• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 16, 2009

How do travel sites guarantee return visitors? With a generous helping of destination details, and ready access to flight, hotel and car rental rates and availability, according to a new summer travel report from ad network Burst Media.

Among some 2,000 U.S. adults asked what features drew them back to travel sites, 46.3% cited destination information, while 45.2% cited service rates and availability.

"Consumers are actively using the Internet as an information resource and a place to make travel purchases," said Chuck Moran, VP of marketing for Burst. "Online advertisers can benefit greatly from leveraging the Web's ability to target specific travel audiences."

Indicating greater consumer confidence levels, just over three-quarters -- 76.3% -- of respondents confirmed summer travel plans that will take them at least 100 miles from home.

Among this "summer travel" segment, 40.8% said the number of trips they plan to take is "the same" as the number they took last year, while 24.4% said they will be traveling more frequently.

Still, one-third -- 34.6% -- of summer travelers plan to travel less frequently this summer, a decision the majority -- 71.3% -- attribute to "the recession."

Not surprisingly, a clear majority -- 80.3% -- of summer travelers indicate they will use the Web to help plan their vacations. Of particular interest was the survey's revelation of the significant connection between affluence and Internet usage for travel planning.

Among income segments, respondents reporting household income of $100,000 or more were most likely -- 88.2% -- to use the Internet to help plan their summer travel.

Also of note, the study -- conducted last month -- found that two out of three respondents -- 63.3% -- are "online" during their vacations.