SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Sojern, the world’s leading traveler data and marketing company, today released an analysis of U.S. travel trends from the last quarter of 2013. The data — obtained through Sojern’s exclusive partnerships with the top global travel brands — reveals that leisure and group travel was at a yearly high and that travelers stayed at their destinations longer and booked air and hotel accommodations well in advance of their trip.
The last quarter of the year was the most popular time for group travel likely due to cross-country family visits and holiday vacations with nearly 30% of airline bookings made for a group of two or more. Leisure travel was also at a yearly high in Q4 with nearly 75% of total travel identified as non-business.
The data suggests that taking time off over the holidays is the norm as nearly 85% of travelers stayed at their destination for three days or more. In comparison, 82% of travelers stayed three days or more in Q3, 81% in Q2 and 76% in Q1.
It seems travelers have come to expect higher airline fees and more crowded flights over the holidays as they booked airline tickets further in advance than normal. According to Sojern’s data, 51% of travelers booked their airline tickets more than 30 days in advance compared to 31% in Q3.
Unsurprisingly, Q4 data revealed similar hotel booking trends. While same-day hotel bookings remained extremely popular (now 29% of total), reservations made more than a month in advance hit a ’13 high (12% of total), roughly double the number in Q3.
The most popular overall travel destinations in Q4 were unchanged: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Denver. The most searched destinations also remained consistent with past quarters: New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco andChicago. New York City was the most popular overall travel destination in 2013, while New York and Las Vegas were the most searched destinations of the year.
To read the full Q4 Sojern Travel Trend Report, please click here.
About Sojern
Headquartered in San Francisco with key offices in New York, Omaha and London, Sojern is the world’s leading data-driven traveler engagement platform that delivers the most efficient marketing, distribution, monetization and insight solutions at scale. Since 2007, the company has helped top travel brands like American Airlines, American Express, Avis|Budget Group, Choice, Enterprise, Hertz, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Las Vegas Tourism, Marriott, Microsoft, Samsonite, Starwood, United, and US Airways more efficiently and meaningfully engage with travelers to drive conversions, loyalty and monetization.
For more information, please visit sojern.com.
