Yahoo! Press Release

   Return to Press Releases   
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Viator and HotelClub to Provide Booking Engines and Services to the Enhanced Yahoo! Australia & NZ Travel Site

  • More than 3,500 hotels available to be booked through HotelClub
  • Advance bookings for events and tours in 40+ countries through Viator
  • International flight bookings and packages
  • Travel guides, extensive destination information and travel news supplied by Lonely Planet, wCities and Travelpress

 

SYDNEY, April, 22 2002 - Yahoo! Australia & NZ has signed deals with Viator and Hotel Club to provide booking engines and services to the newly enhanced Yahoo! Australia & NZ Travel site.

According to Roy Morgan* there are now 8.6 million Australians online at least monthly. Of these monthly Internet users,

  • 2.2 million are now using the Internet for travel information (27%)
  • 379,000 have purchased travel tickets/accommodation online in the past 3 months (4%)
  • 3.3 million have travelled by air within Australia in the last year (39%)
  • 1.7 million have travelled overseas by air within the last year (20%)

"With Yahoo! reaching more than 50%** of all Australian monthly Internet users it made real sense to introduce this additional travel research and booking functionality for our audience," said Sali Taylor, Senior Producer, Yahoo! Australia & NZ.

The enhanced site now features advance booking capability for more than 3,500 local and international hotels, flights and holiday packages, sightseeing tours, events and attractions from around the world, as well as travel guide information and news from Lonely Planet, wCities and Travelpress.

"Our aim has been to deliver a service useful to anyone with an interest in travel who wants to easily and quickly research, book and purchase their next holiday or business trip," said Taylor. "The Yahoo! site and audience enable us to offer the perfect solution to our partners, who are seeking an enthusiastic audience who not only research, but are ready to buy if they see something they like."

HotelClub, a leading provider of discounted online hotel booking services with arrangements in 33 countries, is providing the booking engine for accommodation services on the site.

"Globally the Internet may account for one in every four travel purchases*** in the main generating markets within the next five years," said Tim Etheridge, Director of Marketing, HotelClub. "Consumers get great information from the Internet and it opens up a whole new audience for hotels. It's services like Yahoo! Travel that we think will significantly increase the up-take of online hotel bookings by Australians."

Viator, the international activities booking engine that focuses on "the things you do when you get there", is supplying its unique database of thousands of destination activities such as sightseeing, tours, attractions and events in more than 40 countries, to the site.

"We are very excited to be working with Yahoo! Australia & NZ," said Rod Cuthbert, CEO of Viator. "While we have destination product in over 40 countries worldwide, this relationship strengthens our ability to offer Viator's comprehensive inventory of destination activities directly to the Australian and NZ traveller."

To see the Yahoo! Australia & NZ Travel site and it's latest features, just click on the link to 'travel' at www.yahoo.com.au or type into your browser travel.yahoo.com.au (nb: there is no need for a www).

*Roy Morgan Single Source Australia: Jan 2001 - Dec 2001
**Nielsen NetRatings
*** World Tourism Organisation Business Council (WTOBC)

* ends *

About Yahoo! Australia & NZ
Yahoo! Australia & NZ is one of the most recognised Internet brands in the region. www.yahoo.com.au and the online auction site SOLD.com.au are part of the global network of Yahoo! sites. By working with leading local companies, Yahoo! Australia & NZ provides comprehensive online products and services to over four million Australians and New Zealand consumers and businesses each month. For marketers, government and businesses, the company offers intelligent, innovative and integrated marketing, selling and Internet broadcast solutions for maximum impact. Yahoo! Australia & NZ has offices in Sydney and Melbourne and can be found on the Web at www.yahoo.com.au and www.yahoo.co.nz.

About Yahoo! Inc
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive online products and services to consumers and businesses worldwide. Yahoo! reaches more than 219 million individuals worldwide each month, and is the No. 1 Internet brand globally. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Yahoo!'s global network includes 25 World properties and is available in 13 languages.

###
Yahoo!, Yahoo! Australia & NZ, and the Yahoo! logo are trademarks of Yahoo! Inc. All other names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

For further information, photos or interviews, please contact:

Anna Featherstone Yahoo! Australia & NZ
Tel: 02 8925 0100
or email: pr@au.yahoo-inc.com

Copyright © 1994-2001 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved.