Winter Travel Study Revealed
By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large
December 23, 2002
As we near the close of 2002 the outlook is promising as there is some decidedly good news for a beleaguered airline industry, especially in a year that didn't start out so well. While travel is still down overall, we're seeing people return to the skies in large numbers for the second major holiday in a row. According to a recent AAA poll, 11.2 million travelers will fly over the Christmas and New Years holiday period, up seven percent from 2001. Perhaps the airlines will be able to resurrect themselves from the depths of debt.
Here at Travelocity, where our business is travel, we're able to report that more and more people continue to buy travel online. The Travel Industry Association of America expects that 64 million Americans will have used the Internet to secure their travel plans this year. (We're very grateful for the business!) The same report shows that people like the Internet method for travel because 42 percent of the group surveyed say they research and buy most of their travel this way.
Given that so many travelers are using the Web, we thought we'd take a look what these purchases can tell us. By tracking airfare sales for the winter holiday, we can see exactly where people are headed. The research trends tell all: While people are traveling, they're choosing to remain closer to home than in years past. Despite bargain airfares, Germany, France, Switzerland, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong have all seen their market share decline whereas Vancouver, Calgary, Cancun, and San Juan have all seen their market share increase.
Travelocity's top ten domestic cities are:
10. Orlando
9. Detroit
8. Houston
7. Dallas
6. Washington, D.C.
5. Chicago
4. San Francisco Bay Area
3. Los Angeles
2. Denver
1. New York City
Travelocity's top ten International cities are:
10. Mexico City
9. Cancun
8. Calgary
7. Rome
6.Vancouver, B.C.
5. San Juan
4. Montreal
3. Paris
2. Toronto
1. London
Wherever it is you go this holiday season traveling is hardly predictable so remember to be alert, be safe, and be prepared to enjoy every adventure that comes your way. Happy Travels to you!
For more information on Travelocity's Winter Travel Trends study visit our newsroom.
Home-page photo by Tanya Tribble.
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