12 January 2006

Already fed up with the miserable January weather, many of us are going online to search for a little winter sunshine.

Most people have only been back at their desk for a week or so since the Christmas festivities, but already we're desperate to get away from it all again.

Latest figures show that the number of visitors to travel websites has increased by 15 per cent in the first week of this month, compared to January 2005.

This is also a 25 per cent increase in users since the last week of December.

With many of us keen to get some alpine air in our lungs and work off a bit of that yuletide excess, searches for "ski holidays" have rocketed.

The figures also reveal that many online travellers are also hoping to head to long-haul destinations with searches for holidays in New Zealand and Australia up by 50 per cent and 42 per cent.

The Internet monitoring company Hitwise gathered the data and director Heather Hopkins says these statistics bode well for the online travel industry this coming year.

"Early indications are that travel websites are set to enjoy a strong year in 2006.

"January is typically a busy time for travel websites as consumers turn their attention from the sales to winter escape, and reports of an unusually cold winter may also be good news for the travel sector."

© Adfero Ltd

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