Business and Leisure Travel Growth Continues

　　According to the latest Pegasus data, GDS channel results show corporate travel recovery keeping a firm footing and forging onward. Overall, bookings, ADR and revenue are still gaining additional ground over and above the progress made last year.

　　Even facing the growing headwinds of economic uncertainty, travel growth continues its strong march forward overall. Corporate travel still flexes the most muscle worldwide, with leisure travel progressing despite mixed regional results. Global business-based global distribution system (GDS) channel bookings increased by +6.1% over prior year in September, accompanied by ADR growth of +3.5%. Global leisure-based alternative distribution system (ADS) channel bookings increased by +5.6% over prior year, with rates in turn rising by +3.0% over prior year.

　　Global GDS channel results show corporate travel recovery keeping a firm footing and forging onward. Overall, bookings, ADR and revenue are still gaining additional ground over and above the progress made last year. This is no small feat considering the uncertainty stemming from Europe’s debt worries and unstable financial markets.

　　Global reservations increased +6.1% in September over prior year which is less than the +10.2% increase reached in August, but ahead of July’s +5.8% increase. Reservations still maintained positive booking growth since April’s dip following Japan’s earthquake disaster. Additionally, keep in mind that it was in April 2010 that bookings went from single-digit growth to consistently averaging more than +25%. Further growth on top of such strong previous progress is challenging, especially during these uncertain economic times.