Airlines and hotels raised prices in the fourth quarter of 2009, but costumers responded by cutting their spending on travel.

The Commerce Department reported that prices for passenger air transportation jumped 36% at an annual rate in the fourth quarter after rising 2.4% a quarter earlier. Meanwhile, accommodations costs jumped 3.1% following four quarters of the decline.

Tourism-related industries experienced strong spending gains in the third quarter, which likely encouraged companies to start raising prices after a sharp drop in travel sparked by the recession. But, the price increases may have depressed demand with overall tourism and travel spending dropping 2.3% at an annual rate in the fourth quarter.

Employment at tourism-related industries dropped for the seventh consecutive quarter, but the 2.3% fall represented a slowing rate of decline. There were 8.1 million workers in the industry in the fourth quarter, 47,000 fewer than the previous quarter. All sectors in the industry posted declines.