NYTimes.com relaunches travel section

May 19, 2004 |

NYTimes.com relaunched its travel section with a new design that lets readers search for destinations by location or activity, and book hotel rooms seamlessly.

NYTimes.com has relaunched its travel section with a new design that lets readers explore New York Times travel articles at no charge, search for destinations by location or activity, tour photo galleries, book hotel rooms and purchase airline tickets, seamlessly.

With improved functionality visitors can now discover the world through destination-related search results that include articles, hotels, restaurants and entertainment venues.

Additionally, an expanded, horizontal navigation system saves visitors time in researching and planning their next vacation. The section also showcases a new world map feature, giving readers quick and easy visual navigation to find the information they want.

Martin Nisenholtz, chief executive officer, New York Times Digital, stated: “Today’s enhancements bring destinations to life, making the new section one of the most comprehensive and authoritative travel destinations on the Web. People look for travel information in different ways and whether readers visit us to find out the best scuba diving locations, to view transporting photos of Paris or to plan and book a trip to Rio de Janeiro, the new travel section on NYTimes.com is a one-stop shop for trusted travel content and resources. This Travel launch continues our march to offer the best application value online, combined with the unique editorial content from The New York Times.”

The section’s destination pages offer advice features that include: Travel Columns, Where to Stay, Where to Eat, What to Do and Readers’ Ratings. Global travelers will enjoy information resources that include Maps, Sights & Activities, Restaurants, Hotels, Entertainment, Shopping, Travel Tips, Exchange Rates and Weather. The section also offers up-to-date reviews and destination content from Fodor’s, a leading travel information provider. Other features in the travel section include:

-- Popular destination guides viewable by category, including: NYC Guide, U.S. Guides, World Guides, Interests & Activities, Escapes section of The Times and Deals & Booking.

-- Free access to past Times travel articles from its Sunday Travel section, Sophisticated Traveler and Escapes section, including popular travel columns such as “36 Hours,” “Deals & Discounts,” “What’s Doing” and “Practical Traveler.”

-- Over 20 interests and activities guides covering topics such as Golf, Food & Wine, Cruises, Hiking, Spas, Fishing, Birding and Beaches.

-- Flash photo slideshows offering photographs from top travel photographers at The Times and Lonely Planet Images that let readers experience the majestic cupola at Galeries Lafayette in Paris, horseback riding in Costa Rica and drinking blood orange mojitos at New York’s Spice Market.

-- “Readers’ Ratings” tool connects travelers, allowing them to rate over 40,000 restaurants, hotels and venues.

-- Travel Forum lets readers share their thoughts and opinions about travel-related topics ranging from the best books on travel to airplane etiquette.

-- Deals and Booking page, an advertising section, offers hotel information for select destinations provided by premium advertisers.

The redesigned section provides highly targeted, destination-focused opportunities for advertisers. General travel, transportation and location advertisers have the ability to target offers through placement against relevant content with banner ads, contextual commerce ads and sponsorships. The section also features new fixed advertising positions such as the “Deals and Booking” page, “Featured Deals,” a redesigned “Marketplace” position as well as the opportunity to promote trip giveaways and sweepstakes. Additionally, “Great Getaways,” a free NYTimes.com e-mail newsletter with luxury travel deals from premium advertisers, now has nearly 500,000 subscribers.