As the travel industry fights for consumers’ travel budget $$, the question is not if people will travel but how?  The economic crisis is rewriting American consumption rules, probably for the better.  According to Time and Newsweek Magazines (who both respectively have been blanketing the crisis since last Fall) how we spend and how much we spend is changing.  I’m envisioning more of us being green not for the sake of the environment but out of necessity.  Depression-era-esque habits such as reusing aluminum foil and taking public transportation are en-vogue.  And travel is right in the mix. It’s not if consumers will travel but where will they go and what they will now be willing to spend.  

According to this week’s Newsweek issue: the travel industry is bracing for possibly the worst season since 9/11. The U.N. estimates that worldwide tourism will fall by up to 2 percent this year, with the Americas and Europe hardest hit. The number of international tourists going to the United States fell 9 percent during the year ending in January, and the amount they spent fell 7 percent. The number going to Britain fell 2.6 percent in 2008, and the number of Brits traveling abroad fell nearly 9 percent in the last three months of the year. Even France—still the world’s top tourist destination—saw a 3 percent drop in visitors, most of it coming at the end of the year as the crisis took hold.

Vacation feels like an entitlement to most people which is the saving grace of the travel industry.  Although it will feel the pinch of these economic times, it is not going to feel the battering ram of the automobile industry.  Travel marketers are getting more creative in reaching out to their resident-tourists, the in-town consumer who are now looking to “staycations” versus long-distance getaways.  And free breakfasts, massages, along with free days and nights at hotels and attractions are sweetening the deals for able travelers.  Studies are indicating that travelers are shortening the duration of their trips opting for long-weekend getaways compared to a week here and there.  A quick girlfriend getaway is now just what the doctor ordered for a group of friends who can book a $29/night rate in Las Vegas.  According to GroupTravelPlanet.com, 29% of visitors plan a girlfriend getaway every few months while 21% always take such a trip once a year.  Even those who have felt the pain of a recent lay-off are parlaying the time-off into a pink-slip vacation. Read the article in Time Magazine.  

I’ll keep saying it post after post  NOW is the time to travel.  Take advantage of deals online, become part of the twitterati pouncing on the travel opportunities that are too good to pass up.