Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Active Hotels partner with The Travel Market Ltd
travmedia.com: "Active Hotels, one of Europes leading online hotel reservation providers owned by priceline.com (Nasdaq: PCLN), has partnered with specialist tour operator The Travel Market Ltd., to offer ferry customers online hotel reservations across France and Benelux."
American Express Business Travel lower business travel costs than Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "According to a report on www.traveldailynews.com , the findings suggested that American Express Business Travel offers the lowest business travel rates available online when compared to the public fares of three online agencies - Expedia, Orbitz and Travelocity. Further the report added that for total trip rates - a combination of airfare, hotel stay and car rental - Orbitz is 5 percent higher, Expedia 6 percent higher, and Travelocity 9 percent higher than American Express Online total trip rates. "
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Tipping point? www.totaltravel.com named the busiest travel guide website in Australia.
Byron Shire News: "Byron Bay travel website named number one in Australia 18.08.2005 By JANN BURMESTER
Not many people in Byron Bay may have heard of totaltravel.com, but all that is about to change with the local business being named the busiest travel guide website in Australia.
With more than one million hits per day, around 30,000 visitors per day and 300,000 page views per day, totaltravel.com has hit the big time.
The website was launched in April 2002 and the business now employs 18 people and is recruiting all the time.
Totaltravel.com has also launched its website in the United Kingdom which is also getting more than 30,000 visitors per day. "
Not many people in Byron Bay may have heard of totaltravel.com, but all that is about to change with the local business being named the busiest travel guide website in Australia.
With more than one million hits per day, around 30,000 visitors per day and 300,000 page views per day, totaltravel.com has hit the big time.
The website was launched in April 2002 and the business now employs 18 people and is recruiting all the time.
Totaltravel.com has also launched its website in the United Kingdom which is also getting more than 30,000 visitors per day. "
blue-badge-guides.com and totaltravel
Marketing USEFUL WEBSITE From Ross Knox-Holmes
Members may be interested in a website that offers individual guides the opportunity of advertising themselves for free, at least for the first year:
www.totaltravel.co.uk is a well-established travel site that has comprehensive tourism guides to Australia and Great Britain. The first site was launched over three years ago and is unique in that it allows users to research and book travel-related products.
Travel-related businesses are allowed to advertise free on Totaltravel by what is known as a ‘feature site’, and this offer extends to all Blue Badge Guides who wish to appear on the site. All Blue Badge Guides are welcome to create their own feature sites. This may be a very effective way to reach their US, Asian and European markets. To acquaint yourself with the system and create your own feature site, apply online to:
http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/Free
Members may be interested in a website that offers individual guides the opportunity of advertising themselves for free, at least for the first year:
www.totaltravel.co.uk is a well-established travel site that has comprehensive tourism guides to Australia and Great Britain. The first site was launched over three years ago and is unique in that it allows users to research and book travel-related products.
Travel-related businesses are allowed to advertise free on Totaltravel by what is known as a ‘feature site’, and this offer extends to all Blue Badge Guides who wish to appear on the site. All Blue Badge Guides are welcome to create their own feature sites. This may be a very effective way to reach their US, Asian and European markets. To acquaint yourself with the system and create your own feature site, apply online to:
http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/Free
Jeff Katz's views on travel, technology, and customer service - Founding CEO and Chairman of Orbitz
Good Morning: "A weekly post of Jeff Katz's observations and views on travel, technology, and customer service. This blog is a carry forward of writings I have done for the past 10 years, most recently as the Founding CEO and Chairman of Orbitz."
April - June, 2005, www.totaltravel.com ranked #4 in the Hitwise Australia 'Travel - Destinations and Accommodation'
Australia Total Travel Guide: Accommodation, Tours, Restaurants & More From April - June, 2005, www.totaltravel.com was ranked #4 in the Hitwise Australia 'Travel - Destinations and Accommodation' industry based on number of visits.
This ranking relates to Australian based users visiting Australian websites.
This ranking relates to Australian based users visiting Australian websites.
Emotive Networks Find A Role In Travel
Forrester Research: Emotive Networks Find A Role In Travel: "Travelers use numerous consumer-generated media (CGM) such as discussion boards, blogs, and user reviews to guide trip planning and purchase decisions. The result: More than 27% of US online leisure travelers and 30% of business travelers belong to Emotive Networks — interconnected groups of consumers engaged in communication and support. Travelers in Emotive Networks tend to be younger and more technologically focused than other travelers — an appealing audience. But Emotive Networks are problematic for travel marketers, as brands no longer control their message. Fortunately, travelers in Emotive Networks are open to advertising, and several ways exist for travel firms to engage these travelers."
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Aqute Market Research: Expedia strategy & financials
Expedia, Inc: "today announced financial results on a combined basis for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005. "
Aqute Market Research: Expedia strategy: "Financially, Expedia has been doing fine. Not stellar search-portal performance but perfectly respectable...But in terms of strategy, Expedia, as a representative of the online travel industry, has not been "mixing it up" to the same extent as the other beacons of the Internet world. I need not mention here the vast array of projects being tried by Google and Yahoo, and even MSN. Some good, some bad, but plenty of ideas that will shape the online world...
Luckily for Expedia, while it spend the past three years producing no innovation, annoying its suppliers and generally stagnating, its competitors have done little to take away Expedia's lead. Now, Expedia's strategy team should start addressing the dangers that Expedia will face in 2006 before it has to step out on the back foot...
Local search: esp the battle between Yell and Google in the UK. Why is Expedia a non-existent player in this space? Expedia cannot remain bound by its mandate from 5 years ago. Local search, local travel information, local hotel and tourist attraction details are all important to Expedia - but its share of users will be chipped away by focused local search providers
Vertical search / dynamic aggregation Last week, job aggregation site Indeed.com received $5 million in funding. Google has been working on various flavours of vertical search including travel for a while now. The until-now slow development of vertical search has lulled Expedia into a false sense of security but the question is when, not if, hugely capable players with web platform experience (Google, MSN, Yahoo ... and niche sites like Indeed), tackle the travel sector
Savvy hotel and airline companies websites than you can find on Expedia. And all the best hotels are now fully online with very appealing websites.
While Expedia has not done much worth noting in the past few years, its competitors (and particularly its competitors-elect) have failed to take advantage of this weakness. This inefficiency in the market will come to the fore in 2005-06. Right now, everyone but Expedia seems to be gearing up for the new battle over online travel"
Aqute Market Research: Expedia strategy: "Financially, Expedia has been doing fine. Not stellar search-portal performance but perfectly respectable...But in terms of strategy, Expedia, as a representative of the online travel industry, has not been "mixing it up" to the same extent as the other beacons of the Internet world. I need not mention here the vast array of projects being tried by Google and Yahoo, and even MSN. Some good, some bad, but plenty of ideas that will shape the online world...
