Press Release - May 11, 2009
RESEARCH FINDS CONSUMERS ARE TWICE AS LIKELY TO PREFER EXPEDIA VERSUS TRAVELOCITY AND ORBITZ
SAN FRANCISCO, CA —May 11, 2009— eVŌC Insights, a customer experience consulting firm, announces the release of our longitudinal syndicated travel report, "Branding & Loyalty for Online Travel Agencies (Wave 2) – Expedia vs. Travelocity vs. Orbitz". This report measures the performance of Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz from 2005 to 2009 and identifies what drives preferences for travel sites in today's economy.
Online travel remains one of the largest segments for consumer spending on the Web; however, the current economy has slowed travel spending in 2009. At least half of consumers indicate they are less likely to travel for leisure in 2009 due to the economy. In 2005, our research found that Expedia, Travelocity, and Orbitz led the online travel industry with competitive prices and convenient travel packages, significantly outperforming travel suppliers. Today, Expedia has clearly pulled ahead of Travelocity and Orbitz as the leading online travel agency, while travel suppliers such as Southwest, Delta, American Airlines and United have significantly narrowed the gap with the OTAs. In addition, travel referral sites such as TripAdvisor.com and Kayak.com are showing a strong increase in usage, as travelers are seeking even better online travel deals, now more than ever.
By comparing data from 2005 to 2009, we illustrate how the travel industry has changed over the past 4 years and identify how current factors, such as the economy, are impacting consumers' leisure travel decisions.
Highlights from this report include:
- 57% of consumers are less likely to travel for leisure in '09 due to the economy
- 41% base their travel selections, including destination, on available deals
- 47% of users visit 4 or more sites when planning a trip; Up from 30% in 2005
- Competitive prices (94%), followed by ease of use (81%), and good customer service (76%) remain the top factors in deciding which OTA to use
- Consumers are twice as likely to prefer Expedia (43%) versus Travelocity (23%) and Orbitz (22%)
- 68% of users remain loyal to Expedia after comparing the site experience to Travelocity and Orbitz; Only 40% remain loyal to Travelocity
- Travelocity's brand performance has fallen since 2005; In 2005, 38% attributed Travelocity with 'good value' compared to only 21% in 2009
Obtain a Free Abstract for this report: Click to Download
For more information about this report or eVŌC Insights, please contact Liz Webb at .
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