At World Aviation Festival, Peter O’Donovan, CEO at CarTrawler delved into the world of ancillaries, sharing additional insights from the 2024 CarTrawler Ancillary Yearbook and identifying key trends shaping the landscape. 

Some of the main findings included the integration of loyalty programmes with ancillary services, the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer service and revenue management, and the influence of Gen Z and their travel demands.

During the conversation, O’Donovan highlighted one trend that has been on the periphery for years but is now rapidly gaining momentum:

“The final one which might seem a bit off off the beaten track, is the impact of Ozempic – the weight loss drug that’s revolutionising healthcare around the globe. About 15 per cent of Americans have tried it about six or seven per cent are commonly taking it. What we predict is as the obesity epidemic is increasingly managed by this pharmaceutical drug will allow people who typically had real concerns about travel and their physical ability to travel to be moderated as they lose weight. About 30 per cent of the US population will be classified as obese. So, as people become more confident to travel and more able to travel, that’s a large number of people who will drive that overall doubling of travel by 2040.”

For more insight watch the full interview below.

 

 

Questions asked:

  1. The recently released 2024 CarTrawler Ancillary Yearbook by IdeaWorks provides an overview of the current aviation landscape. What are the key trends shown here and how do you anticipate these evolving?
  2. As we look towards the future, what key trends in technology do you believe will shape the travel and car rental industries over the next few years? How is CarTrawler positioning itself to stay ahead of these changes?
  3. CarTrawler has recently announced several exciting new partnerships. Can you elaborate on some of these wins and their significance, as well as the importance of events like this for CarTrawler?
  4. As we look ahead, what are you most excited about for CarTrawler, and the wider travel industry?

For more from onsite at World Aviation Festival see: