WASHINGTON, DC --  According to the latest seasonal forecast from the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), travel by Americans will remain relatively flat this winter (December, January, February). Americans are expected to take more than 139 million pleasure person-trips during the winter 2002–2003 season, up just one-half percent from last winter. The slower travel growth this year follows the record winter travel season last year. Thus, it will still be one of the stronger winter travel seasons in recent years. A person-trip is one person traveling 50 miles or more from home, one way.

According to TIA’s Winter 2002–2003 Travelometer, 71 percent of travelers intend to travel for pleasure or personal reasons while 39 percent plan to travel for business or conventions this winter.

“With travel and tourism’s recovery on uneven ground during the past year, the relative strength of this winter travel forecast is good news,” said William S. Norman, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association of America. “But we have a way to go before the industry is fully recovered. We have a number of initiatives in place for 2003 aimed at consumers at home and in our key international markets that will help restore the vitality of the travel and tourism industry.”



Family members continue to be the most popular travel companions. Among those planning a winter pleasure trip, 52 percent will take along their spouse and 28 percent will take children with them. Eleven percent will travel with friends, 11 percent will travel with other family members, 5 percent will travel with their parents and 5 percent will travel as part of a group. Seventeen percent will travel alone and one percent will travel with grandparents.

NOTE: The results of TIA’s Winter 2002-2003 Travelometer are based on a representative sample survey of 1,000 travelers conducted in October 2002, and on TIA’s seasonal travel forecasting model developed in partnership with DRI/McGraw-Hill.