looks like a very useful tool, especially for the travel category where visuals are important. It should save a lot of clicking on text links only to find out that the hotel for instance isn’t really what you’re looking for.
The category listing is another interesting feature.
Could also be a great way to present travel meta-search results.
reports MarketingVOX. This is further proof of improved search becoming a reality in the not too distant future and here’s a quote relevant to travel
For example, instead of searching for hotels in Miami and having to sift through results that include hotels, travel vendors and hotel deals, one could query for Miami hotels that allow pets, are five minutes from the beach and cost no more than $150 per night.
It will be interesting to observe how the travel meta-search companies will react to the major searchers offering more relevant results.
“Online comparison sites move beyond price”
reads the headline of Rob Lovitt’s column on msnbc.com about the travel meta-search companies that some of us industry bloggers have written about for over a year now.
I can only say – welcome to the party! and the earlier the main stream media start writing about the fact that online travel is not just used to go looking for the cheapest price the better.
This type of single issue media focus has been one of the main reasons travelers were trained to look only for bargains rather than value for money on online travel sites. The sooner this mindset is replaced by a different attitude the better.
The industry players, on the other hand, will then have to deliver a shopping experience that exceeds those higher, no longer only price focused expectations. That’s the challenge the industry needs to address while moving to the next level.
