LastMinuteTravel.com(tm) today reports a significant increase in site traffic indicating that travelers are beginning to return to the marketplace for both business and leisure purposes.

David Miranda, CEO and founder of LastMinuteTravel.com reports that in the past 24 hours site traffic has jumped by 25% and is beginning to approach the number of visitors the site enjoyed prior to the September 11 tragedy. “As expected site traffic dipped by about 50% during last week`s crisis but in the past 48 hours we are seeing the number of users on LastMinuteTravel.com consistently increase proving the indomitable spirit and resiliency of American travellers. We certainly join with our industry colleagues insisting that safety and security must come first, but we also understand that as Americans we enjoy the indisputable freedom to travel and increases in our site traffic support this.”

In light of the shift in the market, LastMinuteTravel.com is working with the industry to provide greater access for travel providers to use the site. “We were already in a marketplace where time compression was a fact of life, but we are now in a market where traveling at the last minute is going to be the norm,” explains Miranda. “As life resumes, so will travel, but purchasing habits may be permanently changed. In the immediate future there will be a reluctance to plan ahead and both business and leisure travel purchases will be near term decisions.”

www.lastminutetravel.com

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