The second quarter ended on a high note for both the business and leisure travel segments. Global leisure travel booked online yielded impressive reservation and rate growth during the second quarter, growing by +10.2% and +6.5% in June respectively. This represents the highest year-over-year growth for both leisure measures over the last 12 months. Corporate bookings and average daily rates (ADR) through the global distribution systems (GDSs) reached global year-over-year growth of +1.4% and +4.2% by June.

Forward-looking data suggests more growth in store through the beginning of autumn. Pricing remains a powerful influence, but substantial rate growth indicates it is not the only factor driving booking decisions, especially as online channels attract more corporate shoppers. More than ever, an effective online presence (on both the hotel website as well as through online travel agencies and meta search sites) is essential to capturing your fair share of the bookings available.

Bill Taysom
Pegasus