Travel Agents Gain Ground As Suppliers, OTAs Duke it Out
byAndrew Sheivachman/纽约 - MMGY Global的年度美国旅行者肖像(POAT)报告发现,对旅行的需求比以往任何时候都高,而消费者使用传统旅行社已经连续四年增加了。
MMGY Global副主席Peter Yesawich在这里的新闻发布会上说:“从来没有对旅行服务的需求更加积极的前景。”“将来没有什么可以破坏这一点的,除了我们无法控制的事情。”
Reports of the demise of the travel agent, also, are contradicted by the survey findings. Year-over-year increases in agent usage show that agents’ experience and knowledge remains important to U.S. travelers.
“The percentage of travelers who report they’re using the services of a traditional travel agent has risen for four years straight,” said Yesawich. “The highest rate of growth of traditional travel agents is among millennials.”
强劲的美国经济,强大的美元和消费者信心的结合为旅行卖家创造了肥沃的环境。
“It boils down to optimism,” said Yesawich. “The sentiment of consumers has become, over the past three to four years, much more optimistic than ever before. This is what’s driving interest in leisure travel in particular.”
千禧一代待在家里。。。目前
The 25th annual POAT survey, based on responses from 2,832 American adults, finds that millennials are already having an influence on the travel industry.
报告称,2015年的千禧一代(18至35岁)比美国有一半以上的千禧一代的婴儿潮一代要多,但是今年将选择一个假期。
Despite the stereotype of millennials being adventurous and thrill-seeking, data indicates they share the same number one vacation priority with boomers: relaxation.
“Millennials and boomers have a differing view of the world,” said Yesawich. “But relaxation is the number one motivation for travel, regardless of generational cohort.”
What millennials want
As millennials become more entrenched in the workforce, however, they are more likely to travel, according to MMGY Global.
About one-in-three millennials are planning to take more leisure trips in 2015 than they did in 2014.
Yesawich说:“千禧一代不仅是重要的市场力量,而且他们对个人和职业生活的乐观情绪正在推动这一需求。”
对于代理商来说,拼写好消息是,几乎所有千禧一代的一半都有兴趣在未来两年中度过巡航假期。现在,它们显示出巡航中最高的兴趣增长,这是对巡航感兴趣的最感兴趣的成熟。
It appears that cruise lines have done an effective job of marketing to younger travelers in recent years.
根据报告,度假支出也在增加。千禧一代家庭计划在明年的假期平均花费超过6,000美元,比2014年增长19%。
在线市场变化
Big changes have hit the digital space in the last year, with supplier brand websites beginning to outduel OTAs for consumer bookings.
2014年,84%的美国旅行者在旅行购物时看着OTA。2015年,有58%的人这样做。
Similarly, just 13% of travelers who regularly look for information on an OTA, booked their reservation on the site in 2015. In 2014, 36% booked on the OTA.
随着像皮划艇这样的元研究网站变得越来越受欢迎,Share正在从传统的三大OTA中转移。
Battle of the brands
数据显示了在线旅行景观的图片,品牌已经成功说服消费者直接预订。
Consumers said they believe they will get the best price when booking direct, and that they find booking direct more convenient than using an OTA, the report found.
“One of the biggest challenges the OTAs have today is that they have a leaky bucket,” said Yesawich. “They have people abandoning their site to book at brand.com.”
An important takeaway for agents has to do with the large decrease in hotel bookings overall.
Millennials enjoying staycations and embracing the sharing economy through services like AirBnB, have most likely led to the decrease.
“There is a general degradation in hotel usage,” said Yesawich. “It is most pronounced among the [millennials, who are] a little more whimsical and have a high interest in travel.”