Did you know that 87 percent of travelers use the internet for the bulk of their travel planning?

The U.S. online travel industry is set to reach a heady $162 billion in 2012 – up some 74 percent since 2007 – and social media is playing its part. More than half (52 percent) of travelers have changed their plans after researching their trip on social media sites, and 50 percent of travel companies have said that direct bookings have been generated from social media.

This infographic takes a closer look at some key statistics of the online travel industry.

(Source: Funsherpa. Airplane icon image via Shutterstock.)