Vacations and Travel - Do We Travel For Business Or Pleasure?, Are Weekend Trips The New Vacation Trend?, Trends In Second Homes

We all look forward to "getting away from it all." But how do we do it? Where do we do it? Many changes have taken place in the travel industry in recent years, and the following panels will address some of the more intriguing trends.

The first panel presents an overview of the two major types of travel: business and pleasure. The image of the executive who is "just in town for business" may be a thing of the past; technology such as e-mail, videoconferencing and cellular phones guarantee that we now can be reached anytime, anyplace.

But is that a good thing? Do we need more vacation time? We'll see that we get (and take) less vacation time than most other industrialized nations. We still like to travel and do so; the travel industry has begun to respond to the unique needs of travelers. They market to everyone from seniors and singles; and offer everything from adventure holidays — rock climbing, anyone? — to trips to antique shops and museums.

We'll also see the role the Internet has played in how we travel — from tracking down cheap fares, to finding that out-of-the-way inn, to checking the temperature a continent away. We'll examine another crucial part of taking vacations — having the money to do so. The explosion of wealth over the last decade has allowed people to invest in their own vacation properties. Second homes, timeshares and condominiums offer a refreshing change from standard (and expensive) hotels.