02 April 2009

Skyscanner claims 54% Q1 traffic growth

European flight search engine Skyscanner has claimed a 54% rise in site traffic in the first quarter of the year.

The company did not reveal exact numbers to support the year on year percentage increase but said more than 50 million flight searches take place each month on site, with 65% of these from outside the UK.

Growth has been strong in the UK and Europe, but the company reported a "huge jump" in the US market, with end of quarter year on year figures at 160%.

The end of quarter growth figure for the rest of the world (beyond US and Europe) was 163%.

The company said its increased coverage of budget and scheduled flights around the world - with more than 600 airlines and around 600,000 routes now available - was leading to success internationally.

An objective of covering every commercial flight in the world is expected to be achieved in the next quarter, according to the company, which runs websites in 20 different languages.

CEO Gareth Williams said: "There was never any doubt that 2009 would be a tough year for the online travel industry, along with every other market sector.

"Despite the recession, people are very reluctant to sacrifice their holidays, perhaps because they feel the need to escape the gloom, which is understandable.

"But value is more important than ever. They are determined to find the very best deals possible and they are less keen on sites that charge commission, or sites which expect them to trawl through different dates and destinations one by one to find the best offers."

by Phil Davies

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ITM name change important move for the sector

As group managing director for BSI, this is a really important move for the sector, as we see changing trends in the way businesses are structuring their decisions and spend when it comes to meetings and events. Historically, training and meeting budgets were fragmented, being allocated to each department separately. We have seen a move away from this over the last two years and I believe this is a very positive step forward for the institute to recognise this new trend by changing its name. Around two thirds of UK travel managers also have responsibility for their organisation's meetings and events spend. On average, that spend equates to between 12% and 35% of an organisation's total T&E costs depending upon industry sector. With 60% of all meetings held in hotels, consolidating transient accommodation and meetings expenditure, or '˜convergence', is an increasingly compelling proposition for the corporate buyer. I am pleased that this has been reflected in this name change.

By frosti sigurjonsson, Thursday, April 2, 2009