Travel Report: Despite Economy, Online Travel Continues to Grow: "Despite the recent economic news, people aren't ready to give up their vacation. New reports from PhoCusWright (www.phocuswright.com), a respected industry research firm, say more people booked online travel during 2008 than years before.
PhoCusWright Vice President of Research Lorraine Sileo says, “online [ticket] sales will continue to outpace total market growth as travelers increasingly shop and book online, seeking better bargains.”
PhoCusWright’s U.S. Online Travel Overview Eighth Edition says that leisure and unmanaged business travel bookings will hit nearly $100 billion in 2008. That’s “more than one-third of the total travel market, and a 9% increase over 2007.”
One travel niche that experiencing a bit of a resurgence is “dynamic packaging,” where what PhoCusWright calls “bargain-hungry consumers…book together and save.”
If you’re thinking about traveling: book online. The research firm indicates others are keyed into the proposition. “The U.S. online travel market is projected to grow far faster than the total travel market through 2010,” concludes PhoCusWright."
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Kayak boss Steve Hafner does not SideStep the issue - Travel Trends - Incorporating the TRAVELtech and No Vacancy Travel Industry Conferences
TTN447 - Kayak boss Steve Hafner does not SideStep the issue - Travel Trends - Incorporating the TRAVELtech and No Vacancy Travel Industry Conferences: "Kayak boss Steve Hafner doesn’t mince words. When asked what economies of scale were generated by Kayak’s acquisition of SideStep, another travel search engine, Hafner replied: “There were 120 employees when we bought them … three of those remain”. No excuses, no remorse.
Inevitably concise, entertaining and to the point, Hafner is a co-founder of Kayak, regarded as the benchmark travel search engine, which he describes as a four page website “at its core”.
The company employs just 75 people and is an operation that’s “really focussed on Search Engine Optimisation … we try to get 1% better each week”.
“Now the challenge is to take our success in the US and translate it worldwide.” Kayak’s already in 12 European countries. “The challenge with international expansion isn’t product, it’s actually (getting) the audience.”Kayak boss Steve Hafner doesn’t mince words. When asked what economies of scale were generated by Kayak’s acquisition of SideStep, another travel search engine, Hafner replied: “There were 120 employees when we bought them … three of those remain”. No excuses, no remorse.
Inevitably concise, entertaining and to the point, Hafner is a co-founder of Kayak, regarded as the benchmark travel search engine, which he describes as a four page website “at its core”.
The company employs just 75 people and is an operation that’s “really focussed on Search Engine Optimisation … we try to get 1% better each week”...
Expansion aside, Hafner says Kayak is most focussed on search speed and relevance.
“We have four pages and the three pages we care most about are the result pages. We want to improve the speed, order and relevance. It takes a tremendous amount of engineering work to do that… We do have an algorithm and tweak it all the time.”
Two final comments:
“We don’t want to solve problems at Kayak that affect 1% of consumers; we want to solve problems affecting 99% of consumers.”
And:
“It still boggles my mind how these big Online Travel Agencies have such cluttered and ugly websites.”
�"
Inevitably concise, entertaining and to the point, Hafner is a co-founder of Kayak, regarded as the benchmark travel search engine, which he describes as a four page website “at its core”.
The company employs just 75 people and is an operation that’s “really focussed on Search Engine Optimisation … we try to get 1% better each week”.
“Now the challenge is to take our success in the US and translate it worldwide.” Kayak’s already in 12 European countries. “The challenge with international expansion isn’t product, it’s actually (getting) the audience.”Kayak boss Steve Hafner doesn’t mince words. When asked what economies of scale were generated by Kayak’s acquisition of SideStep, another travel search engine, Hafner replied: “There were 120 employees when we bought them … three of those remain”. No excuses, no remorse.
Inevitably concise, entertaining and to the point, Hafner is a co-founder of Kayak, regarded as the benchmark travel search engine, which he describes as a four page website “at its core”.
The company employs just 75 people and is an operation that’s “really focussed on Search Engine Optimisation … we try to get 1% better each week”...
Expansion aside, Hafner says Kayak is most focussed on search speed and relevance.
“We have four pages and the three pages we care most about are the result pages. We want to improve the speed, order and relevance. It takes a tremendous amount of engineering work to do that… We do have an algorithm and tweak it all the time.”
Two final comments:
“We don’t want to solve problems at Kayak that affect 1% of consumers; we want to solve problems affecting 99% of consumers.”
And:
“It still boggles my mind how these big Online Travel Agencies have such cluttered and ugly websites.”
�"
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Travel Report: Despite Economy, Online Travel Continues to Grow
Positive thinking . . .
Travel Report: Despite Economy, Online Travel Continues to Grow: "Despite the recent economic news, people aren't ready to give up their vacation. New reports from PhoCusWright (www.phocuswright.com), a respected industry research firm, say more people booked online travel during 2008 than years before.
