Hotel Reservation Booking Trends contains original market research specifically aimed identifying how hotel rooms are booked, by the consumer and business sectors. The handbook is designed to be a "strategic business planning resource" for executives in all segments of the hotel business. The report was custom-prepared by Terri C. Walker Consulting, Inc. and is now available to multi-clients.

According to the American Hotel & Lodging Association, as of August 2001, the U.S. lodging industry had approximately 4.1 million rooms and 53,500 properties. This is the equivalent of one room for every 70 U.S. residents. Travel Industry Association of America projections indicate spending on domestic travel will not surpass the 2000 level of $482 billion until 2004. From 2001 to 2002, expenditures dropped from $455 billion to $453 billion. The volume of leisure trips of at least 50 miles from home is expected to increase 1.3%.

According to Tim Durant, Passkey's executive vice president and general manager for North America, there are probably 120 million leisure hotel reservations a year, 115 million business hotel reservations a year and just under 100 million convention and meeting hotel reservations annually. According to Durant, the first two are automated, the third is 100% fragmented. The meeting and convention's industry represents $96.4 billion annually.

Hotel Reservation Booking Trends is designed to provide an expanded understanding of consumer and business lodging reservation trends in the United States. The consumer has an option in how they obtain hotel reservations. This reports provides percentages of how they are booked through the following channels:

• Traditional travel agencies (95% of GDS related bookings are through agents) Hotel reservations department
• Consolidator
• Hotel branded web sites
• Online/electronic travel agencies (5% of GDS related bookings are through Internet travel sites)
• Online travel auctions
• Corporate travel booking departments
• Wireless hotel reservations