'Internet is redefining travel distribution'

New Delhi, Nov 15: Aviation and travel experts today debated the fast-growing phenomenon of blogging and its impact on industry and traditional media.

''We must harness the power of internet to do very traditional travel support activities,'' said founder and CEO of makemytrip.com portal Deep Kalra.

Web 2.0, the new mantra in aviation and travel industry, provides complete transparency, he said.

''It gathers and assimilates information which was not previously possible or impractical. The mashups empower travellers with maps as well,'' said Mr Kalra.

He was addressing the second workshop organised here by the Asia Pacific Aviation Media Association (APAMA).

Ms Aparna Dogra, head of research and business development at the Singapore-based International Centre for Entrepreneurship 3i Venturelab INSEAD, said people are constantly writing about hotels and travel experiences on various blogs.

The user-generated content is first hand, unbiased and up-to-date, she said. One can search the lowest fare or find a perfect trip through a blog, thus leading to more informed and empowered consumer taking the reins.

Ms Nandini Verma, vice-president of Jet Airways' corporate affairs, said air travellers are often more passionate while writing on blogs than in inflight monitors.

''It helps the airline to gain valuable insights and thus take remedial measures,'' she said.

Many journalists maintained that blogs should not be used to spread company propaganda. Also, the print media will continue to be a credible source of information for readers with strong editorial independence.

UNI