The package holiday clicks on

Moneysupermarket’s trading update issued to the London Stock Exchange yesterday contained only one paragraph about travelsupermarket, but it was an interesting one nonetheless.

With most travel search engines in private hands it’s good for journalists, to say nothing of its competitors, that the UK market leader is obliged to let us all know a couple of times a year how it is doing.

The statement said that H1 08 revenues should be around 45% ahead of the same period last year, ‘with package holidays in particular performing well, based on improvements to the core product.’

These improvements are not specified, but could be technological improvements - the connection to the tour operators systems – or content improvements - signing up more partners.

But the fact that traditional package holidays are alive and clicking online is a good thing all round. A travel product which the internet was supposed to have killed off is flourishing, thanks to the internet.

It might also be a sign that travelsupermarket’s multi-million pound TV advertising campaign is working. Unless of course it’s just the tour ops dumping stock. Or using travelsupermarket as a marketing tool.

Martin Cowen chief writer Travolution