Travel Planning on the Rise, AAA Travel Barometer Shows

    ORLANDO, Fla.--May 1, 2003--For the first time since the U.S.-Iraq war began, travel agency booking activity and online trip routings included in the AAA National Travel Barometer increased from the previous week.
    The weekly AAA National Travel Barometer shows requests for online TripTik(R) routings the week of April 21-27 are up more than 4 percent at 123,700 compared to 118,900 the week of April 14-20. Overall travel agency bookings also increased 4 percent.
    The AAA barometer is based on a sample of 13 clubs representing more than half of the association's 46 million members. It is intended to help gauge the strength of the leisure travel market.
    "It appears that Americans may be putting recent world events behind them and looking forward to making their summer vacation plans," said AAA Travel Vice President Sandra Hughes. "Bookings also may be increasing due to the large number of discounts being offered throughout much of the travel industry."
    Overall AAA Travel Agency bookings -- cruises, tour packages, car rentals and hotels -- last week were at 30,500 as compared to the previous week's total (29,200).
    A summary of the AAA National Travel Barometer's measurements for the week of April 21:

--	Tour packages (8,000) were equal to the previous week's total.
--	Cruise bookings (5,200) were 106 percent of the previous week (4,900).
--	Hotel bookings (12,700) totaled 105 percent as opposed to the prior week (12,100).
--	Car rental reservations (4,500) were at 105 percent of the previous week (4,300).

    The only decline was for visits to AAA travel offices at the 13 surveyed clubs. Visits were at 96 percent (30,800) of the April 14-20 period (32,100). (All numbers are rounded to the nearest hundred.)
    As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully-tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.

    EDITOR'S NOTE: AAA's National Travel Barometer will be released weekly. It is a sample of 13 AAA clubs and is intended to provide information about the state of leisure travel.