PhoCusWright Vice President of Research Lorraine Sileo says, “online [ticket] sales will continue to outpace total market growth as travelers increasingly shop and book online, seeking better bargains.”
PhoCusWright’s U.S. Online Travel Overview Eighth Edition says that leisure and unmanaged business travel bookings will hit nearly $100 billion in 2008. That’s “more than one-third of the total travel market, and a 9% increase over 2007.”
One travel niche that experiencing a bit of a resurgence is “dynamic packaging,” where what PhoCusWright calls “bargain-hungry consumers…book together and save.”
If you’re thinking about traveling: book online. The research firm indicates others are keyed into the proposition. “The U.S. online travel market is projected to grow far faster than the total travel market through 2010,” concludes PhoCusWright."
Travel Report: Despite Economy, Online Travel Continues to Grow: "Despite the recent economic news, people aren't ready to give up their vacation. New reports from PhoCusWright (www.phocuswright.com), a respected industry research firm, say more people booked online travel during 2008 than years before.
PhoCusWright Vice President of Research Lorraine Sileo says, “online [ticket] sales will continue to outpace total market growth as travelers increasingly shop and book online, seeking better bargains.”
PhoCusWright’s U.S. Online Travel Overview Eighth Edition says that leisure and unmanaged business travel bookings will hit nearly $100 billion in 2008. That’s “more than one-third of the total travel market, and a 9% increase over 2007.”
One travel niche that experiencing a bit of a resurgence is “dynamic packaging,” where what PhoCusWright calls “bargain-hungry consumers…book together and save.”
If you’re thinking about traveling: book online. The research firm indicates others are keyed into the proposition. “The U.S. online travel market is projected to grow far faster than the total travel market through 2010,” concludes PhoCusWright."
Sunday, December 07, 2008
e-Travel Blackboard: Falling Aussie Dollar Forces 70% of Travellers To Reconsider their Overseas Plans
e-Travel Blackboard: Falling Aussie Dollar Forces 70% of Travellers To Reconsider their Overseas Plans
Totaltravel.com recently conducted a survey which asked the question: “Given the falling Aussie Dollar, are you planning any overseas holidays?”
The survey, which attracted 980 respondents, found that the falling Aussie dollar has forced more than 70 percent of Australian travellers to reconsider any overseas plans.
Forty per cent of voters (364 people) said that would be holidaying closer to home this year to save money during the economic slowdown. Another 31 per cent (279 people) of respondents said holidays were totally out of the question.
Only 29 per cent of voters (265 people) stated that they were still going overseas for a holiday, no matter what the cost.
totaltravel.com global Marketing Manager Paul Fisher said the global financial crisis might have a positive impact on the Australian tourism industry.
“The fall in value of the Aussie dollar has seen overseas holidays become frighteningly expensive, with the Euro now worth twice our currency, and the US dollar not much further away,” Mr Fisher said.
“We will see more and more people spending their hard-earned cash on shorter holidays geographically closer to home.
“The growing demand for home-grown holidays, as well as the buzz surrounding the new Baz Lurhmann movie Australia, will deliver a much-needed boost for domestic tourism operators.
“There are plenty of bargain hunters out there and operators will need to ensure they put together attractive offers to make the most of this environment.”
Mr Fisher said there would also be an increase in the number of people navigating the internet for bargain holiday deals.
Totaltravel.com recently conducted a survey which asked the question: “Given the falling Aussie Dollar, are you planning any overseas holidays?”
The survey, which attracted 980 respondents, found that the falling Aussie dollar has forced more than 70 percent of Australian travellers to reconsider any overseas plans.
Forty per cent of voters (364 people) said that would be holidaying closer to home this year to save money during the economic slowdown. Another 31 per cent (279 people) of respondents said holidays were totally out of the question.
Only 29 per cent of voters (265 people) stated that they were still going overseas for a holiday, no matter what the cost.
totaltravel.com global Marketing Manager Paul Fisher said the global financial crisis might have a positive impact on the Australian tourism industry.
“The fall in value of the Aussie dollar has seen overseas holidays become frighteningly expensive, with the Euro now worth twice our currency, and the US dollar not much further away,” Mr Fisher said.
“We will see more and more people spending their hard-earned cash on shorter holidays geographically closer to home.
“The growing demand for home-grown holidays, as well as the buzz surrounding the new Baz Lurhmann movie Australia, will deliver a much-needed boost for domestic tourism operators.
“There are plenty of bargain hunters out there and operators will need to ensure they put together attractive offers to make the most of this environment.”
Mr Fisher said there would also be an increase in the number of people navigating the internet for bargain holiday deals.
Online travel growth dips to single digits-05 December, 2008
Online travel growth dips to single digits-05 December, 2008: "Online travel growth dips to single digits
Growth of online leisure and unmanaged business travel dipped into single digits this year, according to market tracker Phocuswright. The company says this is the first time since it began recording online travel sales in 1998 that this has happened.
