NACTA survey shows: Cruises float members’ boats
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Of full-time retailers, 64% said
that at least 15% of their business is
dedicated to one destination or type
of travel. Part-timers follow closely at
57.8%, and overall, 60% are focused
on one destination or type of travel.
NACTA noted that these numbers re-
flect a 3.4% increase over last year.
NACTA members focus over-
whelmingly on cruises. In 2003, 50%
did so. This year, 55% do.
In fact, cruise sales account for 56%
of business from NACTA members.
Tour bookings, meanwhile, appear
to be losing ground. Three years ago,
28% of NACTA members said they
booked tours; this year the number
Independent Business Mix by Sector
Other
4.3%
Supplier Arrangements for Independents
Car rental
2.8%
Hotel
8.5%
Cruise
55.1%
Air
8.3%
Use both their own
and host agency Have own supplier
supplier arrangements arrangements
28.3% 39.1%
is down to 21%. Slight increases were
reported this year regarding air, hotel
and car rental bookings.
The majority of NACTA agents,
78%, work from a home office. That’s
a 3% decrease from 2005. However, the
percentage of agents who work from a
combination of home and host agency
space rose by the same amount.
The survey found that 65% of
NACTA members have been working
as independent retailers for nine years
or less, and overall 61% have always
worked as independent contractors.
Of full-time agents, 50% had
worked in a traditional agency prior
to becoming an independent; 34%
of part-timers had done so, the survey found.
NACTA Member Agents
Tours
21.0 %
Use host agency
supplier arrange-
ments
32.6%
Part-time
Full-time
2006
30.7%
69.3%
2005
36.7%
63.3%
2004
49.4%
50.6%
51.6%
2003
