Travel Book Market in Neutral

Despite challenges from the Internet and other digital options, the market for travel books grew slightly last year, according to a new study released by travel industry analyst Stephen Mesquita. The former managing director of the publishing division of the UK Automobile Association, Mesquita compiled the report based on figures supplied by Nielsen BookScan. According to the report, 2008 U.S. Travel Publishing Year Book, the travel book market rose less than 1% in 2007, to $333.5 million. The figure only covers the part of the travel book market whose sales are captured by BookScan, which is about 70% of total book sales. Travel book sales in the U.S. are consistent with what is occurring in the rest of the world, said Mesquita, who has also done reports on the travel markets in the U.K., Australia and South Africa.

The report shows the broad travel book segment holding up well, while sales of maps and atlases declined about 8%. “Publishers are going to have to realize that they won't be selling as many maps in the future as they used to,” Mesquita said. Among all travel categories, world guidebooks (including international series about the U.S.) took 51% of sales and had an increase of 1.7%, to just under $170 million last year. The largest player in that field is Frommer's, with a 20% market share, followed by DK. The fastest growing series among the world travel guides was Avalon's Rick Steves line, and National Geographic Society's National Geographic Travelers, up 13.8% and 12.2%, respectively; sales of Insight Guides fell 13% and Moon Guides (also Avalon) sales dropped 7%.

The fastest growing segment among all travel categories is one Mesquita calls “people and places” and is led by two Workman titles, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and 1,000 Places to See in the U.S. A. & Canada Before You Die. Sales in this segment were up 44%. Judging by the books Americans bought in 2007, they are traveling more to Israel, Beijing, Vietnam, Egypt and Croatia and cutting back on trips to Britain, Canada and the Caribbean.

Based on the BookScan numbers, Random House was the country's largest travel publisher, followed by DK, John Wiley and Lonely Planet.

Mesquita said he worked closely with BookScan in developing the report and pays the company a royalty. The study, available to PW readers for $499, can be ordered by contacting stephen.mesquita@talktalk.net.