Travel Weekly’s annual Power List is out and this year the collection of the world’s biggest travel sellers includes an all-time high of 72 agencies.
The Power List’s class of 2024 increased by 11 companies over last year despite the fact that a new $110 million threshold was established to qualify. (Last year’s qualifying threshold was $100 million.)
The top six companies on the list for 2024 remain the same as 2023, though Travel Weekly says that’s likely to change next year if American Express Global Business Travel’s (no. 3) acquisition of CWT (No. 5) moves forward.
Also notable, survey responses provided by agencies as part of this year’s Power List compilation process reveal a “strong sense of buoyancy” throughout the industry, says TravelWeekly.
Here’s a closer look at this year’s top 24 for 2024.
Rankings are based on each company’s 2023 sales.
Booking Holdings maintains its reign at the top of the Power List again this year. The publicly held company, which provides online travel and related services to consumers and local partners in more than 220 countries and territories, recorded $150.63 billion in sales for 2023. That figure is an increase from its 2022 sales of $121 billion.
Expedia Group held onto its second place ranking for another year. Its 2023 sales were $104.08 billion. The online travel agency includes a variety of well-known brands including Expedia, Hotels.com, Orbitz, Travelocity, Vrbo, Trivago, and Hotwire.
American Express Global Business Travel remains in the number three spot on the Power List for another year. The company’s sales for 2023 were $28.2 billion.
Yet another company holding its ranking between last year’s list and this year, BCD travel recorded sales of $20.3 billion for 2023.
CWT held onto its number five position between the 2022 and 2023 Power List. It’s sales for 2023 were $15.8 billion.
Flight Center sales for 2023 were $15.2 billion. That’s increase from $11.7 billion in 2022 for the publicly traded travel company whose brands include Flight Centre leisure travel and corporate divisions Corporate Traveler and FCM.
Chase Travel Group, a global full-service travel provider of JPMorgan Chase & Co, climbed one slot in the rankings. It’s sales were $10 billion for 2023.
American Express Travel fell one place to number eight this year. The full-service and lifestyle services provider for American Express cardholders reported sales of $9.8 billion for 2023.
Moving up one slot in the rankings over last year, Corporate Travel Management reported sales of $9 billion for 2023. The publicly held company spans corporate, events, leisure, loyalty and wholesale travel.
A newcomer to the Power List, Navan Group is a privately held company that owns the corporate agency Reed & Mackay. Its 2023 sales were $6.5 billion.
Internova Travel Group held firm at number eleven for between this year’s and last year’s list. The privately held company reported 2023 sales of $5.7 billion.
The fin-tech travel company Hopper fell from number nine last year to 12 this year. For 2023 the company recorded sales of $5 billion.
Direct Travel, which sells directly to consumers for corporate travel, meetings and incentives, group travel and leisure vacations, reported sales of $4.1 billion for 2023. That’s up from 2022 sales of $3.6 billion.
AAA Travel remains at number 14 for another year. The company’s 2023 total sales figure was $3.8 billion.
Fareportal dropped two slots in the ranking this year from its previous position of number 13. The company reported 2023 sales of $3.2 billion.
The privately held World Travel Holdings fell one position to land at 16 this year. It closed out 2023 with $2.15 billion in sales.
Another newcomer to the Power List, ATPI is a privately held company that provides travel management services to the energy and maritime industry. In 2023 the company recorded $1.7 billion in sales.
A privately held company providing 100 percent leisure travel, Arrivia held onto the number 18 slot for another year. The company’s 2023 sales figure was $1.3 billion.
Inching up the list one notch from number 19 last year, World Travel Inc sold $1.3 billion in travel last year. The employe-owned company provides B2B services and solutions for global travel and meetings management.
The privately held ATG fell from 17 to 20 between 2023 and 2024’s Power List. The company recorded $1.2 billion in sales last year.
Newcomer Trevolution Group rounds out the top 24 for 2024. The privately held company sells flight tickets and in-flight extras directly to private and corporate customers. The company recorded $1.2 billion in sales for 2023.
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