Travel News Books ‘Round-The-World Ticket

Today, two travel-related sites have announced the launch of a new Web site, and a content agreement, with a major portal.

The first, Irvine, California-based Electronic Media Communications, announced the launch Monday of Tourandtravelnews.com, an Internet travel news distribution service.

Calling it the first online travel news service, the company said it would deliver interactive press releases, photographs, and streamed audio and video clips to more than 5,000 travel reporters and 1,100 travel agencies every week.

EMC said it has signed up 20 clients to date, including Princess Cruises, Quantas Airways, the Australian Tourist Commission and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

“News and information gathering by travel reporters and travel agencies is extremely time-consuming both online and offline, not because of how little information there is, but because how much there is,” said EMC President, Patrick Pharris. “This Web site aggregates a wide range of information, organizes the content by topic and delivers the news to the user through one location on the Web.”

Travelocity.com Agreement With Infoseek

Also Monday, Travelocity.com, an online travel site, announced that it signed an agreement with Infoseek Corporation (Nasdaq: SEEK) that makes it the preferred online travel provider of air, car and hotel bookings for the company’s GO Network.

“This alliance with Travelocity.com helps GO Network extend our brand, content, and travel services to millions of online users,” said Infoseek CEO, Harry Motro. “By establishing this deep partnership with Travelocity.com, Go Network will now provide users with the most trusted information and complete travel resources on the Internet.”

Travelocity is owned by Sabre, Inc. (NYSE: TSG), a leading provider of information technology systems to the travel industry. The company said it provides reservation capabilities for 95 percent of all airline seats sold, more than 42,000 hotels and 50 car rental companies. Sabre, Inc. has sold more than three million airline tickets online.

Since its launch in March 1996, Travelocity says it has registered more than seven million members and logged some 105 million page views per month.