CondeNet, the online arm of Conde Nast
Publications, is relaunching Concierge.com.
  The new Concierge.com focuses primarily on destination. Combining the comprehensive sweep of a guide book with the
filtered, insidery approach of a magazine, the site helps users quickly find
the best place to go to match their preferences, as well as the best hotels,
restaurants, and attractions in each destination. The interactive nature of
the site’s “Destination Finder” also makes Concierge.com a compulsive browsing
experience for the armchair traveler.

“This is a significant departure for us as compared to the old site,” said
Jamie Pallot, Editorial Director of CondeNet.  “We have made a major
investment in original content, and combined that with a cool, clean interface
that actually makes it fun to research a trip. Plus, the level of integration
we have achieved with Conde Nast Traveler should become a model for print/web
properties going forward.”
  According to a September 2004 report by the Travel Industry Association of
America (TIA), a majority (67%) of online travelers say they consult the
Internet to get information on destinations or to check prices or schedules.
In addition, online travel research as a daily activity has grown 67% from
6 million in 2000 to 10 million in 2004 (Pew Research Center, Trends Report).
Overall, TIA reports that 63.8 million Americans use the Internet for travel
planning.
  “The travel industry has been completely transformed by the Internet,”
said Peter Frank, Editor-in-Chief, Concierge.com. “and, arguably, the Internet
has been transformed by the travel industry.  No other part of our lives has
been so influenced by the Web than the way we travel.  The new Concierge.com
builds upon the strengths of Conde Nast Traveler by incorporating interactive
features and making the magazine’s database searchable. In the end, it’s about
helping people make every trip the trip of a lifetime.”
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