technology InnovationResearch Type: Report
More than seven in 10 American and European adults took a leisure holiday in 2015. Yet despite their shared affinity for leisure travel, unique economic conditions, cultural and geographical factors in these markets influence consumers’ decisions about where to go, as well as their travel behavior and attitudes. This report explores how U.S. and European travelers manage the destination selection process and other key aspects of their trips. Analysis includes trip frequency and spend, preferences for domestic vs. international travel, primary motivators for travel, online vs. offline sources of information, and travel intentions for the coming year.Analysts: Brandie Wright, Mark BlutsteinTopics: Destination & Activities Marketing, Consumer TrendsSegments: Air, Hotels & Lodging, Online Travel AgenciesRegions: Europe, U.S. & CanadaResearch Type: Report