Eric Oppegaard
By Julie Sickel
U.S. business travel is in a year-over-year decline, and that trend looks to continue during the next six months, according to the U.S. Travel Association’s February Travel Trends Index.
The Travel Trends Index tracks two indices: The current travel index (CTI) measures monthly travel volume in the United States, including domestic and international inbound travel, and the leading travel index (LTI) measures the likely average pace and direction of U.S. travel volume during the next three- and six-month periods. Both metrics are scored at a 50 mark, with any trend below 50 indicating a decline and any value above 50 indicating an increase.
Domestic business travel scored 48.7 on the CTI for February, marking a decline from the previous year. Business travel scored a 49.6 in the LTI for the leading three months and 49.7 for the leading six months. These metrics stand in contrast to other travel segments, such as domestic leisure travel, which scored a 52.3 on the CTI for February.
