• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

The Travel Channel Re-Launches Broadband Travel Hub TravelChannel.Com; Partners With SideStep for Travel Search and Booking

Posted on: Thursday, 5 April 2007, 12:00 CDT

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- The Travel Channel today announced a partnership with SideStep Inc., the Internet's leading travel search company, as part of an overall redesign of its flagship Web site, TravelChannel.com. The revamped Web site, which features a new design, navigation and search-optimized pages, is a content-rich site that allows visitors to get information on specific travel destinations, watch travel-related video and research and book their trips, in addition to learning more about their favorite Travel Channel shows.

Visitors to the redesigned TravelChannel.com can research and book air, hotel and car rentals by leveraging the site's new "Book It!" functionality powered by SideStep. This new booking engine searches more than 600+ airlines, 150,000 hotels and 30,000 car rental locations worldwide, in addition to offerings for private jets.

"The launch of the new TravelChannel.com marks the evolution of our site, expanding beyond a simple fan site for our viewers, to become a comprehensive travel resource that leverages our broad range of assets in travel-related content," said Pat Younge, president and general manager, Discovery Travel Media. "Partnering with companies like SideStep, a true innovator in the online travel space, is key to ensuring that we provide consumers with an online destination that is rich in both content and functionality."

The new TravelChannel.com also features: -- Video Hub -- visitors can easily access the Travel Channel's rich library of travel videos, including web-only content from Travel Channel television shows, video blogs from on-air talent and exclusive Travel Channel information about popular destinations. In addition, the site's new in-page video player allows users to access video content without having to leave the page. -- Multimedia Destination Guides -- more than 90 in-depth guides for the most popular vacation destinations, including comprehensive information from Fodor's, destination-specific video, community message boards, photos and itineraries from some of the Travel Channel's most popular hosts. -- Improved Internal Site Search -- through a partnership with SLI Systems, users have access to a more robust search function for TravelChannel.com pages that allows them to filter their results by videos, images, Discovery store products and TV listings. -- Share Hub -- this new section aggregates User Generated Content from the site, including user-submitted video, destination reviews and active message boards, in one easy to access location. -- Travel Ideas -- provides a range of guides covering the most popular travel topics, including cruises, honeymoons, luxury travel, family travel, adventure travel and more. -- News and Weather -- In partnership with Weather Underground, this new section allows users to see weather conditions across the world, and includes a travel news feed.

"Travel Channel's strong brand and natural connection with the traveling public makes the company an ideal partner for sharing the robust SideStep travel search engine with a community of active travelers," said Rob Solomon, president and CEO, SideStep, Inc. "Visitors to TravelChannel.com can now translate their curiosity about travel into reality by researching and booking their trips without ever having to leave the Travel Channel site."

Travel Channel is now available in more 88 million US homes. Discovery Travel Media is an integrated media business that includes: Travel Channel; Antenna Audio, the world's leader in audio tours; online assets including the broadband travel hub http://www.travelchannel.com/, as well as travel related content for Video-on-Demand (VOD) and mobile platforms.

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion people in over 170 countries. Through TV and new media, Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks include Discovery Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Health. DCI is owned by Discovery Holding Co. , Cox Communications Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit http://www.discovery.com/.

About SideStep, Inc.

SideStep, the Internet's leading travel search company, delivers the most comprehensive selection of travel choices at the best prices to more than five million consumers each month. SideStep has been named one of TIME Magazine's "50 Coolest Web Sites," a PC World "World Class Site" and one of its "Best Products of 2006," and declared "Best of the Web" by both Forbes and BusinessWeek Online. The company has direct relationships with the largest travel suppliers in the industry and works with a variety of leading world- class brands, providing relevant results from more than 600 airlines, 150,000 hotels and 30,000 car rental sites worldwide. The Company also operates TravelPost.com (http://www.travelpost.com/), the Web's largest independently owned hotel review community. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, SideStep is privately held and has raised more than $30 million in funding from Trident Capital, Norwest Venture Partners, PAR Capital, Saints Capital and Leader Ventures. For more information, visit http://www.sidestep.com/.

Travel Channel

CONTACT: Allie Burns, Travel Channel: +1-240-662-2917,Allie_Burns@discovery.com; or Sabrina Crider, SideStep: 408-200-4959,scrider@sidestep.com

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category