Web advice changing holiday landscape

By Andrew Hough

LONDON, May 15 (Reuters) - Internet social networking and self-help travel websites are drastically changing the holiday planning landscape, the founder of the world's largest online travel advisory service said on Thursday.

By surfing the Web, travelers can get the opinions of friends and thousands of other tourists rather than having to rely on glossy brochures, guide books or travel agents, TripAdvisor chief Stephen Kaufer told Reuters.

"We are extremely bullish of the view that social networks -- getting advice from your friends -- will fundamentally change the way people are looking at travel today," Kaufer said.

TripAdvisor publishes the opinions of travelers about countries, cities, hotels and restaurants worldwide and claims to have the world's largest "online travel community".

Other sites in its network include airfarewatchdog.com, bookingbuddy.com, cruisecritic.com, holidaywatchdog.com, independenttraveler.com, seatguru.com, smartertravel.com, travel-library.com and travelpod.com.

Speaking ahead of a speech he was giving on Thursday to the Online Publisher's Association conference in London, Kaufer, 45, said people could now access opinions from millions of people for free instead of the traditional guidebooks.

He said social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace were also changing the way people viewed travel.

Previously people would ask their friends, get some ideas then visit a travel agent.