Travel Blog Exchange '09: Chicago Travel Blogger Meetup July 26th

CTA overhead in Chicago's Downtown Loop

There seems to be no shortage of travel bloggers in the world -- which is absolutely a wonderful thing.

With so many places around the globe to write about, everyone's input and experiences can help fellow travelers.

What there is a shortage of however, has been networking opportunities for those who write about travel to come together and meet one another. Until now! 

Debbie Dubrow of Deliciousbaby.com (a great site dedicated to making travel with kids fun) and Kim Mance of Galavanting (yes, that's us), are co-hosting a meetup of all those who write about travel.

Click to read more ...

Report Says Web Searches for Travel Bookings Down 42%

The Times Online is reporting that 42% less internet users in the UK searched for airfares and other travel bookings the week after Christmas, as compared to the same week last year.

From the article:

Robin Goad, from Experian, told the FT: “January is the big peak for traffic to travel websites and obviously the web is the primary sales channel for travel companies now, so it’s very important what happens in January.”

He said that although there had been a spike in searches since Christmas, they are seeing a “significant drop” when compared to traffic in previous years.

While this news seems alarming for the airline industry, it seems to indicate that more local tourism has continued. The report suggests that British consumers now appear to be looking for destinations within Europe rather than abroad. It looks like travel companies will have to get very creative to get the attention of consumers looking to find a an affordable and rewarding vacation throughout the market.

What about you?

Are you saving up for one big trip before booking? Taking vacations closer to home? Or just trying to pay the electric bill?

via a tweet from @merrillg

photo by zenobia_joy