Pages 1 | 2 | 3 | 4          Summer 2004          Special Report GDS Media Outperforms All Other Media Independent Research and Brand Research Confirms High Impact of GDS Media Recent research from an independent survey of 364 travel agents shows that 53% of travel agents have booked a hotel due to advertising in the GDS. "Travel Agent response to GDS media has increased compared to the research we conducted two years ago," said Sheri Lambert, president of NFO Plog. "Agents are more likely to research or book a property as a result of being exposed to this media." Coincidentally, a separate brand survey of 2600 travel agents conducted and distributed by Hilton reported that 59% of travel agents say that GDS advertising impacts their booking decisions to varying degrees. Hilton Survey - 59% of Agents Say GDS Ads Impact Booking Decisions PLOG Study - 53% of Agents Have Booked a Hotel Due to GDS Ads Source: Hilton Agent Survey 8/03. Source: NFO Plog Agent Survey 6/03. Compare the response rate of GDS media at 53%-59%, to the response rate of traditional media - a 3.0% response rate from direct mail and a 0.2% response rate from print ads. This means that with a $20,000 media buy, a hotel can reach up to 25,000 times more true travel buyers with GDS media than with any other media. Comparative Study of Advertising Media Response Rates Top 10 Destination Markets for World Regions Asia-Pacific's Top Ten Hotel Destination Markets - First Quarter, 2004 The top 10 destination markets for total GDS room nights in Asia-Pacific during the first quarter of 2004 were, in order: All the top ten cities experienced double-digit growth in the first quarter of the year, so after a turbulent year the future looks bright for the region. Shanghai experienced the most dramatic improvement with 38.8% growth. Europe's Top Ten Hotel Destination Markets - First Quarter, 2004 The top 10 destination markets based on total GDS room nights in Europe during the first quarter of 2004 were, in order: Europe has started turning the corner, and all active indicators suggest the European hotel industry is on track for continued growth throughout 2004. Travel Agents Report GDS Usage is the Same As or More Than in 2001 88% of travel agents report that they use GDS systems the same or more now compared to two years ago. Source: NFO PLOG Research 2003 TravelCLICK predicts that this usage trend will continue due to the availability of Web fares on the GDS (see Summer eMonitor cover story for full details). GDS Revenue Growth Q1 2004 vs. 2003 TravelCLICK's eMonitor results for the first quarter of 2004 show that worldwide hotel room nights booked electronically through the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) by travel agents grew 6.9% compared to the first quarter of 2003. Additionally, hotel revenue from travel agents increased by 13.3% year-over-year, the greatest jump in well over two years. Pages 1 | 2 | 3 | 4