22 December 2006

UK residents prefer using the Internet when making their travel arrangements, new research has revealed.

Some 55 per cent of Internet users book their holidays online - compared to seven per cent who hit the high street when heading abroad, according to a joint study by Nielsen//NetRatings, Adviva and Harvest Digital.

Additionally, silver surfers are also taking advantage of the web to make late bookings and enjoy regular trips away, with 23 per cent of those aged over 55 taking three holidays a year, the study revealed.

Alex Burmaster, European Internet analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings, commented: "The travel industry provides a wonderful reminder, if anyone still needed one, of how integral the Internet has become in the life of today’s consumer.

She added that the Internet is no longer a niche medium, but rather a mainstream focus of the market - and organisations which do not take advantage of it could be "marginalised as the 21st century progresses".

These figures echo those recently released by PhoCusWright in the US, which found that 54 per cent of all travel bookings in 2007 will take place online.

© Adfero Ltd

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