Tourism organizations looking to attract more business through the Internet have until September 5 to complete advance registrations for .travel…
Tourism organizations looking to attract more business through the Internet have until September 5 to complete advance registrations for .travel, a top-level domain exclusive to the tourism and travel industry. All pre-authenticated, or pre-approved, applicants who register their preferred domain names by that date may purchase the names on September 15. Second-phase pre-authentication begins in late September, but applicants will have to wait until the global launch in December to purchase domain names, warns the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)—and their chances of getting the ones they want will be lower.
The .travel domain will function as an identifier for travel-related Internet searches, directing consumers to websites within the .travel domain first. As well, a .travel directory will match buyers and sellers of travel products and services. Every .travel registrant will be listed in the directory, which will enable users to search over 1,400 categories covering all facets of tourism and travel, including Destinations, Accommodations, Activities, Transportation, and Travel Services.
To protect the domain’s integrity, applicants must prove their eligibility to hold .travel addresses through an authentication process that verifies they are legitimate tourism businesses. TIAC has been designated as an authentication agent by Tralliance Corporation of New York, which has been confirmed by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to serve as the registry for .travel in conjunction with the sponsor, The Travel Partnership Corporation (TTPC), and will work with several ICANN-accredited registrars to register names. TIAC is a TTPC member.
Dot-travel is an incredible opportunity for the Canadian tourism industry to increase its Internet profile and expand its business potential, says TIAC President and CEO Randy Williams, who noted that more and more consumers in Canada and around the world are researching and booking their travel online. Online travel consumers often find themselves navigating a maze of irrelevant websites, and their growing frustration that can mean lost business for companies that have invested in excellent websites.
Applying for a .travel name is easy, notes TIAC Communications Manager Susan Wong, who recommends visiting the .travel page at www.tiac-aitc.ca. It includes detailed instructions and a live link to TIAC’s preferred registrar, Names Beyond.com, which will automatically time-date stamps all applications and submit them on a first-come, first-served basis to Tralliance at the end of each pre-authentication phases, the first ending on September 15.
The Tourism Industry Association of Canada is the national private-sector advocate for Canada’s $57.5 billion tourism industry. It performs a unique and pivotal role in ensuring the Canadian business and policy environment works for tourism, by communicating the importance of tourism to Canadians, advocating positive measures, and lobbying government for action.
Names Beyond, TIAC’s preferred registrar, is a leading ICANN-accredited registrar offering online identity protection and domain management with high security and competitive pricing. Since 2001, NamesBeyond has been guided by its core values of safety, quality and stability, which define its approach to product development, design and production.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