However, online travel annual growth still outpaces the total travel market for 2008 and this is set to continue until at least 2010.
The company’s latest Online Travel Overview says online leisure and unmanaged business travel will grow by 9% in 2008 compared to 2007, reaching $100 billion, more than a third of the travel market.
It added that growth would continue at 7% annually through to 2010, despite the global recession and the accompanying softening in consumer demand.
The report also shows that OTAs are receiving a “counter cyclical lift” as consumers are driven back to the web in search of a bargain.
Phocuswright says supplier websites and OTAs are expected to hold a share equilibrium until 2010 at 61% and 39% respectively.
by Dinah Hatch"
Growth of online leisure and unmanaged business travel dipped into single digits this year, according to market tracker Phocuswright. The company says this is the first time since it began recording online travel sales in 1998 that this has happened.
However, online travel annual growth still outpaces the total travel market for 2008 and this is set to continue until at least 2010.
The company’s latest Online Travel Overview says online leisure and unmanaged business travel will grow by 9% in 2008 compared to 2007, reaching $100 billion, more than a third of the travel market.
It added that growth would continue at 7% annually through to 2010, despite the global recession and the accompanying softening in consumer demand.
The report also shows that OTAs are receiving a “counter cyclical lift” as consumers are driven back to the web in search of a bargain.
Phocuswright says supplier websites and OTAs are expected to hold a share equilibrium until 2010 at 61% and 39% respectively.
by Dinah Hatch"
Friday, October 24, 2008
Is the Travel Industry Headed Toward Another Wallop? | PhoCusWright FYI
Hospitality Net - Industry News - Is the Travel Industry Headed Toward Another Wallop? | PhoCusWright FYI: "With the global credit markets in crisis, stock markets fluctuating, fuel prices erratic and a recession looming, the travel industry is gloomy. Companies quickly shifted into belt-tightening gear and if they're not feeling the pinch now—they're at least preparing for a long, cold winter ahead...
"Will the 2008 economic meltdown be as bad for our industry as September 11, 2001?"
The answers to this question, of course, vary. Certainly, there are key differences between the two events. The terror attacks were a direct assault on the U.S. and aviation industry. The economy was already suffering from the tech stock bubble burst of 2000. Then the September 11, 2001 events virtually froze the travel industry for weeks—if not months—before the eventual thaw. Yet while cutbacks prevailed and some travel companies fell, online travel companies reported surprisingly bright results. . .
Perhaps the brightest hope for online marketers is that travelers, like in 2002, will flock online in search of lower prices, keeping OTAs, metasearch sites, and even online direct channels humming. After all, as one attendee noted, "the white table cloth dining industry has fallen off a cliff along with the $20 bottle of wine. On the flip side, cheap supermarket wine is experiencing a boom." So maybe it will once again be chic for online travel to be cheap.
Whatever happens, one remembers Barry Diller's infamous words at The PhoCusWright Executive Conference in 2002, when asked why IAC paid over US$1 billion for a majority stake in Expedia just months after September 11, 2001. "You know, if there's no travel, there's no life," he emphatically declared.
Let's hope that's what travelers say in 2009."
Totaltravel survived 2001 so lets hope it grows stronger again this time round.
"Will the 2008 economic meltdown be as bad for our industry as September 11, 2001?"
The answers to this question, of course, vary. Certainly, there are key differences between the two events. The terror attacks were a direct assault on the U.S. and aviation industry. The economy was already suffering from the tech stock bubble burst of 2000. Then the September 11, 2001 events virtually froze the travel industry for weeks—if not months—before the eventual thaw. Yet while cutbacks prevailed and some travel companies fell, online travel companies reported surprisingly bright results. . .
Perhaps the brightest hope for online marketers is that travelers, like in 2002, will flock online in search of lower prices, keeping OTAs, metasearch sites, and even online direct channels humming. After all, as one attendee noted, "the white table cloth dining industry has fallen off a cliff along with the $20 bottle of wine. On the flip side, cheap supermarket wine is experiencing a boom." So maybe it will once again be chic for online travel to be cheap.
Whatever happens, one remembers Barry Diller's infamous words at The PhoCusWright Executive Conference in 2002, when asked why IAC paid over US$1 billion for a majority stake in Expedia just months after September 11, 2001. "You know, if there's no travel, there's no life," he emphatically declared.
Let's hope that's what travelers say in 2009."
Totaltravel survived 2001 so lets hope it grows stronger again this time round.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Buying travel insurance? Check the small print
Motley fool report that "customers - particularly those of a thrill-seeking disposition - need to scan the small print with a gimlet eye before signing a travel insurance policy, the Association of British Insurers (ABI) said today."
Most exclude high-risk sports so "If you're planning to go white-water rafting down the Colorado River or something, your bog-standard travel policy won't cover you."
