WATCH: 60 Seconds of Social Media

Remember travel agents? Once a staple of vacation planning, their numbers have dwindled as Internet and social media use has skyrocketed.

Which isn't to say that travel agencies are down and out; rather, they're in demand for VIP, specialized travel planning and consultation.

But the rest of us are probably on Expedia and Kayak. The ease with which consumers can now research and purchase online has not only revolutionized the business of travel, but birthed opportunities we couldn't have dreamed of 20 years ago. Need to find a room in Omaha for a night but don't want a boring, drab hotel experience? Stay with a local! Or maybe you want to experience New York City and make some real connections? No problem.

Catch up on travel, tourism and the Internet in the latest episode of Freshwire's "60 Seconds of Social Media."

And in our newest segment, Venture Stars, where we'll profile startups we find interesting, we'll introduce you to Virool, a self-serve video ad placement service, focused primarily on social games, mobile apps and blogs.

You can catch last week's episode, on kids and social media, right here.