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In the wrong hands, studies like this will encourage people to launch trip-planning startups. History demonstrates that's not the best idea.

The list, even though one-company specific, shows the meetings and conventions industry is coming out of recession as the broader economy improves. Cities with airports near city centers are doing a lot better.

The Expedia-Travelocity deal won't likely trigger a lot of consolidation because there aren't a lot of U.S. pieces left worth buying.

Expedia couldn't acquire Travelocity even if it wanted to because it would have triggered an antitrust investigation. The pact marks the obituary of the Travelocity turnaround attempt, and the big winner is Expedia, which gets more volume and EVEN MORE negotiating clout with suppliers. Bad news for hotels.

Sabre has come up with its solution for Travelocity: Outsource its operation to Expedia. Sabre gets to basically offload a money-losing operation while holding on for now to its assets in Europe, possibly for a sale down the road.

Facebook, Twitter, and other social sources are now looked upon as legit travel information sources, while TripAdvisor lords over us all.

Switzerland is shifting away from tradition and triteness with a headturning array of next-generation architecture for hotels, convention spaces, and attractions.

How long can Tripadvisor stick to its core of media and lead generation and how much growth is still left in there? That would answer the question of whether the company wants to spend material money in doing bigger acquisitions than it has done so far, and move into actual transactions and booking space in travel.

With the American and US Airways merger hitting some turbulence, JetBlue becomes an even more attractive takeover target. But, although the new American must deal with a regulatory brushback pitch, the prospects for its merger are far from dead.

Private company Sabre must be taking a financial beating behind the scenes as CEO Gilliland's exit was carried out in a very clumsy manner. Is there trouble in IPO land with owners TPG and Silver Lake getting very impatient about their own exits?