I wonder if banana boats, parascending, water skiing etc are also not covered?
The article also warned that travel insurance is also essential for short breaks:
"I'd say it's very important, even for a couple of days. It doesn't take more than a couple of minutes for you to lose your bags."
Recent trouble with lost baggage at Heathrow airport has highlighted the issue of travel insurance...There has been a 22 per cent increase in lost baggage across Europe, according to figures from the Association of European Airlines."
A short break is just as likely to fall foul of flight delays but agaain read the small print, you are usually only covered if the delay has been for a specified minimum number of hours, eight hours or more may be the minimum!
Association of British Insurers (ABI)Spokesperson Malcolm Tarling continued: "Most bog-standard policies will cover cancellation but the cause of the cancellation will be specified in the policy; typically your illness, or an illness of someone travelling with you, or a close family member." NB They will probably ask for proof and pre-existing conditions are unlikly to be covered.
Most exclude high-risk sports so "If you're planning to go white-water rafting down the Colorado River or something, your bog-standard travel policy won't cover you."
I wonder if banana boats, parascending, water skiing etc are also not covered?
The article also warned that travel insurance is also essential for short breaks:
"I'd say it's very important, even for a couple of days. It doesn't take more than a couple of minutes for you to lose your bags."
Recent trouble with lost baggage at Heathrow airport has highlighted the issue of travel insurance...There has been a 22 per cent increase in lost baggage across Europe, according to figures from the Association of European Airlines."
A short break is just as likely to fall foul of flight delays but agaain read the small print, you are usually only covered if the delay has been for a specified minimum number of hours, eight hours or more may be the minimum!
Association of British Insurers (ABI)Spokesperson Malcolm Tarling continued: "Most bog-standard policies will cover cancellation but the cause of the cancellation will be specified in the policy; typically your illness, or an illness of someone travelling with you, or a close family member." NB They will probably ask for proof and pre-existing conditions are unlikly to be covered.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Totaltravel in the news
Internet travel news reports that "TOTALTRAVEL.COM.AU has been voted the best travel website in Australia for the second year in a row by Australian NetGuide magazine.
Australian NetGuide awarded TotalTravel.com.au the best the Best Travel/Tourism Site award in its annual NetGuide Australian Web Awards for 2006.
The results appear in the April edition of Australian NetGuide magazine.
Other category award winners include Google (Best Search Site), Seek (Best Classifieds Site) and ABC News Online (Best Media Site)."
Australian NetGuide awarded TotalTravel.com.au the best the Best Travel/Tourism Site award in its annual NetGuide Australian Web Awards for 2006.
The results appear in the April edition of Australian NetGuide magazine.
Other category award winners include Google (Best Search Site), Seek (Best Classifieds Site) and ABC News Online (Best Media Site)."
Monday, October 23, 2006
e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter
e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter: "An online survey conducted by travel guide and directory TotalTravel.com has shown that Australian travellers are divided over whether airport security checks are tough enough five years after 9/11."
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Totaltravel keeps growing
e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter: "Fast-growing destination website company TotalTravel.com has made its first international move by launching TotalTravel sites in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Marketing Director Paul Fisher said other offshore sites will follow.
�There�ll certainly be others,� he said.
�We�re looking at markets that make sense � English-speaking destinations where people can fly fairly cheaply on Low Cost Carriers.�....
Staff numbers have increased from 12 to 40 in just 12 months, while Hitwise now rates TotalTravel.com as the second most popular “Destination and Accommodation’ website in Australia.
Fisher said it received a record 1.4 million unique site visits during August.
Advertisers are also catching on, particularly as search engine marketing costs increase.
The Australian site now hosts 6500 advertisers – most of them small accommodation business - who generally pay annual subscriptions starting at A$295."
Marketing Director Paul Fisher said other offshore sites will follow.
�There�ll certainly be others,� he said.
�We�re looking at markets that make sense � English-speaking destinations where people can fly fairly cheaply on Low Cost Carriers.�....
Staff numbers have increased from 12 to 40 in just 12 months, while Hitwise now rates TotalTravel.com as the second most popular “Destination and Accommodation’ website in Australia.
Fisher said it received a record 1.4 million unique site visits during August.
Advertisers are also catching on, particularly as search engine marketing costs increase.
The Australian site now hosts 6500 advertisers – most of them small accommodation business - who generally pay annual subscriptions starting at A$295."
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Rail Europe scientific search strategy
Illustrates the ever increasing importance of search engine optimisation ans search engine marketing in the online travel sector:
All Aboard the SEM Train: "Roman Godzich, a man with an incredible sense of wit that is only outweighed by his search engine marketing knowledge. As the vice president of e-business for Rail Europe, Godzich has his search strategy down to a science.
One of the biggest brands you might not have heard of, Rail Europe offers the most comprehensive selection of European rail products to the North American market . Let�s just say that the online business touches about 1 million customers every year. Oh, and his search budget is north of 50 percent of online spending."
He reiterates the holy grail of search ..track, analyse and tweak again again and again
"His golden rule for advertisers: tracking, tracking and more tracking. He adds that there is no point to search if you aren’t measuring. He is also a fan of running tests.
“During the low season I was constantly perturbed by the question of people researching at work and buying at home,” Mr. Godzich said. “So I ran a test. I shut down a set of keywords during the day to see the effect on sales at night.”
He did this three times with the same results. He then ran the same test in reverse, shutting down a set of keywords in the evening. Sure enough, the pattern was clear.
“This leads me to think that engines have a wider reach than we realize,” Mr. Godzich said. “If you want to be present at time of purchase, you have to be there at the time of consideration.” "
Your websites appearance in search results can be crucial to your brand:
"On the subject of branding and engine reach, he points out that natural search results are critical. In addition to ranking high, he urges marketers to make sure the title and description support the brand. He has found that if consumers recognize your brand in that URL, they are much more likely to click on a sponsored link when ready to buy."
All Aboard the SEM Train: "Roman Godzich, a man with an incredible sense of wit that is only outweighed by his search engine marketing knowledge. As the vice president of e-business for Rail Europe, Godzich has his search strategy down to a science.
One of the biggest brands you might not have heard of, Rail Europe offers the most comprehensive selection of European rail products to the North American market . Let�s just say that the online business touches about 1 million customers every year. Oh, and his search budget is north of 50 percent of online spending."
He reiterates the holy grail of search ..track, analyse and tweak again again and again
"His golden rule for advertisers: tracking, tracking and more tracking. He adds that there is no point to search if you aren’t measuring. He is also a fan of running tests.
“During the low season I was constantly perturbed by the question of people researching at work and buying at home,” Mr. Godzich said. “So I ran a test. I shut down a set of keywords during the day to see the effect on sales at night.”
He did this three times with the same results. He then ran the same test in reverse, shutting down a set of keywords in the evening. Sure enough, the pattern was clear.
“This leads me to think that engines have a wider reach than we realize,” Mr. Godzich said. “If you want to be present at time of purchase, you have to be there at the time of consideration.” "
Your websites appearance in search results can be crucial to your brand:
"On the subject of branding and engine reach, he points out that natural search results are critical. In addition to ranking high, he urges marketers to make sure the title and description support the brand. He has found that if consumers recognize your brand in that URL, they are much more likely to click on a sponsored link when ready to buy."
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Staying relevant as competition gets heated
Bambi Francisco, MarketWatch, reckons competition and innovation in the online travel sector is hotting up concluding from her analysis of Cityseearch that "The ones who'll survive in this user-generated glut are those who can keep the users not only on their site, but also producing"
Citysearch touts human touch in local ad competition - MarketWatch: "Citysearch touts human relations: Staying relevant as competition gets heated"
The article reckons Citysearch main strength is that "Citysearch -- unlike other search engines that deify technology -- relies on those good old fashion humans to either create content or establish relationships with local advertisers.
Ask.com is a search engine and not a content site, said Ferguson. At Citysearch's core, it is a search and directory, but it adds layers of editorial and user content -- like ratings and reviews -- that other search engines don't.
She sees Google as entering this competition with Google Co-op, "which is designed to get users to create useful pages about certain topics. The idea behind Google Co-op is to take the Wikipedia model and apply it across various topics, Google CEO Eric Schmidt told me last week.
Morrow said that Citysearch is also playing around with the idea of "user-generated Wikis." Both Morrow and Ferguson said they also plan to introduce new incentives to get users to register and offer up their ratings or reviews or just personal information. Those incentives range from streamlining the registration process to recognizing those who contribute the most."
Citysearch stats and estimates: In "April, Citysearch saw 11.2 million unique visitors, up 122% from a year ago, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. The company also swung to a profit in the first quarter, up from losing money in the year-ago period, on sales that increased by 65%, according to Briggs Ferguson, Citysearch CEO...
Francisco estimates that "gets a ballpark figure that Citysearch generated about $15 million in sales in the first quarter....Citysearch served up 4.1 million search queries in March vs. 254,000 at Ask.com local, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Also, based on traffic figures, Citysearch traffic grew faster than Yahoo which grew its audience base to its local site by 23% in the same period"
Citysearch touts human touch in local ad competition - MarketWatch: "Citysearch touts human relations: Staying relevant as competition gets heated"
The article reckons Citysearch main strength is that "Citysearch -- unlike other search engines that deify technology -- relies on those good old fashion humans to either create content or establish relationships with local advertisers.
Ask.com is a search engine and not a content site, said Ferguson. At Citysearch's core, it is a search and directory, but it adds layers of editorial and user content -- like ratings and reviews -- that other search engines don't.
She sees Google as entering this competition with Google Co-op, "which is designed to get users to create useful pages about certain topics. The idea behind Google Co-op is to take the Wikipedia model and apply it across various topics, Google CEO Eric Schmidt told me last week.
Morrow said that Citysearch is also playing around with the idea of "user-generated Wikis." Both Morrow and Ferguson said they also plan to introduce new incentives to get users to register and offer up their ratings or reviews or just personal information. Those incentives range from streamlining the registration process to recognizing those who contribute the most."
Citysearch stats and estimates: In "April, Citysearch saw 11.2 million unique visitors, up 122% from a year ago, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. The company also swung to a profit in the first quarter, up from losing money in the year-ago period, on sales that increased by 65%, according to Briggs Ferguson, Citysearch CEO...
Francisco estimates that "gets a ballpark figure that Citysearch generated about $15 million in sales in the first quarter....Citysearch served up 4.1 million search queries in March vs. 254,000 at Ask.com local, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. Also, based on traffic figures, Citysearch traffic grew faster than Yahoo which grew its audience base to its local site by 23% in the same period"
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Yahoo Improves Travel Planning Via Search And Maps - April 15, 2006
Yahoo steps up its challenge to travel websites....seems to only be for USA....All Headline News - Yahoo Improves Travel Planning Via Search And Maps - April 15, 2006: "Yahoo Inc. is introducing an upgraded travel service Tuesday that blends Yahoo search with handy travel-specific features, stepping up its challenge to dedicated travel sites.
Using Yahoo's central search site, consumers can receive instant airfare and hotel price comparisons, satellite overview maps and user reviews of restaurants and tourist destinations, features that previously existed in different corners of the Yahoo network or elsewhere across the Web."
Using Yahoo's central search site, consumers can receive instant airfare and hotel price comparisons, satellite overview maps and user reviews of restaurants and tourist destinations, features that previously existed in different corners of the Yahoo network or elsewhere across the Web."
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
More travellers book on hotel websites
Booking by telephone continues to drop - a death knell for pay per call perhaps - while branded websites share of direct bookings grows...what does this mean for independent hotels that are not part of a large brand? Answer - get on a merchant website...
Travelers Head to Hotel Websites: "More travelers than ever are booking at hotels' own websites.
Last year, according to TravelCLICK, branded hotel websites gained share over third-party sites and opaque websites (such as Priceline and Hotwire). The volume of reservations made at hotels' own websites grew by 33% in 2005 compared with 2004...
TravelCLICK expects GDS to maintain a share of 30% or more of bookings over the next two years, but voice reservations will continue to decline because of consumers' increasing preference for booking electronically.
eTRAK shows that 35% of reservations came through GDS channels in 2005, while Internet sites also contributed 35%. Voice reservations accounted for the remaining 30%.
In total, over 61 million bookings were made last year for the top 30 brands through the GDS and the Internet.
Online bookings through merchant websites, such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity, grew by 34% in 2005 compared with 2004, while Priceline, Hotwire and other opaque sites saw bookings fall by 10.2%."
Travelers Head to Hotel Websites: "More travelers than ever are booking at hotels' own websites. Last year, according to TravelCLICK, branded hotel websites gained share over third-party sites and opaque websites (such as Priceline and Hotwire). The volume of reservations made at hotels' own websites grew by 33% in 2005 compared with 2004...
TravelCLICK expects GDS to maintain a share of 30% or more of bookings over the next two years, but voice reservations will continue to decline because of consumers' increasing preference for booking electronically.
eTRAK shows that 35% of reservations came through GDS channels in 2005, while Internet sites also contributed 35%. Voice reservations accounted for the remaining 30%.
In total, over 61 million bookings were made last year for the top 30 brands through the GDS and the Internet.
Online bookings through merchant websites, such as Expedia, Orbitz, and Travelocity, grew by 34% in 2005 compared with 2004, while Priceline, Hotwire and other opaque sites saw bookings fall by 10.2%."
Web travel bookings cut out middlemen - Breaking News - National - Breaking News
Web travel bookings cut out middlemen - Breaking News - National - Breaking News: "Paul Fisher, a spokesman for travel information website Totaltravel.com, said he believed Australia would follow the trend of the United States because suppliers and consumers were getting smarter and more sophisticated in seeking better rates.
'We are finding that people are going to sites like ours, getting the information they want, and then clicking directly through to the supplier in the hope of saving some money.'
Totaltravel.com had a record month in January, with 885,437 visits to its site, up 33 per cent on the previous month.
Mr Fisher said 46 per cent of visitors to the site took the additional step of clicking through to a featured supplier website, retrieving a phone number or sending an email request directly to a supplier."
'We are finding that people are going to sites like ours, getting the information they want, and then clicking directly through to the supplier in the hope of saving some money.'
Totaltravel.com had a record month in January, with 885,437 visits to its site, up 33 per cent on the previous month.
Mr Fisher said 46 per cent of visitors to the site took the additional step of clicking through to a featured supplier website, retrieving a phone number or sending an email request directly to a supplier."
