The Travel Industry Association predicted that business and convention travel in the United States would decline 2.7 percent in 2009

. Defined as business person-trips, business travel would resume growth in 2010 by increasing 2 percent, TIA said. "Business travel is the weakest link," said TIA senior vice president of research Dr. Suzanne Cook, referring to the group's overall forecast. "Short term, we think the forecast is chilly, but long term it will certainly brighten in the next couple of years."