North America Projected Bookings to the United States

13 May 2011
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CANADA Travel Trade Barometer: Cautious Optimism for Increased Bookings to the United States in the First Half of 2011

  • According to the U.S. Department of Commerce sponsored Canada Travel Trade Barometer, half of those tour operators surveyed (as of January 26 - February 25, 2011) projected higher bookings in both the first quarter and the second quarter 2011.
  • In the first quarter 2011, one fifth of the trade projected bookings to be on par with the first quarter 2010. In contrast, three in ten respondents projected bookings to be lower than last year.
  • A small minority (10%) of the trade projected second quarter 2011 bookings to be on par with second quarter 2010. Two fifths of the trade projected a decline in bookings for second quarter 2011 compared to second quarter 2010.
  • The top motivator for travel to the United States over the next six months was the exchange rate to the U.S. Dollar. Promotion by U.S. destinations and businesses and the economy in Canada were also listed as motivators for increasing bookings to the United States over the next six months.
  • The level of promotion by other long-haul destinations ranked as the top deterrent for travel to the United States over the next six months, followed by the collection of personal information.
MEXICO Travel Trade Barometer: First Quarter Bookings Projected to be Flat, with Respondents Projecting a Strong Increase in Bookings for Second Quarter 2011
  • According to the U.S. Department of Commerce sponsored Mexico Travel Trade Barometer, Mexican tour operators reported (as of January 26 - February 28, 2011) that first quarter 2011 bookings were projected to be flat, on average, year over year.
  • However, second quarter 2011 bookings were projected to be higher by 86 percent of the respondents. Only a small minority (14%) of trade projected bookings to be flat in the second quarter 2011.
  • Over the next six months, accommodation rates continued to be listed as the top motivator for travel to the United States, along with the exchange rate to the U.S. Dollar and the economy in Mexico.
  • In this survey session, the level of promotion by other long-haul destinations was once again ranked as a top deterrent for travel to the United States. Visa processing and concerns over entry policies were other top deterrents.
NATIONAL EXPORT INITIATIVE:
To improve conditions that directly affect the private sector's ability to export and to boost employment recovery, on March 11, 2010 President Obama created the National Export Initiative (NEI). The automation of the arrival/departure Form [CBP Form I-94W] for Visa Waiver Program travelers supports this initiative as the automated form will greatly improve the measurement and timely release of international arrival data to the United States.  To learn more about the NEI, you are encouraged to visit <http://www.trade.gov/nei/index.asp>.

BACKGROUD AND SOURCE:
Travel Market Insights (www.travelmi.com) conducts the Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and People's Republic of China Travel Trade Barometer programs. The U.S. Department of Commerce, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, is a sponsor and was the initial developer of the barometer program. The Barometer program is conducted with support from the U.S. Commercial Service and various Visit USA Committees and additional sponsors.

The Travel Trade Barometer survey is conducted on a quarterly basis in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany and the People's Republic of China and is available through subscription. Discussions with industry partners to add Brazil are in progress. For more information, please contact Scott C. Johnson at Travel Market Insights on 518-668-2559.

Reports sent to subscribers include additional information, such as:

  • Bookings - looking at the past quarter and the next two quarters for U.S. and competitive regional destinations;
  • Short term bookings for more than five specific travel segments; and
  • Over 15 motivators or deterrents for travel to the United States.
Specific (proprietary) destination data is also available through a subscription.

For more information on the Travel Barometer Program, please visit http://tinet.ita.doc.gov/research/programs/barometer/index.html

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