High proportion of surfers look to Web for travel information

Survey reveals trend towards the Internet for holiday planning and on-line bookings

High proportion of surfers look to Web for travel information

Report by TANYA JEFFERIES

THEMAJORITY of people with Internet access have already researched or booked travel on-line or intend to do so shortly, according to a survey commissioned by guidebook publisher Insight Guides.

The nationwide research showed that 17% of Internet users had booked a holiday or flight on-line, a further 31% had used the Internet to plan a trip and 7% expect to book travel on-line within the next six months.

Holidaymakers aged between 35 and 44 are most likely to research their holidays on-line, while those aged 55 plus are least likely to do so. Booking holidays on the Internet was most popular in southern England and the Midlands, followed by the West Country and the north of England.

The results reveal that high-street travel agents are under threat from the growth of Internet use, according to David Lewis, of research company David Lewis Consultancy, which surveyed 1,000 people on behalf of Insight Guides.

“The term ‘disintermediation’ – the removal of the middleman – is striking a chill in many high streets,” he said. “Certainly the Internet seems set to cream off an increasing amount of business, especially corporate business, from intermediaries such as travel agents.”

Meanwhile, on-line research company WebProbe claims travel companies should try to understand their Web customers better if they want to succeed in the Internet arena. It has created a profile of a typical Internet user, based on a survey of 13,000 people.

This showed that 60% of participants were under 35, and 40% of the total earned between £20,000 and £35,000 a year. A further third earned more than £35,000.

Four in five people questioned had already bought products over the Internet, and one in 10 had bought more than 10 items.

Around a third claimed the Internet itself was the most useful means of finding a Web address, with only 14% citing magazines and 13% citing newspapers as good sources. TV advertising trailed in at 1%.

Internet facts: survey revealed 31% used the Web to research holiday plans