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
WAP GPS Mapquest
Gear Factor: "MapQuest is showing off a new wireless app that does more than display 2-inch maps on your screen. MapQuest Navigator works with your phone's built-in GPS to give you real-time, turn-by-turn, voice-guided directions to just about any destination. GPS navigation is by no means new to the cellular world, but the launch of a major solution like this by an established mapping service like MapQuest bodes well for mobile users. In addition the the new GPS service, which will launch through major wireless carriers later this year, MapQuest has already launched a new WAP version of its internet mapping service, which you can access immediately from your mobile device at wap.mapquest.com. "
Best Travel Sites - Forbes.com
Best Travel Sites - Forbes.com: "After the dot-com bubble burst five years ago, practically the only Web companies that didn�t vanish were the travel sites....Travelocity had revenue of $830 million on bookings of $7.4 billion in 2005. What bubble?...
...According to Harteveldt, online leisure travel is the largest e-commerce category (excluding porn), and in the U.S. it is projected to generate $74.4 million in sales in 2006, an increase of almost 17% over the $63.6 billion spent in 2005. By 2009, Forrester Research predicts, online travel spending in the U.S. will rise to $110.5 billion.
Overseas, online travel planning is picking up steam even faster than it is in the U.S. Spending on online travel in the U.K. and Western Europe will rise about 42% to €30.7 billion in 2006, or about $36.8 billion, Harteveldt says. By the end of the decade that number will approach €50 billion, or about $60 billion...
We didn’t include Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity, since the general public is mostly already aware of these sites. Instead, we included unusual sites offering something different to the consumer, like FlyerTalk.com, which allows fliers to figure out the savviest uses for their accumulated frequent flier miles. Of course, some well-known sites did make the list, but for less-than-obvious reasons: We listed Priceline.com not for flights, but because it’s the best site we know of for booking luxury hotels cheaply.
We rated the sites according to three criteria: aesthetic appeal, user friendliness and usefulness. In other words, they had to be easy to look at and easy to navigate, and they had to make life easier for you. We hope they do just that..."
All have a particular angle (niche) for example:
HotelChatter.com.....is an uncensored compendium of hotel reviews from all over the world: The good, the bad and the disgusting get equal weight...
Kayak.com...Unlike many of the major travel Web sites, Kayak.com includes flight listings from budget air carriers like Jet Blue and Spirit Airlines. It also has user-friendly features, like remembering your home airport, letting you search more than one airport simultaneously
MyTripJournal.com...Personal travel blogs have overtaken mass e-mails as the tool of choice for staying in touch with family and friends while on the road..
Site59.com’s niche is the last-minute weekend getaway
TravelZoo.com is more effective at offering cheap fares than any other Web site
Priceline.com revolutionized the way consumers bought travel, allowing them to name their own prices for everything from hotels to flights to rental cars....
...According to Harteveldt, online leisure travel is the largest e-commerce category (excluding porn), and in the U.S. it is projected to generate $74.4 million in sales in 2006, an increase of almost 17% over the $63.6 billion spent in 2005. By 2009, Forrester Research predicts, online travel spending in the U.S. will rise to $110.5 billion.
Overseas, online travel planning is picking up steam even faster than it is in the U.S. Spending on online travel in the U.K. and Western Europe will rise about 42% to €30.7 billion in 2006, or about $36.8 billion, Harteveldt says. By the end of the decade that number will approach €50 billion, or about $60 billion...
We didn’t include Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity, since the general public is mostly already aware of these sites. Instead, we included unusual sites offering something different to the consumer, like FlyerTalk.com, which allows fliers to figure out the savviest uses for their accumulated frequent flier miles. Of course, some well-known sites did make the list, but for less-than-obvious reasons: We listed Priceline.com not for flights, but because it’s the best site we know of for booking luxury hotels cheaply.
We rated the sites according to three criteria: aesthetic appeal, user friendliness and usefulness. In other words, they had to be easy to look at and easy to navigate, and they had to make life easier for you. We hope they do just that..."
All have a particular angle (niche) for example:
HotelChatter.com.....is an uncensored compendium of hotel reviews from all over the world: The good, the bad and the disgusting get equal weight...
Kayak.com...Unlike many of the major travel Web sites, Kayak.com includes flight listings from budget air carriers like Jet Blue and Spirit Airlines. It also has user-friendly features, like remembering your home airport, letting you search more than one airport simultaneously
MyTripJournal.com...Personal travel blogs have overtaken mass e-mails as the tool of choice for staying in touch with family and friends while on the road..
Site59.com’s niche is the last-minute weekend getaway
TravelZoo.com is more effective at offering cheap fares than any other Web site
Priceline.com revolutionized the way consumers bought travel, allowing them to name their own prices for everything from hotels to flights to rental cars....
