New Survey Reveals U.S. Consumers’ Growing Reliance and Trust in Online Travel Agencies

A majority of Americans rely on OTAs when searching for hotel accommodations; Nearly 70 percent see booking on an online travel platform as convenient and safe

  Washington, D.C., September 28, 2015 – Today more than ever American travelers are relying on the innovative web and app-based platforms developed by online travel agencies (OTAs) to effectively search, compare and book travel options across hotel brands, according to a new opinion research survey out today from The Travel Technology Association. Without online travel companies, consumers would have to visit dozens or even hundreds of websites and waste valuable time and effort in order to make an informed booking decision.  

The nationwide survey was conducted online from September 25 to 27, 2015 among a cross section of 2,015 adults age 18 and over. It found:

• A majority of U.S. travelers (55%) choose online travel companies most when searching for hotels.
• Nearly 7 in 10 Americans see booking on online travel company platforms as convenient and safe.
• More and more Americans are choosing to book hotel reservations through online travel company apps and sites (43%) versus booking direct on hotel platforms (40%).
• 55% of American consumers believe the innovation developed by online travel companies is vital to the travel economy.

“By offering side-by-side comparisons, access to the growing array of travel options and competitive prices, online travel companies have empowered travelers to search, compare, and book from the palm of their hand from anywhere in the world,” said Steve Shur, President of the Travel Technology Association.  

The scale and popularity of third-party online booking sites tells the story of their vital place in the travel ecosystem:

• In 2014 Expedia helped travelers book over 146 million hotel room nights.
• Each month over 27 million unique visitors browse Orbitz Worldwide sites.
• Priceline.com partners with over 370,000 hotels in 170 countries.

“It is clear the American public not only relies on the convenience of shopping across multiple travel brands in a single place, but they continue to trust online travel companies with their vacation and business travel itineraries,” concluded Mr. Shur.