Online travel starting to slow in US

Travellers are continuing the trend of booking trips via the internet, but the pace is starting to slow, according to a new US study. The number of Americans using the internet for travel planning has stabilized at 64.1 million, apparently in part due to the slower growth of wired US households, according to the Travel Industry Association of America’s latest study of internet use. Last year, over 42 million people actually booked some or all of their trip on the internet. One current trend is that travellers are using the internet more for finding lower priced, last minute specials, according to Suzanne Cook, senior vice president of research for the TIA. Airline tickets continue to be the most frequently purchased online item by 75% of those booking trips. Accommodation is close behind at 71%, which is a huge increase from 57% in 2002.