Data as the Driving Force Behind Global Online Travel Bookings
According to data from Condor Ferries (“Over 70+ Online Travel Booking Statistics 2024”) and Stratos Jets (“Travel Booking Data 2024”), online bookings continue to dominate the global travel landscape. These figures do more than signal a technological shift—they highlight the growing dependence on reliable data to understand traveller behaviours, predict trends, and shape strategic decisions.
Online travel booking now represents 63% of the roughly $1.2 trillion generated annually by the travel industry.
In 2022, 68% of travel and tourism sales occurred online, generating $667.55 billion in 2023.
By 2028, 76% of the sector’s total revenue is expected to come from online sales.
Traveller behaviour is overwhelmingly data-driven. In 2023, 72% of travellers preferred booking online, compared with only 12% who opted for travel agencies. Statista forecasts that by 2026, 73% of all revenue in travel and tourism will be generated through online channels. In fact, 80% of global travellers now prefer to book their entire trip online.
These numbers show that data is the real engine of the modern tourism economy. Every booking, click, search, review, and comparison produces data that shapes pricing, marketing, product design, and destination management. Without reliable and accessible data, local communities and small tourism actors are left behind—unable to compete with global platforms that leverage vast datasets to influence traveller behaviour.
How Local Communities Can Benefit from Data
While large travel companies use extensive data to optimise their global operations, local communities often have limited access to the insights necessary to make informed decisions. Yet data has the potential to become a powerful equaliser, allowing even remote destinations to understand travellers better, improve their offerings, and retain more economic value.
1. Reducing Tourism Leakage
Tourism leakage occurs when most tourism revenue leaves the local economy due to foreign-owned operators, external suppliers, and global intermediaries.
With accurate data on traveller preferences and spending patterns, local businesses can:
tailor their services to what visitors actually want;
identify gaps in the local supply chain;
develop locally-owned alternatives to imported goods or services;
strengthen community-based tourism initiatives.
In short, data empowers communities to capture a larger share of tourism revenue.
2. Addressing Overtourism Through Data
Overtourism is fundamentally a problem of poor planning and a lack of real-time insights. Data can help communities:
monitor visitor flows and seasonality;
understand peak pressure points;
track environmental and social impact;
plan dispersal strategies that guide tourists to lesser-known areas;
anticipate future surges through predictive analytics.
When communities have access to these insights, they can safeguard their cultural and natural assets while delivering a better experience to visitors.
3. Creating More Accurate and Contextual Travel Insights
Local stakeholders—guides, small hotels, community projects, artisans—often hold unique knowledge but lack structured data to present it on a global scale. By collecting and organising local data—on attractions, cultural practices, seasons, safety, and visitor experiences - they can:
improve visibility on booking platforms;
negotiate better partnerships with major travel companies;
contribute authentic content that enriches global travel insights.
Data turns local knowledge into globally accessible information, reshaping how destinations are perceived and valued.
4. Enhancing Local Decision-Making and Self-Reliance
Data literacy allows communities to:
analyse demand trends;
set fair pricing;
benchmark their performance;
use evidence instead of guesswork.
With data, communities move from reactive to proactive tourism planning.
5. Strengthening Collaboration Between Locals and Global Travel Companies
Major players—like GDS providers, OTAs, and airlines—depend on accurate destination data to optimise their offerings. When local communities collect and share high-quality data, they become valuable partners rather than passive recipients of tourism.
This creates:
more balanced power dynamics;
opportunities for co-designed tourism products;
increased cultural visibility;
stronger protection of local interests.
Data as the Foundation for Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism
Whether addressing overtourism, strengthening local economies, or improving traveller experience, data - not merely technology - is the backbone of modern travel.
When communities gain the ability to produce, interpret, and share data:
tourism becomes more equitable;
leakage is reduced;
sustainability improves;
cultural identity is protected;
and destinations gain a stronger voice within the global tourism system.
By placing data at the centre of tourism development, both major travel companies and local communities can benefit, ensuring a more balanced, resilient, and sustainable future for the global travel industry.