While many are out braving the crowds at their local shopping mall, more and more consumers are turning to the Internet and the convenience of online shopping. Of these two categories, information seekers represent the largest demographic of online shoppers, with 29.5 million wired adults using the Internet to search for product information last year. Product Information and Research Travel-related sites lead the information and research category in consumer popularity, with more than 15 million users visiting travel sites in 1997.
Convenience plays a large role in travel consumers' decision to shop online.
Linda Dominguez, a busy executive who travels 2 or 3 times a month, finds that the convenience of researching and booking her travel online works best with her hectic schedule. I don't have time to fool around. Dominguez recently planned a trip to visit her son, and made all of her arrangements online. For travelers more interested in getting away from it all, Expedia offers one-stop travel shopping for cruises, vacation packages, resorts, and other popular vacations. Travelers can research their trip, make hotel reservations, and purchase their travel tickets all in one step.