Two-thirds of online travel purchases made by women.
BURST! Media
online survey has found that women convert their travel research into travel
purchase at a higher rate than their male counterparts. The survey found this
especially true in the case of car rentals and airline travel, with 64.1% women
leading over 58.5% male purchasers. However, the battle of the sexes in research
and then purchasing via online hotel accommodations are nearly equal with 55% of
men and 56.9% of women. The findings are the result of a recent survey of nearly
3,500 BURST! Media network visitors to measure how consumers are currently using
the Internet as a travel resource. Respondents were 18+ years and had made at
least one overnight trip in the past six months.
For online travel providers, the findings provide clearer insight into
how women—in regard to travel buying—choose to first research and then
purchase. "What makes these findings so interesting is that in BURST's previous
survey focusing on online retail habits and attitudes, women were more likely to
research, while men were more likely to buy," says Chuck Moran, BURST! Media's
Market Research Manager. "But, when it comes to Travel, women's behavior is
different than their retail behavior."
According to comScore Networks,
online travel spending generated $7.8 billion in November and December 2004 and
for the year totaled $50.9 billion. Those numbers include airline tickets, car
rentals, cruises, and hotel bookings and are a 26% increase from 2003.
Other findings of the BURST study include that level of income impacts
travel purchase behavior with less than a quarter of those making $35,000 or
lower purchasing travel online. The percentage of purchase increases to 46%
among those with income between $35,000 and $74,999 and then rises to 54.2% with
HHI of $75,000 or greater.
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