38 Online Travel Booking Statistics & Trends of 2024
Even if the travel and tourism industry is recovering, there have been substantial changes in how people travel.
We’ve seen a significant change, both in terms of how frequently people travel as well as how they plan, book, and manage their trips.
To investigate these recent developments, the best place to do so is online, as that’s where most people book and pay for their travel rather than through pricey travel agencies.
In this article, we've gathered some intriguing online booking statistics that’ll give you a sneak peek into changing tastes and behaviors of travelers for post-pandemic tourism.
Whether you're a travel company looking to take advantage of travel trends or a traveler looking for the most popular destinations, this post is for you.
Key Online Travel Booking Statistics
- The size of the global online travel market is predicted to reach $1.2 trillion in 2027.
- 50% of travelers spend less than a week doing the research before departing on vacation.
- 87% of visitors desire to travel sustainably.
- The most lucrative online travel market is in Asia-Pacific.
- The average traveler makes 38 website visits before deciding and making a booking.
General Online Travel Booking Statistics
1. 72% of employees are enthusiastic and prepared to take their next business trip this year.
(Expedia)
If all relevant safety precautions are followed, at least 45% of travelers worldwide are willing to fly for business to attend a conference or business event.
Online travel booking trends and stats show that 48% of business travelers are willing to provide their health information.
According to a survey by Expedia, the average number of business trips for 38% of the respondents was once every two to three months. 32% make one or more business trips per month.
2. 86% of travel agents favor improving the customer experience to increase online digital travel sales.
(Amadeus)
According to 74% of the online booking companies polled, purchasing and selling travel arrangements can be simpler. In the coming 12 months, the following factors are anticipated to increase travel intention:
- Mobile applications that provide travel notifications (44%).
- Check-in via self-service (41%).
- Cashless transactions (41%).
- Flexible refunds and guarantees (40%).
3. 63% of travelers believe technology is crucial for limiting health risks in a post-pandemic environment.
(SaleCycle)
Three issues top the list of worries for survey respondents among leisure travelers today:
- Concern about catching COVID-19 (41%).
- Requirements for quarantine or self-isolation in certain places (41%)
- Travel-related last-minute adjustments or cancellations (37%)
4. The preferred payment methods for online travel bookings are UPI and e-Wallets.
(STRATOS)
Countries all over the world are transitioning to cashless systems. Paying for airlines, hotels, car rentals, and other services have become easier with the help of PayPal, Alipay, Google Pay, and Amazon Pay.
Travel App Statistics & Trends
5. Online travel bookings reached their highest level of $755 billion in 2019, then fell 46% to $403 billion in 2020.
(trivago)
Online travel bookings then climbed to $613 billion in 2021. Booking Holdings continued to be the leading digital travel agency business in 2021. The big three achieved over 60% of revenue growth last year.
6. Only 27% of consumers preferred booking trips through apps.
(TripAdvisor)
Those that did, liked some of the distinctive characteristics they provided, such as:
- Notifications of price alerts (79%)
- How quickly reservations could be made (39%)
- The additional functionality (30%)
7. App-enabled digital travel firms observed an increase in mobile bookings.
(Amadeus)
Following the launch of travel apps, some businesses reported a rise in the percentage of people booking online via mobile. Mobile travel booking statistics also demonstrate that travel app users aren't devoted to their apps and often delete them once they've served their purpose.
In fact, about 50% of users delete their travel app within a month of downloading it. Numerous of these are presumably caused by the fact that the app is no longer needed.
8. The majority of mobile users favor travel apps over mobile websites.
(Travelport)
The decision is primarily influenced by customer experience. Users prefer the travel apps' lightning-fast experiences, as they are typically smoother and easier to use than a mobile web page.
When comparing costs, many people also complain that making a reservation on a mobile web page is difficult. Switching between various websites and options on a mobile phone isn’t like on a desktop computer, which is far much easier.
9. Booking.com is the most downloaded online booking app over the past four years.
(StratosJets)
It recovered from a decline in the previous year in 2021. TripAdvisor, trivago, and Skyscanner have also had trouble reaching 2019 numbers.
Hopper was the most popular online travel app in the US in 2021. Airbnb downloads decreased in 2021, while Vrbo, its primary rival, surged to 10.5 million.
