US travel agents sold $9.6bn worth of air tickets in March 2023

Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) has published data showing US travel agency air ticket sales of $9.6bn in March 2023, a 22% “year-over-year increase” and the largest monthly figure recorded by the corporation. “March 2023 sales and passenger trip totals followed typical month-over-month trends and were boosted by a robust increase in international travel demand from the comparable prior year period,” ARC said in a statement accompanying the data. Sales increased 15% month-on-month, ARC said, with passenger trips up 15% to 25.8 million. Fares were up 4% annually and 2% compared to February, reaching an average of $559, according to ARC.