Link to the article: BBC NewsBy Will Smale
Business reporter, BBC News
The cold, grey morning in east London was an apt metaphor for the difficulties faced by the global tourism industry in 2009.
With much of the world having been in recession, this year has undoubtedly been a tough time for travel companies around the globe - commercial sunshine has been in short supply.
Put simply, people have been cutting back on taking holidays in the face of the economic uncertainty.
Either due to the direct impact of unemployment, or the wider sense of a need to be more financially cautious, would-be holidaymakers have been much more reluctant to book a vacation - as the latest figures show.
A report published this week to tie in with one of the world's largest gatherings of travel industry leaders - the World Travel Market fair in London - estimates that global travel bookings will fall 8% this year.
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