Press Release: Jupiter Media Metrix
April 24, 2001
MIAMI, FL -- Jupiter Media Metrix (Nasdaq: JMXI), the global leader in market intelligence, today reports that
despite the economic slowdown, total U.S. leisure and business online travel purchases will more than triple in
the next five years, from $18 billion in 2000 to $63 billion in 2006.
``Amidst a softening economy, both consumers and businesses are increasingly in search of value for their precious
travel dollars,'' said Heidi Kim, Jupiter analyst, from Jupiter's @travel forum in Miami. ``The Internet will continue
to grow as an important channel for information, products and services precisely because of its ability to help
travelers find the best possible fares and rates. To increase their share of the growing online travel market,
travel providers must vigilantly focus on increasing loyalty and wallet-share from each of their hard-won customers,
in addition to converting customers who research online but purchase offline.''
According to Jupiter analysts, travel providers must target different messages to customers who purchase online
versus customers who research online but purchase offline. While online purchasers seek good prices, ease of use
and effective service, travel researchers also need reassurance from providers about data-privacy, transaction-security
and hidden fees.
Jupiter Media Metrix Travel Highlights:
* According to a February 2001 Jupiter Consumer Survey, the Internet
continues to play a significant role in consumers' overall
travel-shopping experience: 29 percent of U.S. online consumers
research and purchase travel on the Internet; 29 percent research
leisure travel online but ultimately purchase offline; and 42 percent
are not yet using the Internet for travel shopping.
* Consumers shopping for travel online report that they almost always
check more than one site before purchasing: 10 percent of
airline-ticket purchasers online check one site, while 60 percent visit
two or three and 25 percent visit four or more sites; 10 percent of
hotel bookers visit one site, while 43 percent visit two or three and
22 percent visit four or more; and 13 percent of car-rental bookers
visit one site, while 36 percent visit two or three and 13 percent
visit four or more.
* To find the best value for their leisure and unmanaged business-travel
dollar, consumers will use the Internet extensively to find the best
travel deals available. U.S. online consumers booked $14 billion of
leisure and unmanaged travel online in 2000, a figure that Jupiter
expects to grow to $32 billion in 2006.
* Corporations are curbing business travel and IT budgets, temporarily
slowing the growth of online managed business-travel bookings. But
over the next few years, as companies reinstate IT budgets and
investments in cost-saving online booking solutions, total online
managed business-travel bookings will mushroom from $4 billion in 2000
to $31 billion in 2006.
* According to Media Metrix 2000 fourth-quarter ratings data, sites which
had the highest composition of Web users at home who reported
purchasing travel online in the previous six months were:
CheapTickets.com, with 48 percent, followed by Boston.com with
46.5 percent and Southwest.com with 43.1 percent.
Jupiter Media Metrix' @Travel Forum
These and other critical issues facing the online travel industry are currently being addressed at the Jupiter
@Travel Forum, April 23 to 24, 2001, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Miami. The forum features: Pamela Arway, executive
vice president & general manager, U.S. Corporate Travel, American Express Corporate Travel; Steve Jarvis, vice
president, e-commerce, Alaska Airlines; Roland Jacobs, chief marketing officer, Orbitz; John Samuel, vice president,
e-business, American Airlines; Steven Scheper, managing editor, e-business, Delta Air Lines; David Brown, director,
e-commerce product strategy and development, United Airlines; Sam Galeotos, president & CEO, Cheap Tickets;
Erik Blachford, senior vice-president, Expedia; Trip Davis, CEO, TRX; Ramesh Punwani, executive vice-president
& CFO, Travelocity.com, among many others. For more information, visit www.jmm.com
.
Media Metrix Q-Metrix Report
Top 10 Sites by Composition of U.S. Web Users at Home Who
Report Purchasing Travel Online in the Last Six Months
Fourth Quarter 2000
Site Audience Composition
CheapTickets.com 48.1%
Boston.com 46.5%
Southwest.com 43.1%
United.com 42.7%
Delta.com 41.5%
CA.gov 40.9%
Travelocity.com 40.3%
LA Times* 40.2%
Continental.com 40.1%
FedEx.com 40.0%
Definitions:
* Represents an aggregation of commonly owned and/or branded domain names.
Composition: The percentage of a Web site's visitors that belong to a
specific demographic grouping.
Jupiter Forecast Methodology
Jupiter uses a wide set of data-gathering tools to conduct research, including systematic polling of leading industry
executives, extensive consumer surveys, Media Metrix audience measurement data, AdRelevance online advertising
metrics and a rigorous approach to building market forecasting models. Jupiter forecasts, such as in this study,
are based on a number of methodologies, including close examination of analogous markets (either previous growth
of new technologies or relevant off-line market case studies), consumer self-stated intentions culled from proprietary
Jupiter surveying, complex market segmentation analysis, and analysis of historical trends. Additionally, all forecast
assumptions are rigorously debated in a process designed to capture the collective judgment of analysts with relevant
experience and perspectives on each given market. For a fuller explanation of the methodology, please visit www.jmm.com .
About Jupiter Media Metrix
Jupiter Media Metrix is the global leader in market intelligence for the new economy. The Company delivers innovative
and comprehensive Internet measurement, analysis, intelligence and events to provide businesses with unmatched
global resources for understanding and profiting from the Internet. Jupiter Media Metrix brings together world-class,
innovative and market-leading products, services, research methodologies and people. Jupiter Media Metrix brands
include Media Metrix, AdRelevance, Jupiter Research and Jupiter Events. The Company is headquartered in New York
City and operates worldwide, across the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe (as Jupiter MMXI Europe), and the Middle
East. Visit us at www.jmm.com for more information.
This press release contains statements of a forward-looking nature relating to future events or future financial
results of Jupiter Media Metrix. Investors are cautioned that such statements are only predictions and that actual
events or results may differ materially. In evaluating such statements, investors should specifically consider
various factors, which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those indicated from such
forward-looking statements, including the matters set forth in Jupiter Media Metrix reports and documents filed
from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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CONTACT:
Max Kalehoff, 917-534-6222, mkalehoff@jmm.com
Catherine Yao, 917-534-6280, cyao@jmm.com
SOURCE: Jupiter Media Metrix