This report comprises the results of the 2015 Travel Industry Survey, which is conducted annually and examines important trends in the operations of travel agencies and travel agents.
The Warren Weiss Co. collected the data by using an online questionnaire with an invitation sent to Travel Weekly and TravelAge West subscribers in July, inviting them to participate in the research project.
The survey results were based on responses from 1,495 travel agents, received between July and August.
This sample size allows for analyses of different segments and subgroups with statistical reliability typically measuring in the 3% to 4% margin of error. However, for the most part, trends apparent in the data are so consistent over time that even small changes can be considered reliable.
The terms "retail" and "traditional" are used interchangeably in this report when referring to agencies based in brick-and-mortar offices as opposed to home-based offices.
Forty-five percent of respondents work in traditional retail agencies, while the remaining 55% are home-based, a shift of about three percentage points toward home-based respondents.
The data results were separated into a number of categories, including revenue. The survey segmented home-based agents into those with annual revenue of less than $50,000; revenue between $50,000 and $250,000; and revenue of more than $250,000. For traditional agencies, revenue categories were less than $1 million; $1 million to $3 million; $3 million to $10 million; and more than $10 million.
In some charts, not all revenue categories are shown, in order to highlight specific differences or changes.
Interviews accompanying the data were conducted in September and were edited for length and clarity.