What
Travel industry technology company Passport Online Inc. has released its analysis of travel agency community activity across all digital channels for the first half of 2019.
Why It Matters
Consumers are responding to content that Passport-powered agencies are sharing, showing how social media can help boost an advisor’s business. Facebook shares are up 44% over the first six months of last year, and Facebook likes are up year over year. Consumers are also more engaged with the click-through rates on Passport-powered websites, and cruise bookings through Passport’s Tandem B2B booking engine grew 17% in the first six months of 2019.
Fast Facts
- Consumer shopping sessions on Passport Online customer agency websites were almost 20 million in for the first six months. Though the shopping sessions dipped slightly, the consumers were more engaged with the click-through rates on Passport-powered agency websites, at 11%, which is considered well above the industry average.
- Consumer interest in destination content was the most significant change for website activity. Nearly 2 million consumers clicked into unique destination content on the 6,000-plus sites powered by Passport Online.
- For the full year 2018, cruise bookings generated on the company’s Tandem cruise booking engine were up 25% year over year.
- Passport Online helps more than 7,500 travel agencies create, expand and diversify their digital footprint through websites, social media and email marketing and works with more than 30,000 agents in partnership with many of the industry consortia and host agencies, as well as hundreds of independent advisors.
What They Are Saying
“The digital presence of the travel advisor market continues to grow and support their leisure sales efforts,” said Jeanne Colombo, vice president of strategic partnerships for Passport Online. “Over the past 18 months, we have strategically grown the destination content options available for our website customers, and their clients are responding with high click-through rates and engagement with the opportunity to start their travel dreaming on their personal travel advisor’s website. Social media growth is explosive for our ESP customers. We now power more than 1,600 travel advisor business Facebook pages with more than 1.6 million followers. It is their growing engagement with posts that is so encouraging.”
The Details
Passport Online Inc.
www.passportonlineinc.com
