TIA Survey: Web Use Up

A new Travel Industry Association study shows Internet usage in the travel planning process has grown more than five times over.

A new study by the Travel Industry Association shows Internet usage in the travel planning process has grown more than five times over a recent baseline period — a finding that is reshaping how the industry thinks about distribution, marketing, and the future of the travel agent.

The TIA survey found that travelers are using the web not just to book trips, but to research destinations, compare prices, and read reviews — behaviors that were essentially nonexistent just a few years earlier. The growth has been particularly pronounced among frequent travelers and higher-income households, the demographic that has historically been the most valuable to travel agents and suppliers alike.

For the travel industry, the implications are profound. Airlines, hotels, and car rental companies are investing heavily in their direct online channels, while a new generation of online travel agencies is emerging to compete with traditional brick-and-mortar agencies. The question of how the industry will look in five years — and what role human travel agents will play — is suddenly very much open.