‘Facebook Generation’ snubs high street travel agents

The days of the high street travel agent could be numbered, according to two shock new surveys.

Research has revealed that the “Facebook Generation” is increasingly turning to the internet to book their holidays instead of popping into the nearest town to arrange a package tour.

In a survey of Facebook users by price comparison website Hotels-Fairy.com, 81 per cent say they book their holiday online compared to 11 per cent at a high street travel agent and eight per cent over the phone.

And in a second poll to gauge who offers the best deals on holidays, 42 per cent told Hotels-Fairy.com that online travel websites such as Expedia and Lastminute.com are their top choice.

Almost a quarter say booking direct with a hotel or airline is their preferred option, while 20 per cent claim price comparison sites – such as Hotels-Fairy.com – offer the best deals on hotels and holidays. A lowly 14 per cent said High Street travel agents offered the best deals. Each Hotels Fairy survey polled 1,000 Facebook users in the UK.

Hotels-Fairy.com co-founder Tom Greenwood said: “Our surveys suggest people are turning their backs on high street travel agents in a big way.

“Trudging around travel agents can be very time-consuming. Booking online is so much more convenient and the sight of people sat in a shop with a travel agent for half an hour as they look for a deal is becoming rarer.”

Hotels-Fairy.com is a recently-launched hotel price comparison site that compares the best prices from more than 30 rival online booking sites such as Travelocity.co.uk, Expedia and ebookers.com.

The company, which operates independently of all the main booking sites, was set up by award-winning businessman Tom, 27, and his wife Vineeta, 28, who own the design agency Scamper Branding, based in Stratford‐upon‐Avon.

Their site, which is aimed at independent travellers, has information on 200,000 hotels in 195 countries and can save users up to 75 per cent by finding the cheapest rooms available.

Tom added: “It is also interesting that in our survey, price comparison websites like ours scored quite low when consumers can actually save a huge amount of money – compared to sites like Expedia – by making an informed choice at no additional cost.

“We want you to enjoy your holiday rather than spend all your free time looking for the best prices. Hotels-Fairy.com saves you time and money. We do all the leg work and get you the best prices from all the top booking sites at the click of a button.”