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PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y - July 27, 1999 -- Nearly one-third
of Internet users who visit travel-related Web sites have made online reservations
using those sites, according to a new study by NPD Online Research. NPD
reported that more visitors to airline, hotel and car rental Web sites
are booking online than ever before. In 1999, 31% of individuals who visited
airline sites booked their reservations on the Web, compared to only 21%
in 1998. Twenty-eight percent of visitors to hotel sites booked online
in 1999, opposed to 21% the previous year. And 28% of visitors to car rental
sites booked online reservations in 1999, compared to 19% in 1998.
In another finding that bodes well for the online travel industry, among
those Internet users who booked travel online, satisfaction with the buying
experience was reported as very high. In fact, NPD found that Internet
travel bookers were more satisfied with their online experience than those
Internet users who use the Web to only check travel prices and travel availability.
A staggering 89% of those who actually reserved airline reservations online
reported
�Our data supports expectations for continued growth in travel bookings
online,� confirmed Allan Baldinger, a vice president for NPD Online Research.
�We have found that the more time a consumer spends online, the more likely
they are to purchase online. In fact, credit
Among Internet users who buy travel online, a core group of heavy bookers
is beginning to emerge. According to NPD, 7% of Internet travel buyers
can be considered heavy bookers, those who have made at least one online
airline, hotel and car rental reservation. Heavy
Despite the fact that more individuals are booking travel online, NPD
found that a majority of Internet travelers continue to divert the confirmation
of their travel reservations to traditional agents and providers. Fifty-six
percent of online travelers reported having completed travel reservations
with a traditional travel agent after visiting a travel-related Web site.
Pricing and credit card security concerns continue to stop newer Internet
users from booking travel
About the Study This study is the latest in an ongoing series conducted by NPD Online Research for the travel industry. Five thousand, three hundred individuals from NPD�s Online Panel, a Web-representative sample of individuals prerecruited to participate in surveys, responded to the questionnaire in the spring of 1999. About The NPD Group The NPD Group is an international marketing information company headquartered
in Port Washington, NY. Founded in 1953, the firm specializes in tracking
consumer purchasing and behavior. NPD offers both custom research capabilities
and syndicated databases for more
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Also See: | Internet Hotel Bookings Will Soar to $3.1 Billion by 2002 / Bear Stearns / Jan 1999 |
A Study of the Hotel Industry's Application of the Internet as a Relationship Marketing Tool / July 1998 |