Los Altos, CA based Travelmuse Inc. and the users of their website Travelmuse.com are not only providing inspiration for trip planning, but they’re also providing inspiration to others for deciding to travel, in the first place.

One of the trends to come out of the 2009 Travel Trends survey conducted on Travelmuse.com in February is that a majority of travelers intend to keep traveling in 2009 rather than give up their vacations.

You might find that surprising given the current economic downturn, but turns out that travelers are much more loyal in sticking to their vacation plans than was previously assumed.

Travelmuse Inc. CEO Kevin Fliess said that “There is strong data to support the notion that people are continuing to travel despite the challenging economic times. While people are more focused on value, travel continues to play a vital role in our lives. Travel is rejuvenating-and people cherish this experience even more during tough times.”

77 percent of respondents in the survey said that they plan to cut spending in other areas in order to keep their travel plans in 2009.

They’re giving up dining out (55%), apparel (shoes, clothing, etc.; 47.1%), personal pampering (manicures, pedicures, spa and massages; 37.6%), electronics and/or gadgets (34.3%), daily coffee/tea (18%), and fitness/sports (memberships, clubs, equipment; 8.9%). Only 21.7% of the respondents were unwilling to sacrifice anything else for travel.

And like Kevin Fliess says, people are definitely more focused on value. In a recent U.S. Travel Association survey, 76 percent of respondents expected to book a packaged vacation to save money in 2009, while 67 percent planned to stay fewer nights and/or spend less on food and entertainment when traveling

Survey indicates travel will continue

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What’s more, the Travelmuse survey finally proves that staycations are way over rated. A whopping 67.8% of respondents said they plan to travel to other U.S. states, and 52.4% have plans for international travel. Only 20.7% plan to stay at home and limit themselves to day trips.

About TravelMuse, Inc. – Headquartered in Los Altos, Calif., TravelMuse.com is the online destination for finding inspiration and planning trips with friends and family. Visitors can peruse weekly articles written by seasoned writers, use the industry’s first Inspiration Finder^TM to discover destinations and create trip plans via the TravelMuse Planner. The company has raised more than $4 million in funding from Azure Capital Partners and California Technology Ventures.