You are currently browsing the Marketing on the Smart Web weblog archives for November, 2005.

Breaking News

Online travel booking conversion rates are improving

JEB @ November 21, 2005 #

Online travel booking conversion rates are improving.
While the number of Americans using the Internet appears to have reached a plateau, those who plan and book trips or vacations online continues to climb rapidly, according to a new study released by the Travel Industry Association of America.
The results of this research don’t surprise me at all. [...]

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The focus starts to shift away from price….

JEB @ November 15, 2005 #

Latest News and Financial Information | Reuters.com. - TravelocityLatest News and Financial Information | Reuters.com. - Expedia
"It’s about time…!"
These reports from the latest PhoCusWright Conference further signal a shift away from the exclusive focus on lowest price for travel services purchased online. The CEOs of the two major online agencies seem to realize that to [...]

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More on online travel shopping

JEB @ November 11, 2005 #

iMedia Connection: How Consumers Use Online for Travel.
This article states some known facts that should be of interest also to DMOs. Travelers - especially boomers - are searching for destination content early on in the planning process. Why not offer them a compelling reason to purchase right there?
For online agencies the situation is crystal clear: [...]

More on page 54

A good question with a clear answer!

JEB @ November 10, 2005 #

Which way is the travel industry headed?.
Traditional travel agencies are struggling to stay relevant, online travel agencies are trying to instill loyalty among their customers, travel search engines are the new upstarts, travel suppliers are flexing their muscles and global distribution

The web has brought about a tremendous amount of reduction in market friction and [...]

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But it will take more than that….

JEB @ November 9, 2005 #

Link: Online travellers gain the personal touch.
Travellers have grown accustomed to booking flights on the internet. But the relative ease of online booking belies the fact that planning and organising a trip is often still an arduous, time-consuming process.

The enhancements mentioned in this article are all fine and helpful, but the real culprit why [...]

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The Online Travel Landscape Is Getting Crowded - New York Times

JEB @ November 7, 2005 #

Link: The Online Travel Landscape Is Getting Crowded - New York Times.
Not surprising. Confirms my own opinion expressed previously, that anyone can become a tour operator selling every travel component.
What is still missing though, is a company that offers a totally customer focused approach, allowing travelers to select individual components and combine them into a [...]

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