TravelCLICK’s eMonitor results for the third quarter of 2003 show that worldwide hotel room nights booked electronically through the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and key Internet sites increased 10.5% versus the same period last year. Travel Agent bookings made through the GDS bookings were flat, while room nights booked through Internet travel sites were up 51.6% over last year. Total electronic room night revenue for the third quarter of 2003 was up 10.3%, and average rate was slightly lower by 0.1%. eMonitor results are compiled from TravelCLICK’s comprehensive database, which is the exclusive source of hotel industry electronic distribution data from the Amadeus, Galileo, Sabre, and Worldspan GDSs. TravelCLICK’s eMonitor also includes hotel bookings made through third-party travel Internet Web sites powered by Pegasus Solutions.

“These results indicate a solid recovery for the hospitality industry,” said Bruce W. Mainzer, senior vice president of marketing for TravelCLICK.  “Room nights booked by Travel Agents were down 7% in the previous quarter, so this improvement along with the increase in ADRs for travel agent GDS bookings demonstrate a strong turnaround.”
 
Travel Agent Component

Travel agent bookings remained the dominant source of GDS and Pegasus hotel e-business, representing 72% of total room nights. The travel agent component of GDS bookings had a 1.8% increase in ADR versus the third quarter of 2002. The average rate for room nights booked through travel agents is 41% higher than the average rate for room nights booked via the Internet.  On a year-to-date basis, travel agent room nights were off 3.1% from 2002, while average rate increased 1.3%.

Internet Component

Internet (consumer online) room nights displayed growth of 51.6% above the third quarter of 2002.  Average rate was up for GDS and Pegasus powered Internet bookings by 4.8% compared to the third quarter of last year. The ADR of Internet bookings through the GDSs and Pegasus was $87.35.  Year-to-date, the Internet component displayed a 42% growth in room nights over the first nine months of 2002. 

GDS Performance by Market Segment

Results for the third quarter of 2003 by industry market segment are shown below for GDS bookings only. The luxury category outperformed all the other categories in ADR growth and the economy category outperformed all other categories in room night growth.
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