You’d think something like travel would be relatively unaffected by the Internet.  After all, they don’t have much to do with one another, right?

Not quite.  Here are some of  the ways I can think of that the Internet has affected travel.

  • No more middleman.  With the Internet, it’s easier than ever to book flights and hotel rooms.  What used to be a job for a travel agent is now something pretty much anyone  can do.  All you have to do is get online and search for, say, San Diego CA hotels, and you’ll get more results than you’ll know what to do with.
  • More competition.  Since everything is so much easier to find on the Internet, hotels can’t get away with relying on travel agents to push travelers in their direction.  Now they have to market themselves to the masses — in an environment where anyone can see with just a few clicks how each hotel’s prices and amenities measure up.  This creates incentive for competitive prices such as online hotel deals and discount airfare.
  • More knowledge and familiarity.  The Internet has also made it easier for people to learn about a place before they visit.  Need to know where to go?  MapQuest it.  Traveling to a foreign country?  Check out travel notes for your destination online.  The Internet has made it possible for people to travel with more confidence, as they have better, almost insider, knowledge of where they are going and what they are going to do there.

Those are the ways that I can think of in which the Internet has changed travel.  Can you think of anything I’ve missed?

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