Worldpay Finds U.S. Online Travel Bookings Up 17% Ahead of Easter

April 10, 2017 — ATLANTA — Worldpay, a global leader in payments is expecting a rise in online sales for travel agents and airlines in the U.S. in the build-up to this year’s Easter celebrations.

Analysis of spending in the weeks prior to 2017’s Easter Sunday found that online travel sales are up by 17 percent compared to last year and as much as 16 percent compared to an average week*. And as the event draws nearer, online sales are only expected to rise further as travelers across the country plot a quick getaway around the long weekend.

Across the airline and travel industry, online travel agents have been the biggest winners with sales increasing by an impressive 22 percent compared to the year prior. With domestic tourism on the up, the data shows that more and more Americans are trusting online travel agents to help them take advantage of the long weekend to celebrate with friends and family.

But it’s not just the amount of sales being made. Worldpay’s data also shows that average booking value is up by 8 percent compared to a normal week. This suggests that Americans are feeling more confident than ever in their spending ability and are looking to make this Easter extra special.

Commenting on the data, Casey Bullock, General Manager for North America at Worldpay said:

“Easter is a time for the people of the United States to take a much deserved break. After the lull of winter, the four day bank holiday provides a fantastic opportunity for holiday-makers to spend some of their hard earned pennies on a long weekend away.

“The fact that Americans are spending more on their holidays this year is a promising sign of confidence amongst travelers. Savvy businesses will now be looking toward the next big date in the calendar and thinking about how they can optimize their online booking flow to create a seamless payment experience, allow people to pay the way they want and cash in on the extended weekend.”

* Figures refer to YoY comparison of customer transaction data in the three weeks leading up to Easter.

About the data
Figures quoted are according to Worldpay’s Global eCom customer transaction data for airlines and online travel agents in the U.S. 04/03/2016-22/04/2016, compared to 24/03/2017-02/04/2017. Worldpay processed a total of 14.9bn transactions at a value of £451.1bn in 2016.

About Worldpay
Worldpay is a leading payments company with global reach. We provide an extensive range of technology-led payment products and services to around 400,000 customers, enabling their businesses to grow and prosper. We manage the increasing complexity of the payments landscape for our customers, allowing them to accept the widest range of payment types around the world. Using our network and technology, we are able to process payments from geographies covering 99% of global GDP, across 146 countries and 126 currencies. We help our customers to accept more than 300 different payment types.

For more information visit: http://www.worldpay.com/global

For more information, please contact:

Global eCom
Emily Lahey, PR Director
+44 (0) 203 664 5663
emily.lahey@worldpay.com

Walker Sands
Allison Ward, Account Director
312-648-6010
Allison.ward@walkersands.com