| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 17/04/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 26 |
| Copyright: Other |
Internet company to develop 40 destination-led Web sites
Report by Linsey McNeill
A new dot-com travel brand will be launched this summer by an Internet development company which claims its destination-led sites will be easier and faster to find than others on the Internet.Darlington-based Intermedia Solutions created a new company, Holidays In Heaven.com, with 40 different Web sites, each one dedicated to a single destination.
Intermedia managing director Peter Bulloch said that having destination rather than brand-led sites would make it easier for holiday-seeking browsers to find what they were looking for on-line. “Our sites are aimed at people who know where they want to go, they already have an idea of the holiday they are looking for and they don’t have any brand loyalty,” said Bulloch.
“I am confident that browsers looking for a particular destination will come across our sites first.”
Intermedia launched a 30-day trial with two sites, Holidays in Florida and Holidays in Spain, on April 6.
It is working in association with Darlington-based telesales agency Topaz which is providing the holiday information and a back-up telephone service and booking facility for the duration of the test period.
Bulloch said that if the first trial was successful it would be followed by a further 60-day trial.
The company is also waiting for the results of research from two university business schools into the usability of travel Web sites and search criteria before making a final version of its sites.
“I think it will be about eight weeks before we are ready to launch the final version of our Web pages,” said Bulloch.
He said Intermedia was looking to enter into a longer-term arrangement with a travel partner. The company says it may, in the future, license the sites to one of the major operators.