Online booking stats also show that 17% of Americans purchased a travel app subscription to aid in their travel preparation last year. Furthermore, 83% of US adults want to make travel bookings online.
Mobile vs. Desktop Booking Statistics
10. Even though mobile drives the most online traffic, it’s still underutilized as a tool for online bookings.
(Travelport Digital Report)
About 80% of American consumers still like using their desktops or laptop when making a reservation. Worldwide, these figures are consistent; in France, 33% of travelers book on their mobile phones. In Germany, it's 15%, and in the UK, 25%.
The fact that the same consumers who book through the desktop site are content to conduct their research online makes this trend even more unexpected.
11. 72% of mobile bookings happen in the 48 hours that follow last-minute Google searches containing the terms “today” and “tonight.”
(StratosJets)
Google search statistics also show that 44% of individuals who make online bookings do so on a mobile device and 64% on a desktop.
That represents a change from 2021 when 41% of reservations were made on mobile phones and 59% on desktop computers.
Data from StratosJets also show that the percentage of customers who give up on their travel purchases is 91% for mobile users and 85% for desktop users.
12. Before deciding on their vacation itinerary, 83% of tourists conduct research on their mobile devices.
(Think With Google, AdColony)
Recently, people have been changing how they use their phones to plan trips. 70% of mobile users look for activities to do when traveling, 66% check for appealing locations, and 58% decide on their lodging choices.
Furthermore, 87% of corporate travel managers and business travelers alike want a more straightforward booking procedure, and 42% of respondents, planning a trip is more difficult than going on one.
Booking & Travel Planning Statistics
13. Videos and images are the two most vital factors influencing decisions among travelers during the consideration stage of trip preparation.
(Hospitalitynet)
When choosing hotel rooms online, consumers also consider a hotel's ability to display its amenities and guest experience.
The biggest turnoffs for most leisure travellers are boring displays, unattractive food photographs, and unattractive hotel rooms.
14. Approximately 72% of brand-new clients will conduct some kind of research before making a booking.
(Hospitalitynet)
Only 6% of individuals say they don't believe customer reviews, compared to 15% of customers who don't trust companies without reviews.
According to these figures, hotels and travel agencies have nothing to lose by requesting online reviews. Only 22% of individuals will post a review if they aren't asked to, which rises to 80% when businesses actively urge customers.
Some businesses worry about the fallacy that only dissatisfied customers post reviews, which is not true. According to travel industry statistics, only 5% of reviews will be unfavorable, with an average of 95% being favorable.
Hotels and digital travel companies must use SEO and powerful social media tactics to have a strong online presence and increase online sales.
That’s because many potential clients rely on social media and an online presence when making travel bookings. According to Google, the most well-liked online products have an average rating of 4.2 to 4.7 and about 39 reviews.
15. 29% of those who make reservations prefer direct travel bookings.
(Hospitalitynet)
Reasons include the ability to:
- Request additional amenities (28%).
- Look for the best deal (21%).
- Searching for loyalty programs (21%).
- Negotiate prices (18%).
- Discover rewards for direct booking (11%)
16. It's projected that by 2023, over 700 million people will purchase a flight online.
(StratosJets)
Furthermore, 70% of all consumers use a mobile device to research flights
17. Half of all American travelers spend weeks researching before departing on vacation.
(TripAdvisor)
However, the second category of customers has their trip planned for months. These consumers look for activities in the twelve weeks preceding their trip rather than making air or hotel bookings.
According to online hotel booking statistics, older travelers (aged 55+) are more inclined to make reservations more than four months in advance, while younger travelers (aged 18 to 34) tend to put off online travel research until the last month or week.
18. 41% of travelers prefer to use online travel agencies (OTAs), while 29% use travel operators or agents.
(Hospitalitynet)
According to demographic data, those under 35 years are more likely to book hotels using OTAs. 70% of respondents said they would use an OTA to make a reservation if hotel sites and OTAs had equal prices.
Even though using a physical travel agency can save passengers up to $452 and four hours of preparation time per trip, only 24.3% of Americans use them.
Most online sales in the travel industry currently occur on one-stop digital stores that let customers plan their entire trip on one website. By the end of the year, these corporations will control 41% of the online travel sales market.