Luckily for Expedia, while it spend the past three years producing no innovation, annoying its suppliers and generally stagnating, its competitors have done little to take away Expedia's lead. Now, Expedia's strategy team should start addressing the dangers that Expedia will face in 2006 before it has to step out on the back foot...
Local search: esp the battle between Yell and Google in the UK. Why is Expedia a non-existent player in this space? Expedia cannot remain bound by its mandate from 5 years ago. Local search, local travel information, local hotel and tourist attraction details are all important to Expedia - but its share of users will be chipped away by focused local search providers
Vertical search / dynamic aggregation Last week, job aggregation site Indeed.com received $5 million in funding. Google has been working on various flavours of vertical search including travel for a while now. The until-now slow development of vertical search has lulled Expedia into a false sense of security but the question is when, not if, hugely capable players with web platform experience (Google, MSN, Yahoo ... and niche sites like Indeed), tackle the travel sector
Savvy hotel and airline companies websites than you can find on Expedia. And all the best hotels are now fully online with very appealing websites.
While Expedia has not done much worth noting in the past few years, its competitors (and particularly its competitors-elect) have failed to take advantage of this weakness. This inefficiency in the market will come to the fore in 2005-06. Right now, everyone but Expedia seems to be gearing up for the new battle over online travel"
Friday, August 26, 2005
New European tourism portal
European Travel Commission - (Travel Daily News): "The development of the new European tourism portal heralds the beginning of a new era for ETC...
The European Travel Commission (ETC) is moving ever closer to a future in e-marketing with the development of a new internet portal to promote European tourism worldwide. Work on the project started in 2004. In ETC`s Annual Report for 2004, published today, the ETC President, Dr Arthur Oberascher, Chief Executive of the Austrian National Tourist Office, welcomes this important project: "The portal will be an exciting new tool which will motivate people from all over the world to come and visit Europe." "
The European Travel Commission (ETC) is moving ever closer to a future in e-marketing with the development of a new internet portal to promote European tourism worldwide. Work on the project started in 2004. In ETC`s Annual Report for 2004, published today, the ETC President, Dr Arthur Oberascher, Chief Executive of the Austrian National Tourist Office, welcomes this important project: "The portal will be an exciting new tool which will motivate people from all over the world to come and visit Europe." "
Lodging Interactive - Internet search engine marketing primer
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "To help the hoteliers and hotel marketers better understand and to create an effective Internet marketing strategy, Lodging Interactive has produced an Internet search engine marketing primer.
Referring to Merrill Lynch research figures, the company says sales revenue for travel suppliers selling online will grow by 27%. As per the information available, direct sales will represent 40% of all travel revenue with sales by online suppliers outpacing the third party sales.
"These statistics have a clear message for the hospitality industry," said a release from Lodging Interactive.
"Whether we are in a strong market or a weak one, buyers will be searching and booking online. Every hotel needs a strong Internet presence. Also, according to Merrill Lynch research, search engines are driving the majority of the direct online sales. So search engine marketing (SEM) is critical to all hotel Internet marketing plans. SEM combines art and science! It demands ongoing resources, analytical interpretation and creativity," added the release from the company, which delivers Internet Marketing for 400 hotels in 34 countries.
The company says the copy can be obtained at http://www.lodginginteractive.com/request_form.php "
Referring to Merrill Lynch research figures, the company says sales revenue for travel suppliers selling online will grow by 27%. As per the information available, direct sales will represent 40% of all travel revenue with sales by online suppliers outpacing the third party sales.
"These statistics have a clear message for the hospitality industry," said a release from Lodging Interactive.
"Whether we are in a strong market or a weak one, buyers will be searching and booking online. Every hotel needs a strong Internet presence. Also, according to Merrill Lynch research, search engines are driving the majority of the direct online sales. So search engine marketing (SEM) is critical to all hotel Internet marketing plans. SEM combines art and science! It demands ongoing resources, analytical interpretation and creativity," added the release from the company, which delivers Internet Marketing for 400 hotels in 34 countries.
The company says the copy can be obtained at http://www.lodginginteractive.com/request_form.php "
Travel booking options projected to get more efficient
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "As booking services available to plan a travel itinerary get more efficient, analysts are suggesting that initiatives providing travelers with building travel-booking interfaces that rely on direct connections into reservation systems is going to accelerate, giving travelers more options in a single interface.
A report on Information Week report says, "The trend toward providing travelers with travel-booking desktop interfaces that link directly to reservation systems is expected to accelerate. Next up: booking trips from cell phones and PDAs. Travel agents need all the help they can get fending off the competitive threat of online travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, and next month a startup called Portaga Inc. will add a key weapon to their arsenal. Portaga Travel Manager will let agencies offer travelers a desktop application that lets them book all the elements of a trip from Microsoft Outlook." "
A report on Information Week report says, "The trend toward providing travelers with travel-booking desktop interfaces that link directly to reservation systems is expected to accelerate. Next up: booking trips from cell phones and PDAs. Travel agents need all the help they can get fending off the competitive threat of online travel sites like Expedia and Travelocity, and next month a startup called Portaga Inc. will add a key weapon to their arsenal. Portaga Travel Manager will let agencies offer travelers a desktop application that lets them book all the elements of a trip from Microsoft Outlook." "
Top 5 Au UK & US Travel Agencies websites - Hitwise
Hitwise In The News - Hitwise
Top 5 Australian Travel Agencies websites week ending 20/8/05 ranked by visits.
Rank Name Domain Market Share
1 Flight Centre www.flightcentre.com 13.30%
2 Webjet www.webjet.com.au 11.75%
3 lastminute.com Australia www.au.lastminute.com 5.62%
4 Expedia.com www.expedia.com 3.98%
5 Travel.com.au www.travel.com.au 3.53%
Top 5 UK Travel Agencies websites week ending 20/8/05 ranked by visits.
Rank Name Domain Market Share
1 Expedia.co.uk www.expedia.co.uk 8.48%
2 lastminute.com www.lastminute.com 7.51%
3 Thomson Holidays www.thomson.co.uk 5.33%
4 Teletext Holidays www.teletextholidays.co.uk 3.97%
5 Thomas Cook www.thomascook.com 3.75%
Top 5 US Travel Agencies websites week ending 20/8/05 ranked by visits.
Rank Name Domain Market Share
1 Expedia.com www.expedia.com 21.95%
2 Travelocity.com www.travelocity.com 15.55%
3 Orbitz www.orbitz.com 8.65%
4 Cheap Tickets www.cheaptickets.com 8.61%
5 Yahoo! Travel travel.yahoo.com 6.77%
Top 5 Australian Travel Agencies websites week ending 20/8/05 ranked by visits.
Rank Name Domain Market Share
1 Flight Centre www.flightcentre.com 13.30%
2 Webjet www.webjet.com.au 11.75%
3 lastminute.com Australia www.au.lastminute.com 5.62%
4 Expedia.com www.expedia.com 3.98%
5 Travel.com.au www.travel.com.au 3.53%
Top 5 UK Travel Agencies websites week ending 20/8/05 ranked by visits.