Monday, March 06, 2006
RSS feeds for latest travel deals
Introducing the travel genie - Sunday Times - Times Online: "Let�s say you�re one of the millions who use low-cost airlines. To get the best deals, you need to know when EasyJet, Ryanair or Flybe introduce new routes or special fares. In the past, that meant signing up to each of their e-mail newsletters.
Not any more. Instead, you can go to Cheapflights.co.uk and subscribe to its RSS feed, which has news of the latest deals offered by every low-cost airline in the UK. Sign up at news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/rss.html and the information will automatically appear on your reader.
Online travel agents and tour operators are also embracing RSS. Lastminute.com has introduced feeds detailing each day�s best hotel discounts, package holidays and theatre deals (to subscribe, visit www.lastminute.com/site/rss).
The giant American travel search engine SideStep.com, which recently launched in the UK, is planning something similar. But RSS needn�t just be about bargains � it can be used to keep you updated about any subject under the sun...
Example: Last week, I subscribed to Lastminute.com’s RSS feeds and several tasty bargains landed straight on my desktop, including a week’s half-board at the five-star Marriott Taba Heights, in Egypt, reduced by 45% to £299."
Not any more. Instead, you can go to Cheapflights.co.uk and subscribe to its RSS feed, which has news of the latest deals offered by every low-cost airline in the UK. Sign up at news.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/rss.html and the information will automatically appear on your reader.
Online travel agents and tour operators are also embracing RSS. Lastminute.com has introduced feeds detailing each day�s best hotel discounts, package holidays and theatre deals (to subscribe, visit www.lastminute.com/site/rss).
The giant American travel search engine SideStep.com, which recently launched in the UK, is planning something similar. But RSS needn�t just be about bargains � it can be used to keep you updated about any subject under the sun...
Example: Last week, I subscribed to Lastminute.com’s RSS feeds and several tasty bargains landed straight on my desktop, including a week’s half-board at the five-star Marriott Taba Heights, in Egypt, reduced by 45% to £299."
Friday, March 03, 2006
Most travel sites 'atrocious', says website expert-ry--J.
Poor navigation worst problem for travel sites...Most travel sites 'atrocious', says website expert-ry--J.: "Most travel sites 'atrocious', says website expert...The vast majority of travel websites are "atrocious" and lose business because they are impossible to navigate, a web specialist has claimed.
Craig Hanna, training director at consultancy firm E-Consultancy, accused 95% of websites of "behaving like the world’s worst high streets shops...
He said six out of ten travel sites have "amnesia" and don’t remember repeat visitors, while in a recent test, 52% of users who were told to book a flight and hotel were unable to do so....Hanna added that websites are not just failing to convert sales but driving business directly to competitors.
"Figures show that 67% click off pages because they encounter difficulties and of those, 35% go direct to competitor sites."
He told delegates at BTTF to "do the mum test". "Watch other people use your webite," he said. "What’s an obvious to you, isn’t obvious to other people. "I always see if my mum use it. That’s the test because if she can use, you should be ok.""
Craig Hanna, training director at consultancy firm E-Consultancy, accused 95% of websites of "behaving like the world’s worst high streets shops...
He said six out of ten travel sites have "amnesia" and don’t remember repeat visitors, while in a recent test, 52% of users who were told to book a flight and hotel were unable to do so....Hanna added that websites are not just failing to convert sales but driving business directly to competitors.
"Figures show that 67% click off pages because they encounter difficulties and of those, 35% go direct to competitor sites."
He told delegates at BTTF to "do the mum test". "Watch other people use your webite," he said. "What’s an obvious to you, isn’t obvious to other people. "I always see if my mum use it. That’s the test because if she can use, you should be ok.""
Monday, February 27, 2006
e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter
e-Travel Blackboard: Australia's Number One Industry Newsletter: "January was a record month for Totaltravel.com registering 885,437 visits to the site, up 33 per cent from the previous month.
"Suppliers are getting better at finding ways to directly access customers, while users have become more sophisticated in seeking better deals,� spokesman of Totaltravel.com, Paul Fisher said....
Consumers are becoming more savvy and realising they can get better deals by going direct to suppliers rather than dealing with anyone that is getting a commission or potentially adding margins...
Holidaymakers are taking shortcuts to make travel bookings directly with suppliers rather than relying on middlemen such as last minute.com or wotif.com, Australia�s leading online travel directory, Totaltravel.com revealed"
"Suppliers are getting better at finding ways to directly access customers, while users have become more sophisticated in seeking better deals,� spokesman of Totaltravel.com, Paul Fisher said....
Consumers are becoming more savvy and realising they can get better deals by going direct to suppliers rather than dealing with anyone that is getting a commission or potentially adding margins...
Holidaymakers are taking shortcuts to make travel bookings directly with suppliers rather than relying on middlemen such as last minute.com or wotif.com, Australia�s leading online travel directory, Totaltravel.com revealed"
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