InternetSelling Travel Online: It's Not Just for the Big Guys

Whether you run a boutique travel agency or book adventure tours, your business won't go anywhere without an online presence. The good news is you don't need William Shatner to market your small travel business, just a great e-commerce site. We showcase several successful ventures.

The Web has irrevocably changed how we shop — for electronics, clothing, office supplies, even big ticket items such as appliances, cars and houses. And one of the industries that has benefited the most from the Internet is travel. "Travel is a category extremely suited to the Internet due to [its] ability to provide efficient access to an extremely wide range of comparable information. Whilst certain areas of the travel industry were initially slow to utilize the benefits of the Internet, it is now one of the undoubted success stories of online, playing an integral part in the arrangements and experience of today's traveler," stated Jonathan Carson, president, International, Nielsen Online. And it's not just big travel aggregators and discounters like Expedia, Orbitz and Priceline that are benefiting from the trend. It's everyone from your local travel agent to specialty tour companies. Indeed, if you are in the travel business and are not on the Web, your business is probably going nowhere. Optimizing Your Site to Attract the Right Customers"The Web is a part of doing business now," said Jim Kackley, the general manager at Thomson Family Adventures, a 10-year-old tour operator which was recently named "Best Family Adventure Tour Operator" by National Geographic Adventure. "When I first started in the industry, all your advertising and your lead generation would be done through newspapers and magazines — Travel & Leisure, Outside magazine... [ Read more on www.internetnews.com ]

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