• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, July 10, 2008

Rising prices are affecting the travel plans of most consumers this summer, driving a growing number online to ferret out bargains, according to a recent poll by lead-generation firm Prospectiv.

About 79% of the 500 consumers (drawn from Prospectiv's opt-in consumer preference database) responding to the online poll confirmed that costs are influencing their vacation plans -- and 38% said they'd be going the "staycation" route as a result, meaning they would spend their vacations at home.

Prospectiv conducted the poll in conjunction with its release of a customer acquisition database based on opt-ins to a new e-newsletter, Eversave Travel, which offers travel and hospitality information and promotional offers.

While its hardly surprising that record gas prices are consumers biggest travel cost concern, the fact that a whopping 84% cited gas prices, versus a mere 8% and 7% citing lodging and food costs as their biggest worries, is "a bit astonishing," observes Prospectiv President and CEO Jere Doyle.

"You rarely see one choice within a multiple-choice question pull that dominantly," Doyle notes. While the cumulative impact of cost-of-living increases is the underlying driver of plunging consumer confidence levels, "clearly, gas is now a leading indicator of consumer attitudes and behavior-something that registers heavily on consumers as they fill up their tanks once or twice a week," he says.

Many (25%) of those not staying home will be vacationing closer to home. Smaller numbers will be taking shorter vacations (14%); staying with family/friends (10%) or eating in more during their vacations (7%).

Moreover, 64% report that they'll be spending less on summer vacations this year, compared to 19% planning to spend about the same and 17% spending more.

To find the bargains they need, nearly three-quarters (72%) say that theyre relying primarily on online resources offering travel information and special offers. Much smaller numbers report relying most on family/friends (17%), travel agents (4%), magazines/newspapers (3%) or TV/radio (3%).

Most (59%) also express a preference for receiving travel info/promotions through opt-in e-newsletters, electronic vouchers or coupons, and promotional Web sites versus 38% still preferring postal mail, and 2% preferring the telephone.

"This is the first major economic downturn since widespread adoption of the Internet," Doyle points out. "Middle America is online now, and people are looking to their preferred brands to help them save through offers easily accessible on the Web."

What types of travel promotions are most enticing? Nearly half (48%) said gas rebates top their lists, followed by lodging discounts/extended-stay offers (31%); discounts for preferred restaurants, stores or attractions (14%); and bonus air miles and discounted car rentals (each cited by 4%).