August 8th 2005

Gone are the days when the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) used to rely solely on the distribution of a huge directory to promote its members and details of the types of holidays they offer. Accepting that an ever-increasing number of people are using the internet to plan their holidays, AITO decided that the focus of its marketing investment (on behalf of its members) would be on this channel.

With the major travel operators, hotels and resorts, the airlines and other 'pureplay' online travel agents all using the internet to attract the holiday maker, AITO members on their own simply got "drowned out". So an attractive, information-rich, portal promoting the benefits of independent tour operators had to be the way forward.

Read the Times Online Website Of The Month article.