What´s ahead for travel in 2008? Mini-vacations and more niche travel, among other predictions by various sources.

Deloitte in its 2008 Travel Industry Trends Report identifies five key trends:

1. The changing customer: More people are bypassing the traditional two-week getaway in favor of trips of a week or even less. Almost half of those surveyed said they were taking shorter vacations than in the past.

2. "The introduction of Las Vegas-style resort casinos will continue to  drive significant revenue growth in Asia Pacific, where casinos and other regulated gaming are projected to grow from $14.6 billion in 2006 to $30.3 billion in 2011," says the report.

3. According to a global survey conducted by Synovate, 17% of air travelers across the globe said that the new security requirements will actually deter them from traveling by plane for leisure, and 10% said the measures would deter them from traveling by plane for business purposes.

4. Deloitte´s October 2007 Travel survey found that in the past twelve months, 83% of respondents say they used the Internet to research and/or purchase travel primarily because they found it easier and more convenient or felt that they got better prices.

5. "Heightened media attention and instant access to information are helping consumers become more attuned to the potential consequences of climate change, poor nutrition and other social issues," says Deloitte.

Despite the falling dollar, Americans will still travel, say other predictions.

The Conference Board´s most recent consumer survey found 45.8% of Americans intend to take a vacation within six months, down slightly from 46.4% a year ago.

"When there´s a slowdown in the economy, travel only slows slightly," said Douglas Shifflet of D.K. Shifflet & Associates, which tracks travel trends. He added:  "The amount of time people spend on vacations and in hotels is hit harder. They make tradeoffs; they stay closer to home or with friends and relatives."