National News

Carlson releases annual travel trends survey

Las Vegas remains king of domestic destinations and Caribbean cruising continues to be the hottest international option for travelers, according to the 2006 Travel Trends Survey by Carlson Wagonlit Travel Associates. The survey of 363 Carlson travel agency owners, managers and frontline agents throughout the U.S., was conducted Nov. 28-Dec. 16, 2005. In other findings, Puerto Vallarta moved into the top five international destinations from its 12th place position last year. Mexico dominated international destinations, with the Riviera Maya, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico cruises and Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos all placing in the top ten. Other top domestic destinations included, in order, Orlando, Maui, Honolulu and New York City.
Source: Travel Advance

Rosy forecast for ‘06

Travel industry experts are making generally robust forecasts for 2006. The reasons for their optimism include a continuing U.S. economic expansion, strong consumer demand, and the desire of airlines and hotels to make up for several lean years by raising prices and returning to profitability. As a result, commercial flights will be fewer in number, more expensive and even more crowded this year, especially domestically. Hotels will fill up sooner and rooms will cost more. In addition, conventioneers will be out in force, as both business and leisure travel increase in the New Year, continuing a recovery in the industry that began in late 2004 and built momentum last year. However, the upbeat forecast for 2006 could fade with a wide outbreak of avian flu, another major terrorist attack or continuing high fuel prices.
Source: Travel Advance

Bike riding rolls into New Year

Bicycle touring vacations are a growing travel segment, catering to active travelers who want to experience more of a country than can be seen through the windows of a speeding tour bus or car. Approximately 57 million people rode bicycles at least once in the summer of 2002, according to a new survey by the U.S. Department of Transportation. "I think there's going to be a big swing, with baby boomers looking to take more bicycling and adventure vacations (as they retire)," said Doug Donaldson, author of Bicycling Magazine's Guide to Bike Touring. Many companies and organizations have information about their bike tour offerings online.
Source: Travel Advance

All is not what it seems with online travel agencies

Consumers who book reservations with online retailers don't always get the best deal, according to U.S. News & World Report. Often, they can get better treatment by reserving an air ticket, hotel or car rental directly with the supplier. For example, Spirit Airlines will offer seat assignments and boarding passes in advance plus extra low fares only to passengers who book on the airline's Web site. But Travelocity says it can offer customers packages that are cheaper than if they were bought separately.
Source: Travel Advance

Travel trends to watch in 2006

Leisure travel will continue to outpace business travel, according to Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell, which issued its list of 10 U.S. travel industry trends worth watching in 2006. Other top trends include: more travelers will select cruises and timeshares as alternatives to conventional lodging; activities that promote stress reduction will gain popularity; meetings and conventions will drive the recovery of business travel; and high-speed Internet access will increasingly become a standard traveler demand, not an option.
Source: Travel Advance