Competition Analysis

1. Competition Analysis New Media Entrepreneurship Travel Group Business Team

2. Overview of Travel Industry • Generally two groups of travel websites: ones that aim to sell travelers trip packages and ones that aim to give travelers location information • The trip-package side is more for convenience, while the information side is more for enriching travel experience • The trip-package side feels more commercial, while the information side feels more personal and intimate • The best sites are those that combine both (Lonely Planet) • Navigation is usually easy, but pages can become cluttered with repetitive information • The best community features are those that allow users to write in forums, as well as share pictures, videos, lists of itinerary, map mashups, through multimedia means • User registeration preferred though not required • Most make money through advertising, some also through selling print guide books

3. Expedia • Mainly a website for searching and purchasing travel packages • Allows features such as booking flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises, and business travel • “Indiana Jones Experiences” gives recommended itinerary through the main tourist sites • Makes money mainly through advertising, but also affiliates, co-brand, and print label

4. Expedia • Rather easy to navigate through the site, with the tabs on the top indicating transportation models • Powerful search engine allows one to find the best deals on any flight/cruise from all locations using all modes of transport • User can register or log in as guest to create own travel itinerary • No community features--the descriptions of the tourist sites provided by the site staff • Some material on the individual sites repeat themselves • The disorganized advertisement banner placements gives a feel of commercial site rather than personal travel community • “Over 20 billion in annual gross bookings” • Gross profit as of 2008 grew 25% as compared to 2007

5. Lonely Planet • Similar to Expedia but with added features • Community features include the Thorn Tree Travel Forum, a forum on which members share travel tips • Encourage users to register • The Bluelist is a travel list created by users on the most interesting places in a certain country • Video section allows users to upload videos of their travels--works just like Youtube

6. Lonely Planet • Uses top navigation bar with sub navigation bar upon roaming; rather easy navigation throughout the site • Organized by destination, flight bookings, print travel guides, and hotels • Less emphasis on selling travel packages than presenting travel location (convenience vs. content) • The Travel Stories section uses mainly Lonely Planet writers to write reviews • Also includes travel blogs written by mainly users to share travel experiences • Allows users to share photos and videos through RSS feeds and through podcasts • Users can search for other users’ travel stories by destination or by author • Other interactive features include map mashups that allow different users to contribute reviews

7. Lonely Planet • Cons are that sometimes the video section, the Bluelist Section, the Travel Stories, and the Thorn Tree forum section overlap • Also the combination of user-generated content and Lonely Planet writers’ content can be confusing. Not enough aggregated content from other sites (ex. Current news of the country) • Makes money through advertisement banners, travel guide books, Lonely Planet TV, affiliations, and supporting charity organizations worldwide • Offers many different jobs including freelance writer, editor, photographer, etc. • Also advocates responsible traveling by providing tips on safe and environmentally-aware traveling

8. Fodor’s • Provides information on destination, hotels, restaurants, cruises, tours and itinerary • The Travel News section comprises of staff reviews of the selected locations and restaurants • The Talk section is a travel-based forum which looks rather amateurish • The Book It link leads to the Expedia’s main page to search for good deals on travel packages

9. Fodor’s • Travel News section also includes tips on traveling, as well as photo contests which interact with users • Barely any community features except for the Talk forum, clicking on user’s name just shows all his comments • Overall rather easy to navigate around the site • Allows users to rate the restaurants and attractions like other travel sites • Also aims to sell their travel books online • Claims to have up-to-date information on 300 destinations around the world • Also claims to attract 1.5 million unique visitors every month

10. Frommer’s • Also mainly a travel website to sell good deals on travel packages, but with more customer information • Allows users to find destinations, hotels, and book trips • Also includes trip ideas searchable by activities (cruise, airline, road trip, etc) and lifestyles (honeymoon, single, student, etc.) • Also includes travel tips such as going through foreign airports and travel safety, written by staff

11. Frommer’s • Frommer’s “Tips and Tools” page offers a good collection of tools such as calendar of world events, cultural customs, entry requirements (passport and visa), money exchange details, packing tips, and insurance and health concerns • Also includes interactive maps • Community features include the Travel Talks forum, organized by boards of different topics • Clicking on user’s name shows all his contributions • Makes money through advertising, content licensing, affiliate program, as well as guidebook selling and advertising • Also booking partners with third party commerce companies in links