Rank Name Domain Market Share
1 Expedia.co.uk www.expedia.co.uk 8.48%
2 lastminute.com www.lastminute.com 7.51%
3 Thomson Holidays www.thomson.co.uk 5.33%
4 Teletext Holidays www.teletextholidays.co.uk 3.97%
5 Thomas Cook www.thomascook.com 3.75%
Top 5 US Travel Agencies websites week ending 20/8/05 ranked by visits.
Rank Name Domain Market Share
1 Expedia.com www.expedia.com 21.95%
2 Travelocity.com www.travelocity.com 15.55%
3 Orbitz www.orbitz.com 8.65%
4 Cheap Tickets www.cheaptickets.com 8.61%
5 Yahoo! Travel travel.yahoo.com 6.77%
Travel - online mapping sector booming
Travel maps market share 
Google maps out a plan for commercial success in the travel sector
The online mapping sector is booming with the latest data from Hitwise showing 26% year-on-year growth in the Travel - Maps online industry.
An analysis of the sites visited after online maps underscores the inherent commercial value of these sites: an average of 20% of traffic from sites in the Travel - Maps category goes to travel agency sites. The top downstream Travel website for Google Maps for the week ending 30 July was Multimap.com, and the top downstream site from Multimap.com was Teletext Holidays. Fellow travel sites Active Hotels and Expedia also feature prominently in Multimap.com's top 20 downstream sites.
In addition, an analysis of the latest crop of search terms for Google Maps reveals that 25 out of the top 30 terms are commercial, including 'hotel', 'estate agents', 'cinema' and 'bed and breakfast'.
Multimap.com has experienced an impressive growth of 20% amongst all sites since January, but despite its clear dominance, Google has managed to erode some of Multimap.com's share of traffic within the online maps sector.
Google maps out a plan for commercial success in the travel sector
The online mapping sector is booming with the latest data from Hitwise showing 26% year-on-year growth in the Travel - Maps online industry.
An analysis of the sites visited after online maps underscores the inherent commercial value of these sites: an average of 20% of traffic from sites in the Travel - Maps category goes to travel agency sites. The top downstream Travel website for Google Maps for the week ending 30 July was Multimap.com, and the top downstream site from Multimap.com was Teletext Holidays. Fellow travel sites Active Hotels and Expedia also feature prominently in Multimap.com's top 20 downstream sites.
In addition, an analysis of the latest crop of search terms for Google Maps reveals that 25 out of the top 30 terms are commercial, including 'hotel', 'estate agents', 'cinema' and 'bed and breakfast'.
Multimap.com has experienced an impressive growth of 20% amongst all sites since January, but despite its clear dominance, Google has managed to erode some of Multimap.com's share of traffic within the online maps sector.
Expedia Inc. to promote World Heritage sites
:: Travel Weekly - The National Newspaper of the Travel Industry ::: "Expedia Inc. forms partnership to promote World Heritage sites Expedia will promote education about the World Heritage sites by dedicating portions of its travel Web sites to posting information about them. For instance, a number of World Heritage information pages will be mounted on Expedia.com. In addition, other Expedia Inc. sites -- which include Classic Custom Vacations’ site, Hotels.com, Hotwire and TripAdvisor -- may be included in the initiative"
The Best of Brancatelli File @ JoeSentMe.com: Business-Travel Basics
The Best of Brancatelli File @ JoeSentMe.com: Business-Travel Basics "Everything Your Always NEEDED to Know About Travel." It's all you need to know about how to deal with lost luggage; how to sue airlines and win; how to complain effectively; and how to deal with rental-car fees; tipping; packing; travel pricing and emergencies; and more.
Essential Travel Tips: "Essential Travel Tips A compilation of the best travel advice from ourselves and our readers"
ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TIPS Travel Insider David Rowell offers a generous range of travel tips to help you better plan and pack for your travels. He's also asking for your suggestions, tips, and ideas, too...
Essential Travel Tips: "Essential Travel Tips A compilation of the best travel advice from ourselves and our readers"
ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TIPS Travel Insider David Rowell offers a generous range of travel tips to help you better plan and pack for your travels. He's also asking for your suggestions, tips, and ideas, too...
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Charter flights to be available via RSS-XML
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Just the Flight has become the first UK online travel agent to launch an innovative method of delivering daily flight deals via an RSS-XML feed"
travmedia.com
travmedia.com: "When it comes to travel, 50 is the new 30. More older people than ever before are spending their retirement travelling the world, inspired by the gap-year travels of their kids and grandkids, and funded by increasing equity in their houses, according to internet travel insurer Staysure.co.uk.
Half of the UK’s over 50’s - that’s 10 million people - plan to travel extensively during their retirement...With over 350,000 pensioners trying an adventure activity last year, far from being ready to file away their passports and swap their suitcases for a pipe and slippers, older Britons are proud of their age, and are keen to broaden their horizons even further."
Half of the UK’s over 50’s - that’s 10 million people - plan to travel extensively during their retirement...With over 350,000 pensioners trying an adventure activity last year, far from being ready to file away their passports and swap their suitcases for a pipe and slippers, older Britons are proud of their age, and are keen to broaden their horizons even further."
Just Relax - Enjoy Englands current campaign
VisitEngland : Just Relax
travmedia.com: "Just Relax is Enjoy Englands current campaign promoting ways to relax in England and is supported by a glossy handbag-sized brochure and informative website www.enjoyengland.com/relax"
travmedia.com: "Just Relax is Enjoy Englands current campaign promoting ways to relax in England and is supported by a glossy handbag-sized brochure and informative website www.enjoyengland.com/relax"
Winnie-the-Pooh bus service
travmedia.com: "A new tourist bus service taking visitors to some of the most scenic spots in South East England - including sites made famous in A. A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh stories - has been launched by the Ashdown Forest Tourism Association (AFTA) using grant aid from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The Ashdown Forest Explorer Bus Service will operate every weekend until September 25 and selected weekends in October thanks to funding worth £90,000 over two years from DEFRA’s England Rural Enterprise scheme. It is the first time that a local tourism initiative in south-east England has won such funding from DEFRA.
The Ashdown Forest Explorer Bus Service will operate every weekend until September 25 and selected weekends in October thanks to funding worth £90,000 over two years from DEFRA’s England Rural Enterprise scheme. It is the first time that a local tourism initiative in south-east England has won such funding from DEFRA.
Gecko's Adventures website redesign
Travel adventures to Asia, China, India, Africa, Egypt, South America, Central America, Latin America - Gecko's Adventures
travmedia.com: "adventure travel operator, Gecko’s has revamped and redesigned its website to combine the best functionality of the web with the free-spirited fun of grass roots adventure. The site is now even more user-friendly, lucid and inspirational.
