Travel books on the web

By 2001, between 6 and 10 percent of all travel purchases will be done on the net. That's around 26 million dollars worth. And even more people will research their travel plans on the net. Travel book publishers haven't let this fact get passed them. On-line media provides more flexibility than the printed page. Net pages can be linked to maps, shopping guides, weather forecasts, car rental companies. Basically, the travel guide becomes more like a travel magazine, with advertisements and links.

One of the first travel publishers to go on-line was Rough Guides back in 1994 . They put the entire text of their books on line for free. With more than 14000 destinations, the site generates around 3 million page views each month. The site is used to promote the books. The reasoning is that people will find the information they want in the book and because there is so much information and the book is more transportable than the computer, the viewer will buy the book. The scheme works and their book sales have increased.

One of the most notable travel publishers is Fodors. On its web site it provides updates to its books, catalogue information, a trip planning centre and an on-line booking service. The site also links to fifty of the most popular travel destinations in the world. Their site promotes their line of travel books by exposing those travellers to information available in their books, who otherwise may not go to a bookstore to purchase one.

Surprisingly, Frommers, another very well known travel book publisher has very little on its web site representing its travel books. The site is dominated by travel news, travel deals, reviews of places to visit, restaurants, etc. You have to hunt to find the icon for their books and then all you get is a listing of what books are available and an on-line order page.

Lonely Planet Publications has one of the most engagely websites. Besides excerpts from its guide books, it has world news, restaurant, entertainment and shopping reviews. It also uses its website to update its guidebooks. It has an interactive travel forum where travellers can leave notes and warnings for fellow travellers.

As good as these sites might appear, they are nowhere near as good as their print versions. Firstly, most of them are loaded with banner ads which in themselves are annoying not to mention the time it takes for them to load. Secondly, unless they are accessible via Palm Pilot or PocketPC they aren't much good to you while you travel. Even then, the information on them is more directed to sell the print version of the book or

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