Trends show less flying, driving, more buses, trains
NEW YORK — Here are some of the latest travel trends.
Trains, planes, automobiles and buses: Amtrak and bus ridership surged in 2008, while the number of miles driven by Americans and the number of air passengers declined.
International destinatons: According to the Department of Commerce Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, here's the 10 most-visited destinations by U.S. residents flying abroad in 2007 (latest year for which complete statistics were available): Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, France, Germany, Japan, Jamaica, People's Republic of China and Spain.
For the first eight months of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007, travel by Americans abroad was down 4.8 percent to Europe; up 4.4 percent to the Caribbean; up 3.7 percent to South America; up 5 percent to Mexico; and down 5 percent to Canada.
Top 10 destinations for spring break: Based on advance Travelocity.com bookings for Feb. 9-April 20, 2009: Orlando; South Florida (West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami); Las Vegas; Fort Meyers, Fla.; Denver; Phoenix; Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.; Cancun; Los Angeles; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Top 10 destinations for 2009: As chosen by the publisher Lonely Planet's U.S. staff: U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Canada, Spain, Italy, Costa Rica, Iceland, Colombia and the United Kingdom.
Top travel trends for 2009: Predictions from ad agency JWT (formerly J. Walter Thompson): Presidential sightseeing (Obama's Chicago, Washington for the inauguration, Lincoln bicentennial); inconspicuous travel, where tourists try to blend in; unconventional lodging, like home swaps or staying in a monastery; pod hotels, which offer tiny and cheap but high-tech, stylish rooms; personalized travel guides, like the customized books offered by OffbeatGuides.com; irresistible deals, like Disney's free admission on your birthday offer; and "glamping," or glamorous camping, where a tour company provides comfy bedding and nice meals so you don't have to rough it while experiencing remote or wild places.
Top tour destinations: According to an annual survey of 50 member tour companies by the U.S. Tour Operators Association, Italy ranked as the top international destination for packaged travel. Egypt was second, the first time the country has shown up in that category for the survey, and Latin America, for the first time, was named most popular international region. The most popular U.S. region for packaged travel was the West and the national parks, which was followed by Alaska and Las Vegas.
Comments
- Lawmaker: CIA dir. ended program 11:09 a.m.
- Ships ending search for black boxes 11:07 a.m.
- Charger RB wounded in shooting 11:06 a.m.
- Paris Hilton set to take stand 10:52 a.m.
- Papers plan boycott of Britney show 10:50 a.m.
- A look at the world in pictures 10:41 a.m.
- Arrests in near dragging of officer 10:35 a.m.
- Myths harmless, unnecessary 10:17 a.m.
- Reactions on Boozer speculation 10:15 a.m.
- Obama and pope hold first meeting 10:11 a.m.
- Jazz talking Boozer trade?
- Stadium of Fire flag burning was fake
- Jazz in back of line for free agents
- Okur signs two-year extension
- A primer for the 6th Potter film
- Jazz won't meet Lopez on Europe trip
- Restaurant destroyed by fire
- Reactions on Boozer speculation
- Mall owner seeks to retain zoning
- Jazz rally for OT win at Orlando
- Bronco collecting a galaxy of recruits
140 - Letters: Palin mistreated
137 - Teachers struggle with district cuts
135 - Blazers may offer Millsap a contract
123 - Jazz talking Boozer trade?
110 - Fairness of BCS debated
81 - Moon landing: Let's hear from you
78 - Chaffetz eyes challenging Bennett
73 - Letters: Single-payer system best
70 - Services bids farewell to Jackson
70
Love it when God and nature confound the puny human mind. Timj and others...
Anonymous: You wrote: "If she was from the GOP, they would love her and...
The difference with Utah and YBU recruits is Utah's recruits don't hire PR...
Real news doesn't sell. Tabloid stuff does. You want a free market system,...
Like it or not Boozer is one of the best power forwards in the league. I do...
This is irrelevant since UVU does not have a football team they don't have to...
I too was enamored by this brilliant headline. Sounds like breaking news ......
I've followed this for years, as a business leader and in government. Nick...
@Ethics???: You might want to familiarize yourself with actual facts,...
He controls everything? Are you freakin' paranoid? Did you like it when...



You can be the first to comment on this story.