Leisure Bookings Jump in First Quarter

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Global hotel chains reported a 5.1 percent increase in leisure bookings during the first quarter of 2013, according to new data from Pegasus Solutions.  

While bookings were aided by an early Easter holiday, first quarter rates for the leisure market also increased, rising 1.4 percent. Corporate rates were up 1.7 percent. 

For the month of March, volumes increased 5.9 percent year-over-year and rates went up 0.5 percent for the month, reported Pegasus. 

"The stabilizing or improved performance evident in leisure market indicators suggests hotels should emerge from daily survival mode to actually focus on the future," chief executive officer of Pegasus Solutions David Millili said in a the release.

"When volume grows with rates, it means hotels aren't pandering to win bookings by discounting. Instead, they are implementing and maintaining solid rate strategies with an eye to the future."

Pegasus data showing improvements in the length of stay and booking lead times echoes recent positive data released by STR Global.

During the first quarter, corporate travelers increased reservations globally by 2.4 percent from the previous year, Pegasus reports.

Pegasus is the largest processor of electronic hotel transactions in the world. Its data reflects billions of monthly transactions processed for almost 100,000 hotels.