Trade Me Launches Travel

Sunday 9 September 2007

Trade Me Launches Travel

Trade Me today launches its new travel website “Travelbug” with an initial focus on accommodation.

Aimed at everyday New Zealanders, Travelbug launches with over 1500 accommodation providers and over 10,000 rooms from Ahipara to Stewart Island.

“We’re delighted by the take-up we’ve enjoyed from the industry,” said Trade Me founder and CEO Sam Morgan.

“We have a great spread of coverage with a selection of places to stay in nearly every town in New Zealand. We expect to double our operator numbers within a year.”

Travelbug shares a navigation bar with Trade Me, and also draws on the principles of community feedback and trading histories. Prospective customers are able to check out other travelers’ experiences and provide their own ratings of accommodation providers.

Overnight accommodation ranges from $25 to $1500 night, but the main focus is family accommodation between $80 and $160 a night. The service allows you to check availability and then book online up to a year ahead.

“Just as Trade Me Jobs has grown the number of people looking for jobs online, we believe Travelbug will significantly grow the number of people who find and book holidays online in New Zealand.”

The website provides Kiwis with a comprehensive marketplace of local accommodation providers with online booking facilities. There are no additional charges for consumers and suppliers are only charged if bookings are made.

Trade Me has built Travelbug in partnership with Vianet International, a Keri-Kkeri based travel software and development company. Once the accommodation service beds down, Trade Me and Vianet plan to expand Travelbug into other areas including holiday homes and tourism activities.

ENDS

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