Research from Hospitalitynet shows that 12% of visitors believe that using booking websites should be significantly faster and easier than making online hotel bookings using hotel websites directly.
Some main factors influencing consumer decisions are security, ease of use, loyalty discounts, and reliable online reviews from the OTAs.
19. Travelers who plan their trip spend 47% less on lodging than their more impulsive counterparts who book while traveling.
(TripAdvisor)
They also spend 81% less on transportation. This less impulsive online travel booking segment provides a desirable target market for online companies that sell reservations across various categories.
Many people conduct travel-related searches on online travel sites like TripAdvisor and Expedia. According to TripAdvisor, which recorded 224 million travel bookings in a single month, 80% of travelers will spend about four weeks researching a destination before booking.
20. Hotel websites account for two-thirds of all digital travel booking revenues.
(Hospitalitynet)
That’s surprising because TripAdvisor and Booking.com receive millions of visitors each month. You might think they are the ones driving up most of the revenue.
Furthermore, 60% of consumers believe digital travel bookings are their most expensive online purchase. Many customers have higher expectations for bookings now that more businesses are paying attention to the customer experience.
90% of all consumers say they expect a personalized experience from their virtual travel assistant when they book their trips online, which isn’t surprising. Customer dissatisfaction may contribute to low conversion and cart abandonment rates since many travel websites are still comparatively outdated.
These figures imply that the market for digital bookings is huge and underserved. Online travel booking services should look at their sales funnel to determine why they are losing so much business.
21. Digital worldwide travel sales are currently rising at a pace of 15.4%, and online hotel bookings are growing at a rate of 10.3%.
(ThinkWithGoogle)
Google reports that Monday is the most common day for conducting travel-related searches and booking, while Saturday is the least popular day. The same survey revealed that most hotel bookings happen between 6 am and 10 am.
Sustainability Travel Booking Statistics
22. Sustainable tourism is one of the biggest travel trends for 2022 because of the threat posed by climate change.
(UN)
2017 was designated as the UN's “International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development,” which encouraged sustainability concerning the industry's sociocultural, economic, and environmental facets.
More and more travelers are becoming more conscientious of their decisions. According to a different poll, 70% of international travelers say they would book a hotel sooner if they knew it was green and sustainable.
23. In 2022, 63% of travelers are prepared to put more effort into making more environmentally friendly travel decisions.
(Booking.com, The Vacationer)
That’s a 10% increase from 2021. 30% of travelers say they'll choose more environmentally friendly options when researching travel online before booking, even if it causes them inconvenience.
52% of respondents intend to choose more environmentally friendly options when booking travel, but only if doing so won't inconvenience them. 57% said they would like to stay in accommodations with sustainability certification.
24. 87% of visitors desire to travel sustainably.
(TravelAgentCentral)
According to a survey of travelers, 81% of respondents said they value sustainable travel.
Of those, 50% claim that news stories about dire climate change events have influenced their choices to make more environmentally friendly travel arrangements. Therefore, 33% would rather go outside of the busiest times to avoid adding to the congestion.
More and more people want to reduce their environmental effects at home and abroad, but they encounter several obstacles. The following are the major global barriers to traveling more sustainably:
- Costs: Expensive alternatives (42%)
- Lack of Knowledge/Certification: unable to make travel more sustainable (32%).
- Time restraints: traveling sustainably would take time (22%).
- Destination: The alternatives are limited (22%)
- Luxury/comfort: Sustainable travel falls short of their expectations for comfort or luxury (20%).
Businesses in the tourism industry must figure out how to inform and encourage sustainable travel. Visitors researching travel online should learn what various hotels are doing to encourage environmentally friendly practices and how they respond to economic and environmental changes.
25. Sustainability and carbon footprint were listed as the top factor by 7% of survey respondents when making vacation plans.
(The Vacationer)
Online hotel booking statistics show that 56% of those surveyed concurred that they don't actively look for eco-friendly lodging options but will book one if it's convenient. With 67% of high-income travelers saying they would rather spend money on a better hotel room and experience.
