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TTRA CONFERENCE PRELIMINARY PROGRAM AVAILABLE ONLINE. Join us for TTRA’s 39th Annual Conference June 15-17 in historic Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! This conference is an amazing gathering of some of the most influential travel industry professionals you will find. This event will be the only one of its kind to give you the depth, focus and variety of key programming essential in today’s environment.

The conference program will focus on actionable research results and winning marketing strategies, as well as a first look at key trends you’ll only find here. We have an impressive lineup of general sessions including our opening keynote address by Mr. John Heimlich, Vice President and Chief Economist with the Air Transport Association. (See Program Here)

REGISTER NOW FOR TTRA 2008 "FREEDOM TO TRAVEL". Have you registered yet? Register now, it's easy! Over 350 of the top top travel and tourism marketing and research professionals from around the world will be there! Register now - all details available online.

And don't forget to reserve your room at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel! We have secured a great room rate, but the conference room block is only available through May 23! The hotel is sold out for regular bookings outside of our room block, reserve your room now so you're not left out! Conference lodging and reservation details

In the News...

WARNING TO BUSINESS TRAVELERS ISSUED. The Association of Corporate Travel Executives has issued a warning to its members worldwide--and to all business travelers--to limit proprietary information on laptop computers when crossing U.S. borders, and to eliminate any personal data, including photographs, finances and e-mail that they do not want examined by Border Protection authorities. The warning follows a decision by a federal appeals court last week giving customs officials the unfettered authority to examine, copy and seize travelers' laptops--without reasonable suspicion. ACTE has filed an Amicus brief contending that a traveler's laptop was essentially intellectual property and not the same as luggage nor freight. "The court has disagreed and this decision will have significant impact on business travelers who have no idea their data is subject to search and seizure," said Susan Gurley, ACTE global executive director.

DMAI AND TRAVEL CHANNEL TO PARTNER. The Destination Marketing Association announced a new multi-year Alliance Partner agreement with the Travel Channel under which the Travel Channel will be the exclusive sponsor of DMAI's upcoming industry awareness campaign that will be launched this summer. The program will use broadcast, print and online media to increase travelers' awareness of DMOs and local tourist boards. Commercials aired on the Travel Channel and placed on travelchannel.com will encourage travelers to seek destination information from DMOs.

Trends to Watch...

ECONOMY WEAKENS SUMMER TRAVEL PLANS. AS FAMILIES across the country plan their vacations, many are downsizing out of concern over the economy, spooked by talk of a recession, the weak value of the dollar overseas and home foreclosures. Add to that air-travel delays and the rising cost of gas, and some travelers are holding off planning, in hopes of nabbing cheap deals at the last minute. Some resorts and tour operators are responding with discounts and other incentives to try to fill rooms. Close-to-home destinations like suburban water parks and regional resort towns say they're bracing for a spike in business as Americans look for fun things to do that don't require much travel. At online travel agency Travelocity, researchers say they've noticed that Americans are booking shorter trips for the summer, especially for destinations overseas. The overall average length of a trip has fallen more than 5% for an overseas vacation booked on the Web site. (The Full Story)

AIRFARES STILL CHEAPER THAN IN 2000. The average U.S. air fare increased by 4% during the fourth quarter of 2007, federal data show, but was still cheaper than tickets purchased during the same period of 2000. The average domestic fare, round-trip or one way for which no return is purchased, reached $331 during the final quarter of 2007, as airlines began to raise prices to offset higher fuel costs. That's the highest fourth-quarter pricing in six years, according to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics. But it is still 2.7% lower than the average price airlines charged in late 2000, before the aviation industry was hammered by a recession and a fall-off in travel following the Sept.11 attacks. (The Full Story)

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