The new Gecko’s site facilitates the researching, planning and booking of a huge variety of trips, world-wide. Designed to ease the sometimes complicated process of choosing and preparing a getaway, the website includes numerous new features including:
- The ability to shortlist and store an array of trips for straightforward comparison
- Profiles on Gecko’s remarkable team of local leaders
- Detailed trip maps with scroll in/out capabilities
- Inspirational image galleries, full of inspiring shots from around the globe
- Expanded and more robust information at a regional, country and trip level
- Stories ‘from the road’ from everyday travellers
- An interactive forum where anyone can communicate with other travellers and ask expert consultants any question.
Down the line Gecko’s has plans for more additions to the site, including on-line slide shows and instant booking facilities."
travmedia.com: "adventure travel operator, Gecko’s has revamped and redesigned its website to combine the best functionality of the web with the free-spirited fun of grass roots adventure. The site is now even more user-friendly, lucid and inspirational.
The new Gecko’s site facilitates the researching, planning and booking of a huge variety of trips, world-wide. Designed to ease the sometimes complicated process of choosing and preparing a getaway, the website includes numerous new features including:
- The ability to shortlist and store an array of trips for straightforward comparison
- Profiles on Gecko’s remarkable team of local leaders
- Detailed trip maps with scroll in/out capabilities
- Inspirational image galleries, full of inspiring shots from around the globe
- Expanded and more robust information at a regional, country and trip level
- Stories ‘from the road’ from everyday travellers
- An interactive forum where anyone can communicate with other travellers and ask expert consultants any question.
Down the line Gecko’s has plans for more additions to the site, including on-line slide shows and instant booking facilities."
Travel offers submit - Yahoo! Search Marketing
Yahoo! Search Marketing: "To participate in Travel Submit you must:
- Have a valid travel offer to publicize. You must accurately disclose all details of your offers, including accurate prices, dates, times, locations, or other information necessary to determine the contents of the offer. Additionally, your offers and deals must comply with all applicable laws and regulations."
- Have a valid travel offer to publicize. You must accurately disclose all details of your offers, including accurate prices, dates, times, locations, or other information necessary to determine the contents of the offer. Additionally, your offers and deals must comply with all applicable laws and regulations."
Taxi booking online service for London and UK with totaltravel.co.uk
Taxi booking online service for London and UK with totaltravel.co.uk: "The taxi search on totaltravel is the quickest and easiest way to find a cab, wherever you are in the UK a very nifty tool P. Hindmarsh, Bristol, England " LOL
Tender: Department for Transport needs real time air information systems ::
Tender: Department for Transport needs real time information systems :: PublicTechnology.net :: e-Government & public sector IT news from: "Department for Transport is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers in relation to a project adding to transport direct the supply of air real time information for UK airports and airlines.
Air real time information will allow air travellers to check whether flights are due to arrive/depart on time, using Transport Direct. The successul bidder will supply data relating to air real time information through a web page and inquiry serviceComputer and related services. "
Air real time information will allow air travellers to check whether flights are due to arrive/depart on time, using Transport Direct. The successul bidder will supply data relating to air real time information through a web page and inquiry serviceComputer and related services. "
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
"Sabre to re-consider its strategy in the UK" after reader feedback
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "The brandrepublic.com item predicting the demise of the travelocity.co.uk brand and website in the United Kingdom was off the mark"
Top 10 Global 'Travel - Destinations and Accommodation' sites
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Top 10 Global 'Travel - Destinations and Accommodation' sites for the week ending 20 August, 2005 based on VISITS
1. Hotels.com http://www.hotels.com
2. Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.com
3. InterContinental Hotels Group http://www.ichotelsgroup.com
4. Marriott International http://www.marriott.com
5. Choice Hotels International http://www.choicehotels.com
6. National Park Service http://www.nps.gov
7. Six Flags http://www.sixflags.com
8. Carnival Cruise Lines http://www.carnival.com
9. Disney World http://disneyworld.disney.go.com
10. Hilton.com http://www.hilton.com"
1. Hotels.com http://www.hotels.com
2. Trip Advisor http://www.tripadvisor.com
3. InterContinental Hotels Group http://www.ichotelsgroup.com
4. Marriott International http://www.marriott.com
5. Choice Hotels International http://www.choicehotels.com
6. National Park Service http://www.nps.gov
7. Six Flags http://www.sixflags.com
8. Carnival Cruise Lines http://www.carnival.com
9. Disney World http://disneyworld.disney.go.com
10. Hilton.com http://www.hilton.com"
Yahoo, Verizon Launch Internet Service
Forbes.com: "Yahoo, Verizon Launch Internet Service
Verizon Communications Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have teamed up to launch a cheaper high-speed Internet service designed to compete against cable operators and dial-up service providers.
For $14.95, subscribers will be able to download Web pages via a digital subscriber line at speeds of up to 768 kilobits and upload data at 128 kilobits. The cheaper service, which requires a one-year contract, offers Yahoo premium services, such as antivirus protection, on-demand music videos and unlimited photo storage, according to an advertisement on Yahoo's site.
Verizon Communications Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have teamed up to launch a cheaper high-speed Internet service designed to compete against cable operators and dial-up service providers.
For $14.95, subscribers will be able to download Web pages via a digital subscriber line at speeds of up to 768 kilobits and upload data at 128 kilobits. The cheaper service, which requires a one-year contract, offers Yahoo premium services, such as antivirus protection, on-demand music videos and unlimited photo storage, according to an advertisement on Yahoo's site.
easyJet send Book On How To Navigate A Website to Ryanair
travmedia.com: "In response to Ryanair's most recent infantile babblings (taking the form of a “news release" on their website) easyJet have today sent Ryanair’s PR Manager a copy of “Internet for Dummies” to help Ryanair navigate their way around a website.
easyJet Head of Communications, Toby Nicol, said today:
“A couple of weeks ago Ryanair put out a factually incorrect “news release” which misled people into thinking that we had reduced our flights to the Republic of Ireland - in fact, we have maintained the same number of flights and grabbed a large part of Ryanair's market share. Today they are trying to claim that we have removed our punctuality statistics from our website.
“We have recently revamped our website to make it even more appealing to our customers, punctuality stats can continue to be viewed in the 'information packs' on www.easyJet.com
“Ryanair conveniently forget that they copied from easyJet the idea of making punctuality statistics available online in the first place. This is not wholeheartedly surprising as almost every aspect of their website is a direct copy of easyJet.com - which is consistently ranked as one of the best websites in the world"
easyJet Head of Communications, Toby Nicol, said today:
“A couple of weeks ago Ryanair put out a factually incorrect “news release” which misled people into thinking that we had reduced our flights to the Republic of Ireland - in fact, we have maintained the same number of flights and grabbed a large part of Ryanair's market share. Today they are trying to claim that we have removed our punctuality statistics from our website.
