European Online Travel Sales Hit €7 Billion In 2002
Online travel sales in Western Europe increased by 53% during 2002, according to the latest research from the Centre for Regional and Tourism Research.
The Danish-based organisation estimates that online travel and tourism was worth â‚Ź7.3 billion last year, equivalent to 3.5% of the total market. Air tickets are by far the most popular purchase and accounted for almost 62% of internet travel sales.
The UK and Germany are the largest online travel markets in Western Europe making up 35% and 22% of sales in 2002. The Centre predicts that expenditure on online travel services will reach â‚Ź9.7 billion this year and rise to â‚Ź16.4 billion in 2006, by which time it will represent almost 7% of all spending in this sector.
| Western European Online Travel Sales | ||
| Year | Sales (â‚Źbn) | % Of Total Market |
| 1998 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| 1999 | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| 2000 | 2.6 | 1.3 |
| 2001 | 4.8 | 2.3 |
| 2002 | 7.3 | 3.5 |
| 2003 | 9.7 | 4.4 |
| 2004 | 12.0 | 5.3 |
| 2005 | 14.3 | 6.1 |
| 2006 | 16.4 | 6.9 |
| Source: Centre for Regional and Tourism Research, March 2003 | ||