Many hotels are now concerned that implementing sustainable projects may harm their bottom line. Accommodation quality becomes less important as more tourists prioritize experiences. The following are some motivating elements for eco-conscious travel:
- Being moved by natural sights when traveling themselves (60%)
- Observing the effects of tourism in other places (54%).
- Recognizing the advantages of sustainable tourism (47%).
- 42% of people report the negative effects of unsustainable tourism in their own nation.
- Feeling bad about their environmental impact (32%).
26. 23% of travelers choose to travel locally to reduce their carbon footprint.
(TravelAgentCentral)
Global travelers are paying more attention to the distance traveled and their transportation modes. Online travel booking statistics show that more than one in five use travel websites to look for bike rentals and public transportation options in their intended location.
33% of respondents said they would be prepared to spend an additional $50 to $250 on travel to reduce the journey's carbon footprint. Those who stayed at a sustainable hotel in the previous year did so to:
- Lessen the carbon impact on the environment (41%).
- Discover the culture of the region (33%)
- Better community engagement (31%).
User Behavior in Online Travel Booking
27. Booking a trip takes Americans 29% longer on average in 2022 than in 2019.
(Tripadvisor)
52% of American tourists place a higher value on the time they spend researching travel online than any other aspect of the booking process. 55% of Britons share this sentiment.
People take 6% longer to arrange a trip in Germany, while this number rises to 16% in Australia. While Australians spend 60% of their time preparing for trips, Singaporeans spend 68% visiting local travel sites and researching travel online before booking.
28. 43% of Americans dislike making travel reservations.
(Travelport)
According to travel industry statistics, a third of families find it extremely time-consuming to conduct online hotel bookings and look for the best flights, while 23% don't enjoy planning vacations.
When booking reservations, one in three tourists put flexibility ahead of everything else. Another challenge for travelers is the lack of transparency in making travel reservations. Too many options to compare can sometimes get difficult.
Digital booking statistics show that booking a trip isn’t among the top three simplest online purchasing experiences. Above it is online restaurant bookings, clothing purchases, and online browsing and purchasing physical and digital items.
29. The average traveler makes 38 website visits before deciding and making a booking.
(Skift)
45% of vacationers prefer to arrange their entire trip on a single website that offers choices for flights, lodging, auto rentals, and extras.
According to research, nearly 42% of consumers take more than five years to make vacation reservations. 60% of questioned tourists think there are too many hidden fees and expenses when choosing a trip.
Online Travel Booking Market Share
30. The online travel booking industry is expected to grow by $204.81 billion by 2026.
(ResearchAndMarkets)
The publisher has closely watched the online travel booking platforms market and is anticipated to increase by a CAGR of 4.91% between 2022 and 2026.
A comprehensive analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, challenges, and vendor analysis for about 25 vendors are in this study on the online travel booking platform market.
The research provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the global market, the newest drivers and trends, and the general market environment.
The market is driven by the widespread use of smartphones, as well as by the growing concentration of online travel companies.
31. The digital travel market is predicted to increase from $800.72 billion in 2021 to over $1.2 trillion in 2027.
(Tripadvisor)
Over the past ten years, most sectors have gone digital. Particularly, the travel industry has continued to make enormous efforts to develop its online presence.
Review and travel-related e-commerce websites make up most of the online travel booking industry. It allows customers to conveniently reserve from home and frequently entices them with packages and cost-cutting options.
As a result, many tourists now prefer to plan their trips online rather than through traditional brick-and-mortar travel firms.
The primary worldwide digital travel market is also driven by rising consumer spending power, government initiatives to promote tourism, increasing internet and credit card usage, and new online segments.
It’s no surprise the yearly value of the travel business. It’s expected to be over $1.2 trillion in the coming years.
Most of the increase in online travel will come from the rising popularity of bookings made through websites like Booking.com, TripAdvisor.com, Skyscanner.com, etc., for international hotels and flights.
32. Expedia and Booking.com have acquired rival websites and mobile apps to increase their market share.
(BusinessofApps)
Kayak, Priceline.com, and Agoda are owned by Booking.com, while Expedia Group owns trivago, Orbitz, Vrbo, and Travelocity.
Expedia and Booking.com have expanded their services to include flights, taxis, car rentals, cruises, and excursions to increase their travel portfolio.