“We have recently revamped our website to make it even more appealing to our customers, punctuality stats can continue to be viewed in the 'information packs' on www.easyJet.com
“Ryanair conveniently forget that they copied from easyJet the idea of making punctuality statistics available online in the first place. This is not wholeheartedly surprising as almost every aspect of their website is a direct copy of easyJet.com - which is consistently ranked as one of the best websites in the world"
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Travelocity Gains Market Share
Travelocity Gains Altitude: "Expedia is still ahead of the pack when it comes to online travel bookings, but Travelocity is gaining ground, according to Merrill Lynch.
Merrill projects that online travel agency revenues will rise 19% in 2005, reaching $27.7 billion. Online travel sales are winning a larger share of the overall travel market, accounting for nearly 30% of the total this year, up from 25% in 2004 and 21% in 2003. "
Merrill projects that online travel agency revenues will rise 19% in 2005, reaching $27.7 billion. Online travel sales are winning a larger share of the overall travel market, accounting for nearly 30% of the total this year, up from 25% in 2004 and 21% in 2003. "
Friday, August 19, 2005
Vacation rental property managers extend client reach through LeisureLink's distribution network
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: " By giving property managers access to the same distribution channels used by major airlines and hotels, LeisureLink has apparently opened the door to huge increases in revenue. For example, Tartan Management, which manages the Barefoot Golf Resort in Myrtle Beach, provided LeisureLink with 259 room nights for the month of July, and in turn LeisureLink sold an astonishing 70% of the available inventory through its unique online distribution system"
London - (Travel Daily News)
London - (Travel Daily News): "Details of a multi-million pound campaign in September aimed at boosting London`s economic recovery are unveiled today . 'Everyone`s London' promises a series of specially-staged public events and one-off promotions backed by The Mayor, Transport for London and Visit London encouraging Londoners to take pride, and part, in the very best that London has to offer.
Opening and closing with street festivals in Regent St and Oxford St respectively, September will see 100 events, festivals and special days out staged across the capital, including an event to celebrate London hosting the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games event in Trafalgar Square and a unique cultural weekend."
Opening and closing with street festivals in Regent St and Oxford St respectively, September will see 100 events, festivals and special days out staged across the capital, including an event to celebrate London hosting the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games event in Trafalgar Square and a unique cultural weekend."
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Active Hotels - Hotel reviews give mature couples confidence to book online
Travel Daily News: "Following Active Hotels` launch of hotel reviews 15 months ago, customer opinions are proving to be a hit with consumers who can access the latest up-to-date advice and information left by previous guests."
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: " media report has indicated that Sabre might decide to axe the Travelocity brand in the UK. Last month, Sabre had announced that the completion of acquisition process of lastminute.com plc by Travelocity Europe Limited"
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Andruff Confirms Limited Launch Date for Dot Travel
Internet Travel News - Andruff Confirms Limited Launch Date for Dot Travel: "Two milestone dates in the introduction of .travel (dot travel) have been set by Tralliance Corporation, the worldwide registry for .travel.
Tralliance has established August 22 as the start date for pre-authentication for third parties that want to register for a .travel domain name, according to Ron Andruff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tralliance Corporation, New York. In addition, Andruff has confirmed October 1 as the limited launch date for .travel"
Tralliance has established August 22 as the start date for pre-authentication for third parties that want to register for a .travel domain name, according to Ron Andruff, President and Chief Executive Officer, Tralliance Corporation, New York. In addition, Andruff has confirmed October 1 as the limited launch date for .travel"
Satisfy customers, make money
Satisfy customers, make money | CNET News.com: "The link between customer satisfaction and financial success is a lot more than anecdotal, according to a report released Tuesday.
The University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index, or ACSI, reflects Americans' sense of approval about some of the country's most famous companies and brand names during the first quarter of 2005. And it concludes that companies that concentrate on meeting customers' needs are the ones most likely to make sales and lure new devotees.
The most stark reflection of that fact is the correlation between the near doubling of revenues by both Google and Yahoo and their dominance of the search engine and portal categories, respectively, that researchers put them in.
'It's not a surprise that Google and Yahoo not only do a great job at satisfying their customers but are also both financial successes,' said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results, which co-sponsored the report. 'So that's a great testament to customer satisfaction.'
The flip side to the success of Google and Yahoo, explained Freed, is the smaller advances in revenues and satisfaction ratings received by the two Silicon Valley companies' major rivals, MSN and AOL, which, he said, 'have had minimal growth, if any at all, in revenue, and trail Yahoo and Google significantly in satisfying their customers.' "
The University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index, or ACSI, reflects Americans' sense of approval about some of the country's most famous companies and brand names during the first quarter of 2005. And it concludes that companies that concentrate on meeting customers' needs are the ones most likely to make sales and lure new devotees.
The most stark reflection of that fact is the correlation between the near doubling of revenues by both Google and Yahoo and their dominance of the search engine and portal categories, respectively, that researchers put them in.
'It's not a surprise that Google and Yahoo not only do a great job at satisfying their customers but are also both financial successes,' said Larry Freed, president and CEO of ForeSee Results, which co-sponsored the report. 'So that's a great testament to customer satisfaction.'
The flip side to the success of Google and Yahoo, explained Freed, is the smaller advances in revenues and satisfaction ratings received by the two Silicon Valley companies' major rivals, MSN and AOL, which, he said, 'have had minimal growth, if any at all, in revenue, and trail Yahoo and Google significantly in satisfying their customers.' "
Monday, August 15, 2005
Yahoo! Beefs Up Training For Search Marketers - 08/15/2005
MediaPost Publications - Yahoo! Beefs Up Training For Search Marketers - 08/15/2005: "YAHOO! IS BROADENING ITS SEARCH marketing program to provide training to third-party partners through its 'Ambassador Program,' the company said last week.
The initiative, dubbed 'Alliances Program,' seeks to broaden Yahoo!'s four-year-old program, formerly limited to top partners, to include smaller search engine marketing firms and individual search marketers. The three-tiered Ambassadors Program provides partners with education, training, and search marketing resources to help them sell and manage paid search campaigns.
At the introductory Ambassador level, commissions are paid a flat rate of $20 for each new advertiser referred to Yahoo! Search Marketing, with no minimum spend required. Certified and Strategic Ambassadors must meet a minimum monthly spend and demonstrate additional expertise in Yahoo! Search Marketing products. Partners in the higher tiers also receive dedicated customer service, on-site training, and advertiser Web services.
Yahoo! is also adding to its existing affiliate program with a new Certified Affiliate program, which offers Web-based training and marketing materials to help affiliates educate their clients before referring them to begin a paid search campaign with Yahoo! The program is currently limited to affiliates in the United States and Canada, with plans to expand to other countries in the future. "
The initiative, dubbed 'Alliances Program,' seeks to broaden Yahoo!'s four-year-old program, formerly limited to top partners, to include smaller search engine marketing firms and individual search marketers. The three-tiered Ambassadors Program provides partners with education, training, and search marketing resources to help them sell and manage paid search campaigns.
