2010: A "Less Bad" Year For US Travel eBusiness

2010 will not be an easy year for travel sellers. Total US leisure and unmanaged travel sales in 2010 will be $2.3 billion below 2009 levels, although online travel sales are expected to increase slightly. US online leisure travelers are scared: Many have seen their financial conditions worsen in the past 12 months. Fortunately, more travelers expect to see their financial states improve this year than expect to see them worsen. However, travel eBusiness professionals mustn't mistake this optimism as a sign that the recession is over — travelers will maintain firm grasps on their wallets. To successfully navigate 2010, travel eBusiness professionals will need to present useful details in shopping and booking paths, employ all available digital channels — in a relevant manner — incorporate useful tools like rich Internet applications, and explore additional ways to present value to the traveler.