Hitwise figures show decline of travel sector online

Travel companies are sliding down the Hitwise list of the top 100 performing websites in the UK, with Thomson the exception.

According to May figures, based on the number of visits to a company’s website, travel companies all came lower in the list than they did three years ago.

Hitwise research director Robin Goad said Thomson was the only travel company to increase its position. Budget hotel chain Travelodge and rail booking website, The Trainline, have also moved up the list.

“The one thing that we are seeing in search behaviour is that people are a lot more price price conscious and are looking for package holidays, rather than putting together the components themselves,” he said.

Goad said travel companies are also performing worse in the list because they are being over taken by other sectors.

“The travel sector was an early adopter of the internet and for a while travel companies were punching above their weight, but now other retailers, particularly high street retailers, are over taking them,” he explained.

British Airways fell most most dramatically in the latest list, falling from 11th position in 2007, to 19th in 2008 and then to 43rd in 2009.

Gould said, in general, airlines have seen visits drop by 20% while coach and train companies are up 4%.

Budget airlines are holding up the best, with Easyjet and Ryanair hovering around the same levels as in previous years.

Easyjet has moved from 8th to 10th then to 11th in the last three years, while Ryanair has gone from 9th to 14th to 12th this year.

Thomas Cook has also dropped down the list, from 18th three years ago to 30th today.

Here is the IMRG-Hitwise Hot Shops List for May 2009

1 Amazon UK www.amazon.co.uk
2 Argos www.argos.co.uk
3 Play.com www.play.com
4 Amazon.com www.amazon.com
5 Tesco.com www.tesco.com
6 Marks & Spencer www.marksandspencer.com
7 Epson UK www.epson.co.uk
8 Expedia.co.uk www.expedia.co.uk
9 Next www.next.co.uk
10 ASOS www.asos.com
11 easyJet www.easyjet.co.uk
12 RyanAir www.ryanair.com
13 Thomson Holidays www.thomson.co.uk
14 Dell EMEA www.euro.dell.com
15 Tesco Direct www.direct.tesco.com
16 B&Q www.diy.com
17 Apple Computer www.apple.com
18 HMV.com www.hmv.com
19 Littlewoods www.littlewoods.com
20 Sainsbury’s www.sainsburys.co.uk
21 Topshop www.topshop.com
22 lastminute.com www.lastminute.com
23 ASDA www.asda.co.uk
24 River Island www.riverisland.com
25 Ebuyer www.ebuyer.com
26 Debenhams www.debenhams.com
27 Ticketmaster UK www.ticketmaster.co.uk
28 John Lewis www.johnlewis.com
29 Currys www.currys.co.uk
30 Thomas Cook www.thomascook.com
31 O2 Shop www.shop.o2.co.uk
32 LOVEFiLM www.lovefilm.com
33 Comet UK www.comet.co.uk
34 Screwfix Direct www.screwfix.com
35 Travelodge UK www.travelodge.co.uk
36 GAME www.game.co.uk
37 Homebase www.homebase.co.uk
38 PC World www.pcworld.co.uk
39 Odeon Cinemas www.odeon.co.uk
40 New Look www.newlook.co.uk
41 The TrainLine www.thetrainline.com
42 Cineworld Cinemas www.cineworld.co.uk
43 British Airways www.britishairways.com
44 Vue Entertainment www.myvue.com
45 QVCUK.com www.qvcuk.com
46 IKEA www.ikea.com
47 HP www.hp.com
48 Boots www.boots.com
49 Halfords www.halfords.com
50 First Choice www.firstchoice.co.uk

By Bev Fearis