At the introductory Ambassador level, commissions are paid a flat rate of $20 for each new advertiser referred to Yahoo! Search Marketing, with no minimum spend required. Certified and Strategic Ambassadors must meet a minimum monthly spend and demonstrate additional expertise in Yahoo! Search Marketing products. Partners in the higher tiers also receive dedicated customer service, on-site training, and advertiser Web services.
Yahoo! is also adding to its existing affiliate program with a new Certified Affiliate program, which offers Web-based training and marketing materials to help affiliates educate their clients before referring them to begin a paid search campaign with Yahoo! The program is currently limited to affiliates in the United States and Canada, with plans to expand to other countries in the future. "
Cendant is being said to be interested in CNG Travel Group.
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Cendant, the publicly quoted American business services group, is believed to be one of four firms to have expressed an interest in acquiring CNG Travel Group, the troubled travel reservation website that floated on AIM last year. The sale of the business, which is being handled by IBI, has also attracted interest from industry players in the Far East,' as reported by timesonline.co.uk. "
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Who Isn't Buying Travel Online
Forrester Research: Who Isn't Buying Travel Online: "Forty-seven percent of US online leisure travelers don't buy travel online. Why? They don't view technology with the same degree of enthusiasm as do Bookers, those who buy travel online. But there are larger, more fundamental differences, too. Fewer non-Bookers use a computer at work, and a higher proportion are retirees. They also don't travel as frequently and they've accepted the industry's messaging that buying travel online is something reserved for young, on-the-go hipsters."
Saturday, August 13, 2005
First Luggage bypass baggage handlers
travmedia.com: "Holidaymakers being adversely affected due to the industrial action by baggage handlers at Heathrow airport today could have had the last laugh, thanks to a new service that enables luggage to by-pass them completely.
First Luggage enables travellers to send their luggage ahead, without it ever passing through the hands of the baggage handlers who are causing so much disruption and frustration.
With one quick phone call or online booking, First Luggage will arrange to collect any bags before the day of departure and deliver them by courier service to the customer�s holiday destination in time for their arrival. A text message lets them know that it has arrived safely. The same applies for the return trip.
Managing Director Gideon Kasfiner says: �More and more people are using First Luggage because they don�t want to give the baggage handlers the satisfaction of disrupting their holidays. In the States, luggage-free travel is the accepted norm and is becoming so over here as travellers plan to enjoy every precious moment of their holiday.�
For further information/bookings: www.firstluggage.com or phone on 08452 700 670"
First Luggage enables travellers to send their luggage ahead, without it ever passing through the hands of the baggage handlers who are causing so much disruption and frustration.
With one quick phone call or online booking, First Luggage will arrange to collect any bags before the day of departure and deliver them by courier service to the customer�s holiday destination in time for their arrival. A text message lets them know that it has arrived safely. The same applies for the return trip.
Managing Director Gideon Kasfiner says: �More and more people are using First Luggage because they don�t want to give the baggage handlers the satisfaction of disrupting their holidays. In the States, luggage-free travel is the accepted norm and is becoming so over here as travellers plan to enjoy every precious moment of their holiday.�
For further information/bookings: www.firstluggage.com or phone on 08452 700 670"
Friday, August 12, 2005
MediaPost Publications - Hitwise: Google Search Share Continues To Grow - 08/12/2005
MediaPost Publications - Hitwise: Google Search Share Continues To Grow - 08/12/2005: "GOOGLE, YAHOO! SEARCH, AND MSN Search were responsible for more than 93 percent of U.S. searches on the major engines last month, according to new data from Hitwise. Google accounted for 59 percent of searches across the major search engines last month--14 percent more than July of 2004. Yahoo! captured 29 percent of searches--about half as many as Google--while MSN trailed with 5.5 percent. "
Online Travel Bookings To Surge
MediaPost 08/12/2005: "REVENUE AT ONLINE TRAVEL AGENCIES such as Expedia and Travelocity will soar 19 percent to $27.7 billion in the United States this year, according to a report released Thursday by financial services company Merrill Lynch. The new estimate is more optimistic than the one Merrill Lynch issued just three months ago, which predicted U.S. growth of 15 percent.
One reason for the more bullish forecast is that although consumers have the option of purchasing directly from airlines, hotels, and other direct suppliers, bookings via online agency sites were nonetheless up by 20 percent in this year's second quarter.
Consumers also will up their spending with direct travel suppliers on the Web, predicted Merrill Lynch. The firm forecast that revenues at direct suppliers online will grow by 27 percent this year, to $32.5 billion...
Justin Post concluded that search engines are driving much of the increase in online bookings. He estimated that travel search technology accounted for $600 million in direct bookings last year. What's more, he predicts that search-related bookings will double each year through 2007.
Of the online agencies, Merrill Lynch expects Expedia to again capture the largest market share, with 44 percent of bookings this year; Travelocity will account for 23 percent of bookings, while 19 percent of online travel agency dollars will go to Orbitz."
One reason for the more bullish forecast is that although consumers have the option of purchasing directly from airlines, hotels, and other direct suppliers, bookings via online agency sites were nonetheless up by 20 percent in this year's second quarter.
Consumers also will up their spending with direct travel suppliers on the Web, predicted Merrill Lynch. The firm forecast that revenues at direct suppliers online will grow by 27 percent this year, to $32.5 billion...
Justin Post concluded that search engines are driving much of the increase in online bookings. He estimated that travel search technology accounted for $600 million in direct bookings last year. What's more, he predicts that search-related bookings will double each year through 2007.
Of the online agencies, Merrill Lynch expects Expedia to again capture the largest market share, with 44 percent of bookings this year; Travelocity will account for 23 percent of bookings, while 19 percent of online travel agency dollars will go to Orbitz."
BA strike
:: Travel Weekly - The National Newspaper of the Travel Industry ::: "British Airways was forced to shut down its flight operations at Heathrow Aug. 11 because of sympathy strikes stemming from a dispute that doesn�t directly involve the airline, but does involve a name familiar to people in the U.S. travel industry.
British Airways said it also is reviewing its flights for Aug. 12, and customers should check for updates at ba.com before going to the airport.
British Airways was rebooking customers from the canceled Aug. 11 flights, but said they probably would not get to depart until after the weekend, and the airline would try to find hotels for them. Customers also can choose to get a refund instead.
British Airways was forced to cancel the flights when many baggage handlers, loaders and bus drivers walked out in sympathy with workers at Gate Gourmet, the firm that provides the airline with its in-flight meals, the BBC reported.
That firm, Gate Gourmet, said it dismissed 350 workers after an authorized strike Aug. 10. The British Airways workers who walked out are represented by the same union, the Transport and General Workers Union.
"
British Airways said it also is reviewing its flights for Aug. 12, and customers should check for updates at ba.com before going to the airport.
