What are the Advantages of Booking a Holiday Online?

The travel and leisure industry has seen rapid expansion in the online arena over the last few years. As far back as 2007 official figures had found that over 55% of people in the UK had booked a holiday online within the preceding 12 months – an impressive statistic considering the wide range of individual demographics involved in the survey.  Looking into more recent figures: low cost airlines EasyJet had reportedly carried over 42.4 million people to holiday destinations in Europe – second in terms of volume to only their competitor and industry leader Ryanair.

The online travel industry continues to flourish and expand at such a rapid rate in spite of the ongoing financial crisises. 
The UK travel industry has suffered over the last few years and holiday goers have lost out with foreign currency brokers and estate agents going bust. 
Last week it was announced in the media that (edit) Thomas Cook Holidays were heavily borrowing money to lift the company throughout the winter period.

This post seeks to explore the key reasonings and motivation behind why so many holidaymakers still choose to book online through operators such as this comprehensive list of reputable UK travel websites – and more importantly, what advantages can be gained through this approach in comparison to more traditional approaches such as booking through a high street travel agent.

Advantage #1 > Price! 
It's Cost Effective and Convenient to Book Holidays Online

Perhaps not surprisingly, a key determining factor in the growth of the online travel industry is that holidays booked in this way are widely perceived to be (and indeed on many occasions are) cheaper when compared to like-for-like deals through high street agents. Companies can achieve this by reducing their overheads compared to operating via “bricks and mortar” operations, and in the case of some budget airlines, by offering a more basic but functional service to cut back on unnecessary costs on short haul flights.

Advantage #2 > Convenience!
Booking Holidays Online Provides Greater Freedom of Choice

In 2011 it seems that nearly everyone is living an increasingly hectic lifestyle, and so any method that can save time cutting out hours spent trudging through high streets or browsing through endless pages of teletext is almost certainly going to be a popular one. With broadband access now widely available in most areas of the UK, and with many users now also having internet access via their smartphone, booking holidays online has become more convenient than ever.

Advantage #3 > Online Travel Guides!
Most Travel Websites Have Extensive Useful Guides, Resources and Tools to Provide the Consumer

Who doesn't enjoy a travel guide? By reading online resources such as travel guides, blogs, forums and discussion boards a prospective customer looking to book a holiday through the internet can easily seek out impartial advice on the best holiday destinations in Europe or other areas across the globe and find a holiday that will best suit their tastes using from the comfort of their armchair.Publish Post