Online Tourist Agents

Examines the developing trend of online tourist agents.

This paper looks at the development of online tourist agents and their impact on traditional, high-street travel agents, with a focus on European consumers. The paper also looks at the reasons behind the increase in online travel bookings, through a discussion of seven hypotheses.
“Hundreds of thousands of people are turning to the internet to book their holidays, as they realize it is cheaper, and easier. Anyone who has stood in a high street travel agent in the UK, and waited in turn to talk to someone about booking a holiday anywhere vaguely off the package tourist trail welcomed the internet with open arms, especially as prices on the internet are far lower than those offered by high street travel agents, and because the whole experience of booking your holiday is far nicer at home in front of your computer, than stuck on an uncomfortable chair, in a hot, stuffy room, trying to explain to the person behind the counter where Palermo is.”