British Airways was rebooking customers from the canceled Aug. 11 flights, but said they probably would not get to depart until after the weekend, and the airline would try to find hotels for them. Customers also can choose to get a refund instead.
British Airways was forced to cancel the flights when many baggage handlers, loaders and bus drivers walked out in sympathy with workers at Gate Gourmet, the firm that provides the airline with its in-flight meals, the BBC reported.
That firm, Gate Gourmet, said it dismissed 350 workers after an authorized strike Aug. 10. The British Airways workers who walked out are represented by the same union, the Transport and General Workers Union.
"
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Free advertising space for travel businesses on www.totaltravel.co.uk
travmedia.com: "Free advertising space on a highly successful on-line travel site seems too good to be true. But travel-related businesses who have signed up for free to http://www.totaltravel.co.uk are finding that bookings and enquiries are flooding in.
This Brighton-based subsidiary of totaltravel.com and sister company of top five travel site in Australia, http://www.totaltravel.com.au, is already receiving tremendous response to its offer, inviting any travel-related business to create its own feature site and appear within totaltravel’s comprehensive guide to Great Britain, completely free of charge.
The site gives all qualifying businesses (there are currently 58 categories accommodated) access to user-friendly software that guides the user through the simple step-by-step process of creating a feature site. This typically has an overview page, a rates page and a contact page, as well as a photo gallery that can contain an unlimited number of images and accompanying text.
The feature sites are displayed in comprehensive locality guides, and last month the site received three million page impressions despite not being officially launched at that time.
“People often ask, ‘Where is the catch?’ and I can genuinely assure them there isn’t one. We benefit by having businesses on a site, which becomes more interesting with their participation. This leads to more traffic and more free business,” said totaltravel Founder Michael Dennis
Any business who wishes to sign up for free should go here: http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/FREE
--ENDS--
--NOTES FOR EDITORS--
The first totaltravel site, totaltravel.com.au , was launched in 2002 and the Great Britain site was launched last month. The site is a one-stop-shop resource that allows people to research and book their all their travel arrangements in one place.
--CONTACTS--
Gill Souter
totaltravel.com, Great Britain
+44 (0)1273 710600
gill.souter@totaltravel.co.uk "
This Brighton-based subsidiary of totaltravel.com and sister company of top five travel site in Australia, http://www.totaltravel.com.au, is already receiving tremendous response to its offer, inviting any travel-related business to create its own feature site and appear within totaltravel’s comprehensive guide to Great Britain, completely free of charge.
The site gives all qualifying businesses (there are currently 58 categories accommodated) access to user-friendly software that guides the user through the simple step-by-step process of creating a feature site. This typically has an overview page, a rates page and a contact page, as well as a photo gallery that can contain an unlimited number of images and accompanying text.
The feature sites are displayed in comprehensive locality guides, and last month the site received three million page impressions despite not being officially launched at that time.
“People often ask, ‘Where is the catch?’ and I can genuinely assure them there isn’t one. We benefit by having businesses on a site, which becomes more interesting with their participation. This leads to more traffic and more free business,” said totaltravel Founder Michael Dennis
Any business who wishes to sign up for free should go here: http://www.totaltravel.co.uk/FREE
--ENDS--
--NOTES FOR EDITORS--
The first totaltravel site, totaltravel.com.au , was launched in 2002 and the Great Britain site was launched last month. The site is a one-stop-shop resource that allows people to research and book their all their travel arrangements in one place.
--CONTACTS--
Gill Souter
totaltravel.com, Great Britain
+44 (0)1273 710600
gill.souter@totaltravel.co.uk "
Monday, August 08, 2005
Intercontinental, Expedia, Starwood, Cendant, Yahoo! and More Assess the Future of Online Travel Distribution / August 2005
hotel-online.com: "Top executives representing the leading hospitality companies and distributors will share their wealth of experience, knowledge and expert predictions at EyeforTravels annual Travel Distribution Summit USA. "
For full agenda and speaker details Eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution Summit USA 2005: "Learn - from the travel industry's biggest and most profitable companies. This event will help you understand how your core business is developing in the 3 vital areas of pricing, distribution technology and product sales and marketing. Plus there will be 3 distinct conference tracks examining in depth the developments in:
Group travel
Business travel
Leisure travel "
For full agenda and speaker details Eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution Summit USA 2005: "Learn - from the travel industry's biggest and most profitable companies. This event will help you understand how your core business is developing in the 3 vital areas of pricing, distribution technology and product sales and marketing. Plus there will be 3 distinct conference tracks examining in depth the developments in:
Group travel
Business travel
Leisure travel "
rosy picture for travel market in North America
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Best Western International, motoring and leisure travel organisation AAA and SideStep have projected a rosy picture for travel market in North America. This was indicated during the discussion related to the current status of the travel industry and emerging trends among three organisations in New York recently"
Friday, August 05, 2005
Travelocity, Yahoo renew Web pact
Travel Weekly : " Travelocity extended its contract one year, through 2006, as the exclusive air, car and hotel provider to Yahoo Travel. The deal has one more one-year renewal option.
“We have built strong down-side protections into the contract extension to preserve the value of our investment in our partnership,” said Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso.
As part of the deal, Travelocity declined to participate in the Yahoo/FareChase metasearch effort either under the Travelocity or Yahoo Travel brands, Peluso said.
Meanwhile, Expedia Inc. expanded its agreement with MSN, Microsoft’s Internet portal, to include Expedia’s Hotels.com, Hotwire and TripAdvisor on MSN.com and its other Web sites"
“We have built strong down-side protections into the contract extension to preserve the value of our investment in our partnership,” said Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso.
As part of the deal, Travelocity declined to participate in the Yahoo/FareChase metasearch effort either under the Travelocity or Yahoo Travel brands, Peluso said.
Meanwhile, Expedia Inc. expanded its agreement with MSN, Microsoft’s Internet portal, to include Expedia’s Hotels.com, Hotwire and TripAdvisor on MSN.com and its other Web sites"
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Carrentals.com Launches Website for Mobile Devices
Internet Travel News "CarRentals.com launched the first mobile web site allowing users with cell phone, smartphone and PDA Internet browsers to reserve vehicles from multiple car rental vendors. Travelers can compare prices and make reservations for rental cars quickly and effectively from anywhere around the world"
Car Rentals from CarRentals.com
Car Rentals from CarRentals.com
Google Maps out a Plan for Commercial Success in the Travel Sector
eyefortravel.com: "With the increasing popularity of online mapping software for a range of commercial uses, there may be more profit potential than meets the eye in a service such as Google Maps. Traffic to sites in the online mapping industry has grown 26% year-on-year according to Hitwise data for the Travel – Maps category comparing June 2004 to June 2005.
