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The internet will overtake agents and operators for booking travel in as little as two to three years time, a survey predicts.
A poll of more than 4,000 travellers from the UK to the US shows
that agents and operators accounted for a high of 88% of bookings in
1998 but this had declined to 50% by 2004.
At the same time, the internet has moved from a zero start in 1996 to now account for 27% of travel bookings to the US.
"If current trends are maintained [the internet] will overtake
agents/operators in two to three years," according to the VisitUSA
group. A poll tracking where bookings were made "underlines the significant change in travel habits," according to VisitUSA.
The results of the survey also show that the internet is poised to
overtake agents and operators to become the primary source of travel
information, from a standing start nine years ago.
The figures come from an ongoing US Department of Commerce in-flight survey of travellers to the US.
The survey also shows that UK PC usage is growing much faster than other countries worldwide.
Meanwhile, international arrival figures for the year to the end of
June show a 2.8% rise over 2004 which if maintained could see 2005 UK
visitors to the US of more than 4.4 million.
Report by Phil Davies
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