Surprising UK Online Travel Boom

New NetValue online travel research has revealed some surprising visitor behaviour. Findings from September analysis show that UK travel sites have experienced their busiest month of 2001. Other European sites, however, have actually experienced a decline in the numbers of their visitors over the month.

In this sense, NetValue's latest research shows that, despite fears of a slowdown in the travel industry, the number of September visitors to UK travel and transport sites has increased to 4.8 million unique home Internet users. At the same time, the level of visitors to the same category of travel sites in most other European countries has decreased. In France, for example, visitors were down by 326,000 since August and in Germany, visitors had decreased by 571,000.

The findings also reveal that approximately one in five UK visitors to travel sites went on to make a secure connection. This is probably an indication of the fact that visitors are now happily entering and transmitting their credit card details online. Additionally, of the 368 travel and transport sites visited, 140 had an e-commerce facility (ie some 38% of all users).

In terms of individual sites, Netvalue believes that budget airlines EasyJet and Ryanair have seen the greatest increase in their monthly visitor numbers. Although lastminute.com continues to be the most visited travel site, it is in fact these budget airlines that are enjoying the most obvious increase in user popularity.

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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