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The top ten travel trends for 2010

January 08, 2010 |

As the Great Recession kept more travelers tethered and a thwarted Christmas Day terror attack ramped up security concerns, 2009 was an annus horribilus for the travel industry. What's on the horizon for 2010? USA TODAY's Laura Bly dusts off a crystal globe.

Let's make a deal: If you thought last year was a buyer's market for travelers, just wait: Even as airlines, hotels and other suppliers talk "cautious optimism" for 2010, a recent USA TODAY/Gallup Poll showed only 16% of respondents plan to fly more or stay more often in hotels this year than they did in 2009 - with about 30% saying they'll travel less often. The probable upshot: stable or lower prices, increased willingness to negotiate, and more online auctions from companies trying to unload unused inventory.

Rise of the real-time Web: "In the still rapidly expanding online world, instant gratification is even easier to obtain: 'Digital' has become synonymous with 'instant,' " says Reinier Evers of the trend tracking site Trendwatching.com. With nearly half of U.S. adults using social networking sites, expect more time-sensitive "flash sales" offered via Facebook or Twitter, more real-time postings of travel experiences, and faster response from companies and institutions fearful that negative opinions will go viral. (Are you listening, TSA?) One wild card: Google Wave, a much-hyped but still little-used online tool for real-time communication and collaboration that could set a new direction for trip planning.

Appetite for apps: Thanks to a global rollout of high-speed data networks and robust sales of GPS-enabled smartphones, look for an explosion of travel-related apps for everything from airport security (On the Spot System's new iPhone app lets users rate TSA screening checkpoints) to ordering hotel room service before you check in (just-released apps for Hilton, Embassy Suites and Doubletree)."Traditional travel services will meet geo-location and social networking to make travelers' lives easier," predicts Alan Warms of review site Appolicious.com.

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