Social Networking Helps Strangers Meet -- And Travel
Group travelers naturally take well to tools "like forums, profiles and photo sharing, that help them network and collaborate," Scott Harness, co-founder/CEO of GroupTravelPlanet tells TDR, noting that social networking is not a new concept to group travelers. But what is a new concept on the traditional group travel scene is social networking that connects not friends and families, but a group of strangers.
New players: That’s where sites like TripUp (formerly TripMates), TravelTogether and even the travel section of popular new seniors’ social networking site, Eons.com, come in.
Emerging trend? The split between companies that cater to existing groups and those that foster new group formation is becoming clearer as the traditional sites get more established and startups creep into the space. The question is: Can group travel sites serve both audiences effectively — or must they specialize?
Get the answers to that question in the TDR article "Group Travel Players Wrestle With The Non-Traditional Group." For your free copy, e-mail me.
-- Kimberly Gilbert, Managing Editor, Travel Distribution Report