Marketing & Technology Articles for Lodging and Hospitality Professionals

Blizzard Associate | 12 October 2005 |

35 Million Consumers Used Web Search For Travel Planning In April 2005 According to an article from ehotelier.com, comScore Networks, Yahoo!, and Media Contacts today jointly released new research quantifying the impact of Web search engines on domestic travel spending. The custom study examined the search, visiting and buying behavior of consumers over eight weeks following the initiation of travel research in April 2005. In April, 35 million U.S. consumers used a search engine to initiate travel planning, and those who bought travel online ultimately spent an estimated $6.6 billion in the category during the eight week analysis period. Internet hitting travel agents According to an article from ehotelier.com, Travel agents will soon have to charge clients for their advice to compensate for profits lost to internet bookings and airlines slashing commissions. Despite a tourism boom, business analysts IBISWorld said travel agents were struggling as more people booked holidays – particularly domestic airfares – over the internet.