Thaindian News

London, June 30 (IANS) High street travel agents look set to become extinct because of people choosing to book their holidays online, according to a market research firm.

Figures show that seven in 10 people who took a holiday in the last year booked online.

Fewer than one in 10 customers now believe that travel agents are better informed about holiday destinations than professional bloggers or review websites, such as TripAdvisor, found the study by analysts Mintel, the Daily Mail reported Saturday.

Furthermore, over half (52 percent) of consumers believe that holidays are better value for money when booked online and 40 percent enjoy being able to tailor or put together their own holiday on the internet, the newspaper quoted the study as saying.

The london-based organisation surveyed 1,078 people over 16 who booked a holiday in the last 12 months.

Established high street travel agents have tried to promote their websites as they adapt to the holiday market, but the research suggests that their brands are becoming less important for customers.

Some 14 percent of Britons claimed that they would “purchase a holiday from an Internet company I have never heard of if it is cheaper.”