The business strategy is the same across the board; the app gets a tiny commission for each booking. Like past travel agents would arrange the airline, ground transportation, hotel, and events in a packaged trip, the goal is to be a one-stop vacation destination.
Airbnb also initiated this augmentation in 2016 with the launch of Experiences. In response to the pandemic preventing short-term travel. It also began to promote long-term stays in 2020. Services for co-working and transportation might be next on their list.
Even though Booking, Expedia, and Airbnb are the three main platforms, there are still several others, including Hopper, Hotels.com, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, and Trip.com, that either compete in a particular market (flights for Skyscanner; hotels for Hotels.com) or operate a similar one-stop shop for all things travel-related to Booking and Expedia.
33. From 2021 to 2027, the global online travel market will expand at a CAGR of 10.58%.
(Booking.com)
The international online travel market is divided into two types: Online Travel Agencies and Direct Travel Suppliers. OTAs are becoming the world's most popular method of making reservations.
One of the best examples of digital change in business and society over the past 25 years has been the development of online travel agents.
OTAs have developed into digital marketplaces that provide direct access to digital travel options for B2C and B2B clients. OTAs are a cross between an e-commerce platform and a travel agency.
34. It’s anticipated that the travel accommodation sector will continue dominating digital travel services.
(TripAdvisor)
Travel accommodations are now the largest contributor to the travel market as a result of enterprises expanding globally due to globalization. Online booking is accessible for various travel accommodations, including hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, and more.
35. The online booking market is divided into mobile/tablet and desktop segments based on the type of device.
(STRATOS)
Due to its ease, comfort, and all-day accessibility, digital travel booking via a mobile, tablet, and desktop is the preferred method for most young travelers. Consumer habits in digital media are always evolving.
Mobile usage is steadily increasing, while desktop usage is steadily declining. Even said, these patterns are still evolving quickly, so the internet travel sector must adjust.
According to online booking statistics by STRATOS, 82% of all travel bookings worldwide occurred without a human being involved in the process.
Statistics on Online Travel Booking Demographics
36. Baby Boomers are the ones driving the growth of the online travel industry.
(Statista, TripAdvisor)
The online travel market comprises Millennials, Generation X, and Silver Hairs. However, Baby Boomer travelers with more money, time, and a strong desire to travel dominate the market.
They look for novel traveling experiences and engage in active vacations that include sightseeing and learning about different cultures. OTAs must change to reflect the preferences of younger travelers as they grow more involved and important in the travel industry.
Most Gen Xers and Millennials are wary of conventional advertising and would rather rely on word-of-mouth. In 2022, digital travel businesses that continue to rely on stock images and conventional advertising will observe a gradual decline in their clientele.
37. 60% of Millennial travelers are willing to spend more to get what they expect.
(CondorFerris)
34% are delighted to plan their trip through an agency. The 25–40-year-old Millennial age group includes business travelers and people just starting their professional lives.
Compared to travelers in the higher age category, these travelers are more likely to spend money on the trip, as they place a significantly greater emphasis on traveling for experiences.
They want to see and do unique things in unusual places without dealing with tedious details like hotel reservations. Digital travel booking statistics also show that this age group prefers to use travel companies for all their trip arrangements.
Although they use travel agents to make their hotel reservations, 52% of them will visit the hotel's website to learn more. Agents who present themselves as authorities in a particular field are quite successful with millennials.
Travel sales will increase for an agent who can provide distinctive experiences and intimate knowledge of the top accommodations, restaurants, and locations—especially if they can also maintain a strong social media presence.
38. According to online travel stats, the most lucrative travel market is in Asia-Pacific.
(Statista)
Geographically speaking, Asia-Pacific has the most potential for growth in the online boom, with China and India representing the most attractive markets. The emergence of the middle class, increased disposable money, and wider adoption of Internet services contribute to the growth.
While Ctrip's online travel agency dominates the Chinese travel sector, India's top OTAs are Yatra and Cleartrip. OTAs are increasingly being used to make reservations in the area.
What the Future Looks Like for the Online Travel Booking Industry
Online travel booking is here to stay. That means travel companies should constantly reinvent themselves and adapt to keep up with fast-evolving developments.
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