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• The tie between the Internet and travel is strong. Almost all Internet users are also travelers. Specifically, 92 percent of Internet users said they took at least one trip of 100 miles or more, one-way, away from home in the past year. Nearly one-half of Internet users (45%) are frequent travelers, that is, they took 5 or more trips in the past year.

  # of Trips Taken in Past Year
  Among Internet Users

  None	8%
  Travelers	92%
  Infrequent Travelers (1-4 trips)	47%
  Frequent Travelers (5+ trips)	45%

• Travelers’ use of the Internet has grown progressively from 1996 to 1998. The number of Internet users among travelers has grown from 29 million in 1996 to 70 million in 1998. This represents a 141 percent increase over the two-year period.
  

• In 1998, 33.8 million travelers used the Internet for travel planning, up from 11.7 million in 1997 and 3.1 million in 1996. This represents a 1,000 percent increase during the two-year period. Among those who are online, one-half of all travelers (48%) and one-half of frequent travelers (51%) consulted the Internet in 1998 to get information on destinations or to check prices or schedules.
  

• According to the National Travel Survey, 6.7 million American adults or 9 percent of current Internet users have used the Internet or an online service to make travel reservations in the past year. Travel reservations include the actual booking/paying for an airline ticket, hotel room, rental car, package tour, etc. This is up from 5.4 million (or 11% of 1997 Internet users), which represents a 24 percent increase in online travel reservation volume.

• Although the number of people making Internet reservations increased from 1997 (6.7 million vs. 5.4 million), the share of all Internet users doing so decreased (9% vs. 11%). This makes sense in that overall Internet use is growing at a faster rate than the growth rate of those making travel reservations via the Internet. When measured among all U.S. adults, the share making travel reservations via the Internet grew from 3 percent in 1997 to 4 percent in 1998.
  

• Of the 35.6 million American adults who used the Internet for travel plans or reservations in the past year, 92 percent were either extremely satisfied or satisfied with their most recent experience. Five million Americans were extremely satisfied (14%) with the last time they made travel plans or reservations over the Internet. This is much higher than the half million who were extremely disappointed (1%) with their last experience.

• When asked if they had heard of ten new travel technologies, most travelers (82%) had heard of at least one. Two out of five travelers (44%) had actually tried at least one. Nearly three-fourths will either definitely or maybe (71%) consider trying one or more of these ten new technologies in the future.
  

• Satellite navigation systems ranked the highest in awareness and interest in using among the ten new technologies presented to travelers. Electronic airline tickets ranked the highest for actual use among travelers. Computer kiosks at airports/hotels/welcome centers ranked second in awareness, use and future interest.

  TOP THREE NEW TRAVEL TECHNOLOGIES
  HIGHEST

  Awareness	Ever Used	Future Interest
  Satellite navigation systems in cars	Electronic airline tickets	Satellite navigation systems in cars
  Airport/hotel/welcome center computer kiosks	Airport/hotel/welcome center computer kiosks	Airport/hotel/welcome center computer kiosks
  Electronic airline tickets	Electronic highway tolls	Electronic airline tickets

   

• Two-thirds of U.S. travelers (64% or 101.6 million adults) know about satellite navigation systems in cars used to give directions and maps. Although only a small share of travelers (8% or 12.0 million) have had first-hand experience with these systems, one-half of all travelers (49%) say they would like to try them. This translates to 78.0 million travelers interested in trying these navigation systems.

• Electronic passports ranked the lowest in awareness, use and interest in using among the ten technologies presented to travelers. Only 7 percent of U.S. travelers (11.7 million adults) know about electronic passports. Similarly, only a very small number, 800,000 adults (0.5%) have ever used one. Although only 5 percent of U.S. travelers (7.5 million adults) are interested in trying an electronic passport in the future, this interest level corresponds closely with the level of U.S. resident travel that leaves the country annually, that is, 6 percent in 1997.
  

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