Travel “Google” launches

Thursday, 01 Feb, 2005 0

A website has launched that claims to offer a comprehensive and unbiased directory of travel suppliers, including operators, agents, cruise, airlines, hotels and car hire companies.

The website, www.surf2travel.com, features over 3,000 operators including Thomson, Thomas Cook, My Travel, First Choice and Kuoni. It allows users to search its database according to destination, type of holiday or name of operator, or a combination of these. It then indicates whether the company is ABTA or ATOL bonded and directs the user to the company’s website.

A spokesman for the website told TravelMole that surf2travel.com creates revenue by taking money from companies with which it has an affiliate link, but as it wants to stay impartial, it cannot insist on making the charge in order for a company to feature on the site. It also charges £50 to feature online brochures and says it is in talks with the Big Four to incorporate their brochures electronically.

“It is a refined ‘Google’ for the travel industry,” the spokesman told TravelMole.

The website also features links to travel insurance, resort information, airport websites, tourist board links and travel advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Founder and managing director of Surf2travel, Matt Hunter said: “Although some people will still insist on the personal touch when making their booking, this technology basically does away with the need for a high street presence as all elements are available, totally unbiased, reputable and only one click away.”

Report by Ginny McGrath

Ginny McGrath

Intrepid Travel is a world leader in sustainable experience-rich travel that has been taking travellers to discover the world’s most amazing places...

Travel Outlook, the premier hotel call center™ Travel Outlook is an innovative, custom off-site central reservations office (CRO) service that...

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising nearly 7,300 properties and more than 1.1 million rooms, in...

Cunard is the operator of luxury cruise ships Queen Mary 2®, Queen Victoria® and Queen Elizabeth®. Renowned for impeccable White...

Swallows and Amazons is a Brazilian adventure tour company run by the husband and wife team of Tania and Mark...

The Mexico Tourism Board serves as the driving force behind Mexico’s global appeal, orchestrating targeted marketing campaigns to showcase the...

From the beginning, ATI’s philosophy has been “innovation, not duplication.“ Developing specialized technology solutions to connect over 30,000 accommodation, attracti...

Traveltek is the world-leading provider of online solutions for the travel trade, from consumer-facing websites to call centre applications. We...

Princess Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain specialising in holiday and urban hotels located in first class tourist destinations,...

The Polish Tourism Organisation (Polska Organizacja Turystyczna – POT) is one of several dozen national tourism organisations operating in the...

The Oregon Tourism Commission, dba Travel Oregon, works to enhance visitors’ experiences by providing information, resources and trip planning tools...

The Florida Keys and Key West is a 126 mile long string of Islands connected to South Florida by the...

Arival advances the business of creating amazing in-destination experiences. We provide events, insights, and community for creators and sellers of...