Fifty-eight percent of 1,500 travel managers expect their organizations to spend more on travel and entertainment in 2009 than in 2008

, with 10 percent expecting the opposite, according to the results of a 15-country AirPlus International survey. AirPlus pointed to rising per-trip costs; increased booking volumes at some companies, especially those "globalizing operations"; and longer trip distances as organizations "are increasingly chasing business in regions whose economies continue to grow substantially, such as Brazil, Russia, India and China, and the Middle East. Travel to these countries involves higher fares, more hotel nights and, usually, accommodation in higher-standard hotels because there are few mid-range options available."