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| ASTA SmartBrief |
| February 26, 2009 |
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Business and Industry Watch
Occupancy rates of U.S. hotels plunge, research shows
Data released by Smith Travel Research show that occupancy rates at American hotels dropped to 45.9% in January, down from 51.5% in January 2008. "The U.S. lodging industry results in January continued to reflect the deteriorating economic conditions throughout the country," Smith Travel Research President Mark Lomanno said. "In addition, the recent trend of accelerating declines in performance seen in the top 25 U.S. markets highlights the difficulty hotels face when declines in both business and leisure travel occur in tandem." BTNonline.com (2/25)
Singapore seeks to curb declining tourism numbers
The Singapore Tourism Board recently unveiled a number of new developments aimed at stemming the country's dropping tourism numbers. Those developments include a casino-based resort, Universal Studios Singapore, an international cruise terminal and numerous new hotels. Travel Agent (2/25)
American Airlines strives for better punctuality ratings
American Airlines in 2008 logged lower on-time ratings in monthly DOT reports than its peers. Now the carrier is making great strides to turn those results around systemwide, and it is already seeing results through changes such as increasing flying times to account for air traffic control delays, upgrading delay-management software, adding gates to reduce waiting times and boosting docking-guidance technology. The Street.com (2/24)
Other News
Trends and Technology
Altour agents expect "only a temporary downturn"
A recent survey of Altour agents found that most do not expect the slump in sales to continue for long. "Anecdotally, our agents report that their clients are considering the economy vs. travel deals before committing," said Alexandre Chemla, founder of Altour. "But the level of inquiries show the interest is there, with destination choices running both to the tried and true -- particularly Europe, as the dollar continues to outperform the euro and British pound -- and to the new and untried." Travel Weekly (2/26)
Column: Agents' influence on leisure travel grows
Mark Murphy of TravelPulse.com explains how the influence of travel agents on leisure travelers has grown over the years. He suggests that travel providers, including airlines, destinations and hotels, consider the power of the agents. "Those who rely on leisure travel and the whims of the ultimate consumer should take heed and see the agency distribution channel for its ability to deliver that customer to their door," Murphy writes. TravelPulse (2/26)
Consumer Travel News
Recent changes make France even more fantastique
Travelers and agents with an interest in France will likely appreciate the changes the country has made in the past few years. A smoking ban means fresh air at cafes, restaurants and bars. High-speed trains are making the trip between cities fly by although the trains are increasingly crowded, so passengers do well to book early. Rick Steves explains these and other changes that may affect visitors to France. MSNBC/Tribune Media Services (2/25)
Other News
SmartQuote
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 I'm an idealist. I don't know where I'm going, but I'm on my way."
--Carl Sandburg,
Pulitzer Prize-winning American poet
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