Analysis of the sites visited after online maps underscores the inherent commercial value of these sites. An average of 20% of traffic from sites in the Travel – Maps category goes to travel agency sites. The top downstream site for maps.google.com for the week ending 30 July was www.expedia.co.uk. The top downstream site from the more established Multimap is Teletext Holidays, while fellow travel sites Active Hotels and Expedia also feature prominently in Multimap’s top 20 downstream sites. An analysis of the latest crop of search terms for maps.google.com reveals that 25 out of the top 30 terms are commercial, including ‘hotel’, ‘estate agents’, ‘cinema’ and ‘bed and breakfast’.
“Hitwise data shows that online maps enjoy a close relationship with the travel sector. Internet users are researching destinations and hotel locations while booking a holiday” said Heather Hopkins Research Director of Hitwise UK. “The commercial value of online maps is not limited to holiday-makers, however. Consider the possibility that flats for rent in a specific price range and neighbourhood could also be plotted, as well as cash points and petrol stations.” "
Analysis of the sites visited after online maps underscores the inherent commercial value of these sites. An average of 20% of traffic from sites in the Travel – Maps category goes to travel agency sites. The top downstream site for maps.google.com for the week ending 30 July was www.expedia.co.uk. The top downstream site from the more established Multimap is Teletext Holidays, while fellow travel sites Active Hotels and Expedia also feature prominently in Multimap’s top 20 downstream sites. An analysis of the latest crop of search terms for maps.google.com reveals that 25 out of the top 30 terms are commercial, including ‘hotel’, ‘estate agents’, ‘cinema’ and ‘bed and breakfast’.
“Hitwise data shows that online maps enjoy a close relationship with the travel sector. Internet users are researching destinations and hotel locations while booking a holiday” said Heather Hopkins Research Director of Hitwise UK. “The commercial value of online maps is not limited to holiday-makers, however. Consider the possibility that flats for rent in a specific price range and neighbourhood could also be plotted, as well as cash points and petrol stations.” "
Expedia, MSN to offer more booking options
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Strengthening their relationship, Expedia and Microsoft Corp.'s network of Internet services MSN have renewed and expanded their agreement...
The new agreement maintains Expedia's presence as the provider of travel shopping services on MSN.com and several international MSN websites, and broadens the partnership to include all Expedia, Inc.'s leisure brands.
Expedia, which has powered the travel channel on MSN.com and many localised MSN sites around the world since 1999, says the new and expanded agreement will continue on MSN.com and the MSN localised sites but will now include travel sites such as Hotels.com, Hotwire.com and TripAdvisor.com."
The new agreement maintains Expedia's presence as the provider of travel shopping services on MSN.com and several international MSN websites, and broadens the partnership to include all Expedia, Inc.'s leisure brands.
Expedia, which has powered the travel channel on MSN.com and many localised MSN sites around the world since 1999, says the new and expanded agreement will continue on MSN.com and the MSN localised sites but will now include travel sites such as Hotels.com, Hotwire.com and TripAdvisor.com."
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "The proceedings from EyeforTravel�s 2005 European Travel Distribution Summit are essential viewing from anyone interested in what�s going on in the European travel distribution market. This event attracted almost 1,500 senior level travel executives and over 70 world leading speakers including; ICH Group, IAC Travel, British Airways, Cendant TDS, bringing together the European leaders of travel marketing, pricing and distribution.
- Learn why Google and Yahoo! see travel as the most important vertical on the web and how you can best use Search to maximize your sales online"
- Learn why Google and Yahoo! see travel as the most important vertical on the web and how you can best use Search to maximize your sales online"
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
PriceBookers.co.uk launches its online operations
eyefortravel.com: "Pricebookers.co.uk has announced the launch of its online search service, allowing visitors to enter their travel itinerary once and search flight, hotel and car rental options from leading UK travel websites. "
- Study Finds People Search, Don't Surf Web Sites
MediaPost Publications - Study Finds People Search, Don't Surf Web Sites - 08/03/2005: "LEST THERE WAS ANY DOUBT that search engines have made inroads on surfing behavior, a study released Tuesday by BURST! Media should put it to rest. Just 16 percent of 13,000 surveyed Web users age 14 and older said they navigate the Web via links from other sites or ads. The majority of respondents, 56 percent, use search engines to get where they want to be online, while 28 percent either have their destinations' URLs bookmarked or type them in. -- Wendy Davis "
easyHotel Launches in London
easyHotel.com for hotels from Stelios, founder of easyJet A central London room from £20 a night
Internet Travel News: "The first easyHotel, owned and operated by easyGroup, has opened its doors on Monday, in Central London.
easyHotel aims to provide a safe, clean room for the night with a bathroom en-suite and to fill the gap left between the branded chains of hotels and bed & breakfast accommodation...
Future growth will be activated through franchising. The first franchised easyHotel will open in Basel, Switzerland in September 2005.
EasyHotel plans further expansion in London and in the UK.
easyHotel claim that since opening the www.easyHotel.com website for bookings in June 2005 sales have been very encouraging. "
Internet Travel News: "The first easyHotel, owned and operated by easyGroup, has opened its doors on Monday, in Central London.
easyHotel aims to provide a safe, clean room for the night with a bathroom en-suite and to fill the gap left between the branded chains of hotels and bed & breakfast accommodation...
Future growth will be activated through franchising. The first franchised easyHotel will open in Basel, Switzerland in September 2005.
EasyHotel plans further expansion in London and in the UK.
easyHotel claim that since opening the www.easyHotel.com website for bookings in June 2005 sales have been very encouraging. "
Monday, August 01, 2005
Online travel $5.1 billion spent June 2005
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "Online travel spending reached $5.1 billion in June 2005, up 25% over June 2004, according to recently released comScore Media Metrix's monthly analysis of consumer activity at the top online properties and categories in the US."
Southwest flies under the fare search radar
Southwest flies under the fare search radar: South Florida Sun-Sentinel By Bruce Mohl
The Boston Globe: "In the race for supremacy among travel search engines, there is one obstacle that none of the companies have been able to overcome.
Southwest Airlines, the top low-cost carrier in the nation, refuses to participate. It will not allow its fares to be compared with those of its competitors on any third-party consumer Web site."
The Boston Globe: "In the race for supremacy among travel search engines, there is one obstacle that none of the companies have been able to overcome.
Southwest Airlines, the top low-cost carrier in the nation, refuses to participate. It will not allow its fares to be compared with those of its competitors on any third-party consumer Web site."
A Hacker Games the Hotel
Wired News: A Hacker Games the Hotel: "A vulnerability in many hotel television infrared systems can allow a hacker to obtain guests' names and their room numbers from the billing system.
It can also let someone read the e-mail of guests who use web mail through the TV, putting business travelers at risk of corporate espionage. And it can allow an intruder to add or delete charges on a hotel guest's bill or watch pornographic films and other premium content on their hotel TV without paying for it."
It can also let someone read the e-mail of guests who use web mail through the TV, putting business travelers at risk of corporate espionage. And it can allow an intruder to add or delete charges on a hotel guest's bill or watch pornographic films and other premium content on their hotel TV without paying for it."
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