| The Internet offers an effective means
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| | Internet now allows individuals the
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| for developing a single and sustainable
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| | ability to plan and book their own trips.
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| electronic infrastructure for information
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| | It has revolutionised the travel industry
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| gathering and business transactions for
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| | as a whole and instigated a trend away
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| both travellers and suppliers. It is an
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| | from the customer using a travel agent.
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| ideal method for people to source
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| | There are four Internet business models
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| information on travel. It is an essential
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| | that can be applied to the travel
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| for travel-related Websites to offer
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| | industry. The business models and
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| useful, pertinent and easy-to-find
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| | examples of businesses within them are as
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| information alongside a booking facility
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| | follows:
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| if appropriate.
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| | 1) The merchant model, which brings
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| It can be used to fully research a
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| | buyers and sellers together. It could be
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| destination, book all aspects of the
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| | argued that this model is effectively an
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| holiday including travel and communicate
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| | online travel agent. Websites in this
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| others who have the same ideas or have
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| | business model category include
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| been through similar experiences. It
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| | Travelocity who have recently purchased
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| gives travellers an excellent opportunity
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| | and Expedia - an offshoot from Microsoft.
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| to compare and contrast everything on
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| | 2) The advertising model, providing
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| offer before they make a purchase.
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| | valuable travel information whilst
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| The information available online is
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| | generating revenue through various
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| continually being reformatted and
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| | adverts. The significant advantage of
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| presented in a more logical, easy-to-use
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| | this model is its low cost base. A
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| and read format. The volume of consumers
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| | website in this business model that
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| that rely on this information to make
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| | provides information on the UK is
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| travel-related decisions will therefore
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| | 3) The direct model allows the service
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| continue to rise. In addition, features
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| | provider themselves to deal directly with
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| and benefits of using the Internet to
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| | the general public. First of all, British
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| research and book holidays are improving
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| | Airways is the longest established and
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| and being added to all the time. For
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| | has a large marketshare and conventional
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| example, consumers no longer have to
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| | competitive advantage. Secondly, EasyJet
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| receive printed tickets from the travel
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| | have established the Internet as being
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| operator. They simply print out any
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| | key to their core competency.
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| information that they require themselves
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| | 4) The community model is one of the
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| after they receive it automatically via
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| | longest established operating models on
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| email.
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| | the Internet without having a history of
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| The 'Net' has meant that people can now
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| | generating a significant revenue stream.
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| easily plan trips for themselves. This
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| | Two websites reviewed that fall into this
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| has not only opened up a greater amount
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| | category are Lonely Planet - based upon
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| of discounts available to the general
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| | the books that have been published for
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| public, but also given people the fun and
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| | more than thirty years, and - a community
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| enjoyment of planning and booking their
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| | of individuals who have a passion for
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| own trips.
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| | travel.
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| Prior to the Internet, travel agents were
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| | Although it can be argued that some
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| the primary source of information and
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| | websites are using a mixture of several
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| facilitating bookings within the travel
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| | business models, it is interesting to
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| industry. However, the onset of Net
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| | acknowledge that just because a business
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| popularity has seriously impacted upon
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| | generates the majority of its revenue
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| the future success of a telephone or
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| | online, it doesn't mean that conventional
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| face-to-face based travel agency. The
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| | business models can't be applied to them.
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