RESERVATION SYSTEMS – AUSTRALIA

Australia’s most popular travel agents and the holiday-goers more (or less) likely to use them

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 24-Aug-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that just over 13.7 million Australians aged 14+ took at least one holiday in the year to June 2016. Some 7.3 million (52.8 per cent) reported using a travel agent or tour operator for at least one of the trips they took – more than double the number (3.2 million) that did not use one at all. The survey also shows that 12.6 per cent of Australian holiday-goers used Flight Centre for at least one trip, ahead of online accommodation service Booking.com (11.4 per cent), Wotif.com (6.8 per cent), Webjet (6.1 per cent) and Airbnb (5.5 per cent). Analysis using Roy Morgan Research’s Helix Personas consumer profiling tool shows that members of the Social Flyers community are most likely to have booked their holiday via Flight Centre (22.5 per cent), while Rural Traditionalists (4.0 per cent) are least likely to have used Flight Centre.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, BOOKING.COM (AUSTRALIA) PTY LTD, WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED, WEBJET LIMITED – ASX WEB, AIRBNB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Mobile travel bookings quadruple (and then some) since 2011

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 3-Mar-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 511,000 Australians aged 14+ (3.8 per cent) who took a trip in the year to December 2015 booked part of their last holiday via mobile internet. This compares with 121,000 in 2011. The survey also shows that 7.2 per cent of travellers aged between 18 and 24 and 6.3 per cent of those aged 25-34 booked at least part of their last trip via mobile internet. In contrast, just 2.6 per cent of the 50-64 year-old bracket and 1.3 per cent of the 65+ group booked part of their last trip via mobile internet.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, WEBJET LIMITED – ASX WEB, WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED, AIRBNB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Airbnb: the changing face of accommodation booking

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Market Research Update – Page: Online : 11-Feb-16

A Roy Morgan Single Source survey has found that 27.1 per cent of Australians aged 14+ (or 5.3 million people) reported having heard of Airbnb in the six months to December 2015. While this is a substantially lower recognition rate than more established tourism industry players such as Flight Centre (70 per cent) and Webjet.com.au (52.2 per cent), it puts Airbnb ahead of well-known operators like STA Travel (26.9 per cent), Lastminute.com.au (25.8 per cent) and Stayz (23 per cent). Meanwhile, 7.7 per cent of Australians say they would consider using Airbnb for their next holiday, making it the fifth-most considered travel agent/booking site after Flight Centre, Booking.com, Wotif, and Webjet.com.au.

CORPORATES
ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, AIRBNB AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, WEBJET LIMITED – ASX WEB, STA TRAVEL PTY LTD, LASTMINUTE.COM AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, STAYZ PTY LTD, BOOKING.COM BV, EXPEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

ACCC orange light on Wotif takeover

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 : 5-Sep-14

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) had been widely tipped to approve Expedia’s acquisition of Wotif.com. However, the competition regulator has expressed concern that the $A703m deal may lead to an increase in commission rates in the accommodation sector. The ACCC has noted that Wotif.com’s low commission rates may have influenced rivals such as Expedia to offer lower rates in Australia than in other markets

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, BOOKING.COM BV, BELL POTTER SECURITIES LIMITED, BELL FINANCIAL GROUP LIMITED – ASX BFG, CLIFFORD CHANCE, FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL GROUP LIMITED – ASX FLT, HELLOWORLD LIMITED – ASX HLO, STA TRAVEL PTY LTD, PRICELINE.COM, EUROMONITOR, JETSET TRAVELWORLD LIMITED, STELLA TRAVEL SERVICES LIMITED, DRANSFIELD HOTELS AND RESORTS PTY LTD, ACCOMMODATION ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Expedia buyout spares shareholders of ‘lucky’ Wotif

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Original article by Jamie Freed
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 18 : 13-Aug-14

Wotif.com has posted a 2013-14 net profit of $A43.2m, which is 15.4 per cent lower than previously, while booked room nights were down by 10.8 per cent. CEO Scott Blume expects the decline in room bookings to continue as a result of competition in the sector, and he concedes that Wotif.com would find it challenging to turn this around if the takeover bid from US-based Expedia does not succeed

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, PRICELINE.COM, BOOKING.COM BV

Virgin, Jetstar to face joint action

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Original article by Anthony Klan
The Australian – Page: 19 : 7-Aug-14

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission recently launched Federal Court action against Jetstar Airlines and Virgin Australia over allegedly misleading practices. It is being claimed that the carriers’ online booking web sites hide additional fees and charges when they advertise fares for flights. The ACCC’s legal team has now agreed with a suggestion by the judge to combine the two actions into a single one

CORPORATES
VIRGIN AUSTRALIA HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX VAH, QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED – ASX QAN, JETSTAR AIRLINES PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, WOOLWORTHS LIMITED – ASX WOW, COLES GROUP LIMITED, WESFARMERS LIMITED – ASX WES

Expedia’s offer brings up many Wotifs for sector

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Original article by Adir Shiffman
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 25 : 15-Jul-14

The acquisition of Australian-listed online travel bookings provider Wotif.com by Expedia is not a positive development for Australia. The deal is likely to have a negative impact on competition in the hotel bookings sector. There will be fewer jobs in the industry and a loss of expertise and talent. It is surprising that Wotif capitulated so quickly and accepted the takeover offer. Several years ago, Wotif was considered to be in the same category as SEEK and REA Group

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, SEEK LIMITED – ASX SEK, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, BOOKING.COM BV, AGODA COMPANY PTE LTD, ORBITZ INCORPORATED, ASX LIMITED – ASX ASX, TRAVEL.COM.AU LIMITED, HOTELS.COM LP, TRIPADVISOR LLC, HOTELCLUB, DISRUPTIVE INVESTMENT GROUP LIMITED – ASX DVI, CATAPULT SPORTS PTY LTD

Expedia told: lift rates, cop a backlash

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Original article by Larry Schlesinger
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 42 : 10-Jul-14

A takeover offer worth $A703m has been made for Australian online travel bookings group Wotif.com by US-based Expedia. Local accommodation operators say they will increasingly turn to direct reservations via upgraded in-house web sites, if Expedia attempts to raise commission rates after the acquisition. At present Wotif charges about 12% and the Australian unit of Expedia 18%. Industry expert Dean Dransfield likens the warning by the hotel businesses to the revolt against increased fees at property classifieds portal REA Group by real estate agents

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, REA GROUP LIMITED – ASX REA, EXPEDIA AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, MANTRA GROUP LIMITED – ASX MTR, ACCOR SA, DRANSFIELD HOTELS AND RESORTS PTY LTD

Expedia launches $703m takeover bid for Wotif.com

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Original article by Perry Williams, Madeleine Heffernan
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15/20 : 8-Jul-14

US-based online travel bookings group Expedia has launched a takeover bid for Wotif.com. Investors have been offered $A3.30 a share in a bid worth $A703 million in total. Wotif co-founder Graeme Wood as well as CEO and MD Scott Blume have recommended shareholders accept the offer. Blume said competition in the sector was so intense that it was "eat or be eaten" for Wotif

CORPORATES
WOTIF.COM HOLDINGS LIMITED – ASX WTF, EXPEDIA INCORPORATED, BOOKING.COM BV, AUSTRALIAN COMPETITION AND CONSUMER COMMISSION, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, PARADICE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT PTY LTD, SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP INCORPORATED, WILSON HTM LIMITED, HYPERION ASSET MANAGEMENT LIMITED, UQ HOLDINGS, GUARDIAN MEDIA GROUP PLC, CCZ EQUITIES PTY LTD