BRITISH tourists who book holidays through the Internet look at an average of 26 different sources before booking a holiday, according to a survey by Internet travel agency Microsoft Expedia.
Expedia UK, launched in November 1998, commissioned the survey because it wanted to create a profile of its customer.
Customers looking for information on possible holiday destinations researched material as wide ranging as glossy travel magazines and friends’ recommendations to checking Teletext and visiting their local travel agent.
Microsoft Expedia UK manager James Vaile explained: “We wanted to find out who was using the service and we got some surprising results. What we didn’t expect was that 60% of people who use the Internet to book holidays are aged 35-54. Everybody thinks e-commerce is targeted at a younger audience and that they feel more comfortable with the Net but that just isn’t the case.”
A combination of discoveries about age, destination choices and repeat business figures has also led the company to conclude it has more business travellers than expected.
Vaile said: “We didn’t expect that because Expedia is a leisure product but we have found small corporate clients are using it too.”
The survey also showed 20% of Internet users were aged 55 or more, exhibiting a widening Web market.
But the survey wasn’t all trade facts and figures. Respondents also voted for who they would most like to go on holiday with. Overall winners were TV personality Jill Dando and Virgin chairman Richard Branson.