General consumer interest in taking pleasure trips declined slightly from 97.8 last quarter to 94.6 this quarter. However, this is still significantly above the all-time low seen in the fourth quarter of 2001 (80.3). Consumer perceptions of the affordability of pleasure travel is up 4.8 percent from last quarter to 117.6. This index is still holding strong, likely due to continued industry discounting during the months leading up to and including the war in Iraq.

With the economic uncertainty of today, travelers� perceptions of the ability to take pleasure trips based on their personal finances have not recovered since reaching a high of 108.2 in the second quarter of 2000. Still, this component of the TSI index�at 81.9�is up marginally over last quarter, and continues an upswing from fourth quarter 2002. The index for consumer perceptions of service quality received while traveling now stands at 103.9, up 3.3 percent from last quarter and slightly above average for this index.

The overall Traveler Sentiment Index for Baby Boomers (age 35 to 54) declined notably (5%), due to significant concerns among this segment about not having the time or money to travel. As a result, Boomers continue to feel less confident about the affordability of travel. Generation X and Y (age 18 to 34) travelers currently feel that travel is very affordable; however, their index measuring the ability to travel based on time available is at its lowest point-to-date.

When the overall Traveler Sentiment Index is examined on a regional basis, the Northeast shows the strongest gain over first quarter 2003, followed by the Midwest. The overall index for the South shows a substantial decline, while the West remains stable.

Members of the media can obtain TIA�s latest Traveler Sentiment Index report, including additional analysis and charts for each index, by sending an e-mail to ckeefe@tia.org.

NOTE: TIA�s quarterly Traveler Sentiment Index (TSI) is conducted four times per year and is a running gauge of consumers� interest in leisure travel and their perceived ability to travel. The study consists of five criteria: interest, time, finances, affordability, and service quality. The TSI is based on quarterly interviews with approximately 1,000 U.S. adults who have taken at least one trip in the past year. Each criterion is measured individually and then combined to create an overall index score. The baseline year for the Index is the year 2000.

Travel Industry Association of America
TIA (www.tia.org) is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the $537 billion travel industry. TIA's mission is to represent the whole of the U.S. travel industry to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States.

Contact:
Cathy Keefe (Manager, Media Relations)
202-408-8422
ckeefe@tia.org , www.tia.org