The recession is taking a toll on travel industry loyalty marketing and rewards programs, according to Colloquy research on U.S. consumer attitudes and perceptions.

The travel-specific results indicate that customers are consolidating their spend with fewer hotels and fewer airlines as the travel-whenever-you-want-for-business “bubble” has burst, and consumers are no longer able to earn elite status in multiple programs.

But there is an upside. Travel marketers can take advantage of this situation to lock consolidating former frequent travelers into their particular program, says Colloquy Editorial Director Rick Ferguson, who co-authored a white paper with Kelly Hlavinka, based on the research. Those marketers will emerge in a stronger competitive position when the economy recovers and travel ramps back up, he says.

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