via mediabistro.com
The U.S. online travel industry is set to reach a heady $162 billion in 2012 – up some 74 percent since 2007 – and social media is playing its part. More than half (52 percent) of travellers have changed their plans after researching their trip on social media sites, and 50 percent of travel companies have said that direct bookings have been generated from social media.