The Once and Future Agent: Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013

Summary

Traditional travel agents once represented the dominant channel through which consumers purchased travel. In the past decade, however, fundamental shifts in consumer behavior and growth in online booking channels have disrupted and transformed the traditional travel agency landscape. The number of leisure agents has declined dramatically, while both corporate and leisure agencies have shifted their focus in order to stay relevant and competitive.

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Douglas Quinby, Senior Director, Research


The Once and Future Agent: Phocuswright’s Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013 examines the traditional travel agency channel, assessing the state of the marketplace and providing a detailed outlook for the future. Drawing on data acquired through a survey of more than 1,200 U.S. travel agents, supplier interviews, publicly available financial information and a range of third-party sources, this report identifies the key forces shaping agency distribution and examines the complex dynamics at play in both the leisure and corporate agency markets. The Once and Future Agent: Phocuswright’s Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013 includes:

• Comprehensive travel agency market sizing, including leisure versus corporate sales, and sales by segment - air, hotel, cruise, car, tour and rail
• Composition and structure of the travel agency marketplace, examining the total number of agency locations, the travel agent population, the mix of leisure and corporate agencies and travel agency affiliations (consortia)
• Assessment of the growing home-based travel agent phenomenon
• Detailed analysis of travel agency research and booking methods, including GDSs, mobile devices, supplier websites and other online resources and platforms
• Discussion of trends and key market developments in the U.S. travel agency landscape, such as:
  • Overall outlook for leisure and corporate segments in the aftermath of the recession
  • Significant shifts in the mix of travel products that leisure agents offer their clients
  • Evolution of a new breed of travel agent in response to changes in technology, consumer behavior and business practices that have become outmoded
  • Examination of key threats to the leisure agency distribution channel, including risk of declining supplier commissions and aging travel agent population

he travel agent marketplace has changed radically over the past 15 years, in both the corporate and leisure segments. The Once and Future Agent: Phocuswright's Travel Agency Distribution Landscape 2009-2013 outlines this transformation and projects what lies ahead for traditional travel agencies.

Also available:

• Travel Agents and Ancillaries: The Game Is On ($350)
• The Travel Agent Customer: Who Uses Travel Agents, Why They Use Them, and What They Buy ($350)

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