Leisure Travel Looks Like A Bargain

The discount packages, price cuts and promotions offered by hotels, cruise lines and theme parks apparently have caught the attention of would-be leisure travelers. The “perceived affordability of travel” rose to 90.2 in February from 78.2 in October 2008, according to a new U.S. Travel Sentiment Index conducted by Orlando travel research and marketing company Y Partnership.
The index is pegged to a 100 base line established in March 2007. Although the index is a measure of perception and not bookings, it suggests that people believe there are bargains to be had for those willing to take vacations. The increase in the index was the first since January 2008, a month after the current recession began. The U.S. travel industry and YPartnership co-sponsor the index, called travelhorizons, which has been assembled quarterly since March 2007.