The travel industry is sitting on the last virgin territory in the entire world. Americans want to go there for the same reason that dozens of companies around the world have. There's money to be made.

Americans have always been eager for travel, that being how they got to the New World in the first place.

Travel warnings are issued for countries that are considered especially dangerous for Americans, and one of the strongest warnings covers travel to Iraq.

Over 10 years of studies, we found how integral Americans count travel as a core part of their lifestyle. It changes from year to year, but what's been basic is the feeling that travel is an important personal goal.

[When U.S. congressman Jeff Flake visited Havana recently, promoting legislation to let Americans travel freely to Cuba, Fidel Castro had his top aides meet with Flake to ask whether the measure could really pass.] Yes, ... and tell Castro that if he doesn't behave, we're going to bring down the whole darn embargo!

Americans love to travel and they love bargains. But they also want to get the most out of their trip. We've created the Hotwire(R) Travel Value Index to help travelers find the perfect balance between low cost and a great vacation experience.