This report gives a comprehensive overview of the channels through which UK consumers book their holidays, and the sources of information they use to find out about holidays (or 'researching') before booking them. Coverage is given of channels and sources such as exhibitions, guide-books, Tourist Information Centres and television programmes, but the main focus must, inevitably, be on travel agents and the Internet and their supposed battle for the allegiance of the consumer.

This report gives a comprehensive overview of the channels through which UK consumers book their holidays, and the sources of information they use to find out about holidays (or 'researching') before booking them. Coverage is given of channels and sources such as exhibitions, guide-books, Tourist Information Centres and television programmes, but the main focus must, inevitably, be on travel agents and the Internet and their supposed battle for the allegiance of the consumer.

Travel booking: revolution or reform?

As a particular theme, the report poses the question of whether the Internet has truly brought a revolution to the travel business, or whether it has simply been part of a more gradual, but necessary, reform of the travel trade's approach to the consumer.

In discussing the Internet, it is important to begin by stressing that the Internet can no longer be seen as a 'new' channel. For example, it is worth considering that most people reaching the age of 30 in 2002 have always worked in an environment changed by the Internet; and anyone who has entered higher education during the last ten years has entered a new world of information sharing and electronic communication. The years ahead may bring more maturity to the newest medium, but the fact is that the Internet has had five years in which to demonstrate its ability to revolutionise the booking and researching of holidays, and some sort of conclusion on its impact must now be made.

Apart from Internet competition in the shape of direct booking, travel agents are having to face many other serious problems in 2002, each of which must be addressed by this report:

- the need to modernise and upgrade their offering, particularly in terms of IT, to a new generation of IT-literate travellers

- the increasing knowledge, sophistication and impatience of the typical customer wanting to book a holiday

- the efforts of companies such as low-cost airlines, hotel groups and tour operators to persuade consumers to avoid the 'middle man'.

Finally, the point must also be made that this report is published in the wake of one of the travel industry's worst crises in history, the result of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US and the war on terrorism which followed.

Mintel has published reports regularly on various aspects of the holiday booking process, including the 2001 Special Report on Planning, Buying and Financing Holidays 2001; and Directly Booked Holidays, Leisure Intelligence 2001; and reports in 2000 on Late Booking and Early Booking. A complete list of reports relevant to this title are now given:

- Special Report: The Travel Industry: Coping with a Crisis, January 2002

- Ethical Tourism, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, October 2001

- Directly Booked Holidays, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, August 2001

- Special Report: Planning, Buying and Financing Holidays from the UK, January 2001

- Late Holiday Bookings, Leisure Intelligence, August 2000

- Early Holiday Bookings, Leisure Intelligence, July 2000

- British on Holiday at Home, Leisure Intelligence, March 2000

- Holidays on the Internet, Leisure Intelligence, June 2000

- Inclusive Tours, Leisure Intelligence, May 2000

- Independent Travel, Leisure Intelligence, April 2000

- Holiday Car Hire, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, February 2002

- Holidays on the Internet, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, March 2002

- Resorts and Attractions, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, March 2002

- City Breaks, Leisure Intelligence - UK Report, April 2002