Travel companies warned about website trend

Friday, 20 Sep, 2006 0

Travel companies are being warned to keep a close eye on the growing popularity of websites promoting user-generated content.

According to research published by Nielsen/NetRatings, these types of website have become the fastest-growing online brands in the UK this year.

But experts say companies should keep a close eye on this trend, in case their customers post items that reflect badly on their business.

Mark Higgins, at national law firm Betesh Fox, says: “Travel companies must keep up to date with internet trends so they can protect themselves from holidaymakers with a grievance or embarrassing footage that could bring their company into disrepute.

“Peer-to-peer interaction is not governed by revenue, it’s governed by the interests of the people who post on the website and this is where the popularity arises.

“Companies have been caught out by people posting negative stories about their business in online diaries or blogs but this new generation of interactive website allows users to post videos taken from camcorders and mobile phones.

“Holiday companies are particularly vulnerable to this kind of activity. It can only take one upset holidaymaker to upload a video of his so-called ‘holiday from hell’ to ruin the reputation of a company.

“Once it’s up there online it’s very difficult to get it removed.”

By Bev Fearis

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Bev

Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.

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