Spectacular growth in on-line holiday booking

The holiday market in Australia has undergone a profound change in recent years, primarily related to the seemingly inexorable rise of independent travel. The principle catalyst in this trend is the ever-increasing role of the internet, which is now the dominant channel used by consumers for both holiday information and bookings. 

The majority of people in Australia book their holidays online, research has shown.  According to recent figures over 50 per cent of Australians booked their last trip abroad via the internet.  Many people no longer approach travel agents to book their holidays but instead seek out the best deals themselves using the internet.

Holiday makers were asked what their main considerations were when choosing their time away. More than seven in ten claimed that the resort or hotel facilities were the guiding factor.  Booking holidays has become much easier to do since the growth of the internet led to the creation of on line holiday listing sites. Many families work extremely hard during the year and look forward to their holidays. The internet is not only useful to research where they will go on their vacation but it can also be used for booking flights and accommodation.

The sophistication and user-friendliness of many good holiday web-sites has made the growth un-stoppable.