Travel sites can offer the best advice and information when it comes to booking your holiday

Within the last decade, the number of holidays taken by people has skyrocketed; but while this trend owes much to the increasing affordability of air travel, it's also important to consider the immense role that travel websites have played in the holiday industry revolution. In fact, as the internet has continued to flourish as a valuable source of information for large numbers of the world's population, the emergence of online travel sites has become a vital planning and booking tool for prospective holidaymakers.


New research conducted by Nielsen/NetRatings on behalf of Harvest Digital and Adviva surveyed a selection of UK consumers, confirming that the World Wide Web has now become one of the most important portals for people looking to plan and book holidays. According to the research, 55 per cent of internet users in the UK book their holidays online; furthermore, 9 per cent of internet users book their holidays on the high street after conducting their own research online, while 17 per cent of users will carry out research online prior to booking their holidays via the telephone. The research also found that two thirds of internet users take two or more holidays a year - proving just how important travel websites have become within the worldwide tourism industry.

Today, online travel sites have become much more than simply another, less expensive portal through which holidaymakers can book cheap flights, hotels and tour packages. In fact, modern travel websites now provide travellers with a wide range of information and hard-to-find data so that they can better plan their leisure trips. In the USA, for instance, the American Automobile Association (AAA) website offers visitors a comprehensive travel service for road trips across the country; it recently became the first online travel planner to list local gas stations in America - and it is additions like these that prove how important information on travel sites can be to prospective holidaymakers.


Many other travel websites offer destination guides to internet users, as well as providing vital information on inter-continental rail trips and cruises. By offering this sort of information, travel sites have made themselves indispensable to the majority of internet-using travel consumers. The variety of online travel websites that are now available also means that whatever type of holiday you're after, you'll surely be able to find it online. For instance, if you're looking for a site from which you can book short breaks to a range of locations across the UK and globally, the internet has plenty to offer you. Simply make sure that you research your holiday and accommodation options carefully on the internet - you might find the holiday deal of a lifetime!