Nielsen//NetRatings releases its Sector Spotlight Report for the Travel sector revealing the top fifteen hundred travel websites surfed in the UK in July 2004. Nielsen//NetRatings is the only company able to produce such an extensive ranking.ÊThe list provides a complete picture of the online travel sector, showing the growth of the travel industry on the Internet, and, more specifically, which sites are proving most popular with consumers over one of the key summer months.

The July 2004 research shows the three leading sites in the sector are online only brands - Multimap, Expedia and Lastminute. The top 30 sites in the sector include a range of well-known travel brands, with travel agencies (both on and offline brands) and airline sites performing well. Map sites Multimap, Streetmap and MapQuest prove popular, with the first two appearing in the top ten.

As well as offering a complete overview of the UK travel sector, the report breaks down the sector into eight sub-categories of Airlines, Cruise Lines, Destinations, Ground Transportation, Hotels/Hotel Directories, Maps/Travel Information and Multi-category travel.

This breakdown allows for comparison of performance against competitive websites, as well as the travel sector as a whole. Additionally, the Key Performance Metrics include market share, time spent online, content viewed, and rank as well as key demographic data that allows travel companies to benchmark and improve their performance. Each site analysed includes a detailed report with consumer profile of age, gender and income level supplied on a monthly basis.

David Day, Managing Director says “With over 1500 sites in this report, we are delighted to provide the UK’s most detailed and comprehensive ranking showing the performance for the fast-moving and highly competitive online travel sector. Travel companies, regardless of the size, can see how their performance compares to other players and learn from the strategies of other companies to improve performance.

“With 125,000 people on our MegaPanel, Nielsen//NetRatings has the unique capability to showcase the huge range of choice for travel consumers online. The information can help companies gain competitor insight and market intelligence that is accurate, easy to use, up-to-date and cost-effective.”

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