There are plenty of consumers left who like to make travel plans the old-fashion way — in person or via the telephone — but personal contact cannot beat information easily accessible 24/7 on the Internet. Finding the next vacation getaway online sounds time consuming, but it sure beats going to the library or bookstore, making phone calls to dozens of visitors bureaus and waiting for brochures.

Statistics could be reassuring for businesses that are not ready to catch up with the times: Only 8 percent of people who have online access use it for travel information, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Research Project. But considering that about 63 percent of American adults, or about $128 million, go online, even 8 percent of those make a healthy traveler base.

Web sites like Expedia.com have taken the idea of convenience all the way, offering information and one-stop reservations for airfare, hotels and car rentals. City and state travel bureaus are not far behind, offering Internet discounts and easy online booking.

“There are still enough people out there who don’t use the Web, but less and less all the time,” said Grant Griffin, executive director for Kitsap Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau (VCB). “My monthly bill on the 800-number keeps going down because people are gravitating to the Internet.”

One of the guest cottages listed on the bureau’s site under accommodations, The Guest House at Twin Spits, is a testimony of the Internet at work. Owner Norma Thomas said most of her patrons are repeat visitors from the days the cottage was a resort and local customers, but a big part of the out-of-area clients say they found her online.

Thomas doesn’t actively pursue online business — in fact, the VCB page is all she has, which is a good fit for such a small lodging business that doesn’t have a lot of competition. But for hotels and other tourism-oriented venues that have to lure in customers who have many other choices, not spending money on an online presence seems to no longer be a good strategy.

One hotel manager in Silverdale said they don’t have to pay to be listed on sites like Hotels.com but when bookings are made through the site, the hotel has to pay a hefty commission. It is a dilemma: Not participate and lose a potential sale, or participate and lose a good chunk of the price.

“We have put a lot of financial backing into our Website, and we do have a lot of people contacting us that way,” said Kathy Heerema, public relations manager with Gig Harbor’s Best Western Wesley Inn. “We still get the majority of our business over the phone, but the Website is a great marketing tool.”

Marketing is the name of the game Griffin’s been playing for many years. Attracting visitors to the area becomes more sophisticated as the Internet technology grows, Griffin said. The VCB uses its Web site extensively even in print and radio promotions to direct people online. In August, a completely redesigned site will be launched to make the information more appealing.

“We found the more visual you are, the easier it is to sell the product, and our product is Kitsap,” Griffin said. The site will also allow travelers to check availability at local participating lodging facilities, some of which will include the option to book online.

Measuring the power of the Internet on luring travelers to an area doesn’t have scientific measurement tools. But one thing is clear: In the age of aggressive competition and easily accessible information, the mentality has become to join the bandwagon before it leaves town. And it’s leaving town fast.