Offline travel services remain in demand
While they like accessing online travel booking, many US business travelers later access offline travel services, according to a Travelport study, which said:
“The study finds that the greatest number of respondents use offline services to confirm that their online reservation was booked…demonstrating that there is still some mistrust towards the online booking system.”
About 32% of the respondents in the study use offline methods to update travel plans. Thirty percent of the respondents said online booking did not address their specific travel needs.
Noah Elkin, eMarketer senior analyst, said:
“As effective as online booking services have become in terms of sped, choice and pricing, there are still aspects of customer service – the so-called ‘soft factors’ of travel — where the internet has not yet been able to replicate the value added by traditional travel services.”
The study concluded that so far the main reason business travelers book online is for speed and the ease of service. Those factors were cited by 55% of respondents.
The study of 2,169 adult internet users was done by Harris Interactive for Travelport, a corporate travel management company.
Report by David Wilkening
David
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
France prepares for a massive strike across all transports on September 18
Turkish tourism stalls due to soaring prices for accommodation and food
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt