Expedia wobbling?

A letter, from Andrew Piscina, director at Hybris UK, a business software company.

He writes:

“Few people will have fallen off their seats when reading about the challenges ahead for Expedia [referring to reports following the online giant’s recent financial results].

“The situation is reversed on the high street, where agents quickly befriend consumers to get that all-important commission. Granted, the high street web presence needs investment, but it’s overcome the first hurdle in recognising changing consumer needs hungry to discover new destinations.

“Online travel agents have basked in the success of the web revolution for too long, but as consumers demand more detailed information on all aspects of a holiday, this single channel to market is insufficient.

“For most UK households, holidays constitute the single biggest annual spend. In our paranoia, we still seek that human interaction to confirm our holiday booking, whether we’ve found our dream destination online, or on the high street.

“And it’s here - the multi-channel element - where Expedia is missing a trick.”

[All Letters to the Editor are posted here, on the Travolution Blog]

Kevin May, editor, Travolution