SAN FRANCISCO— In a recent study by Forrester Research, of the 61 million U.S. households surveyed, more than 55 million reported to researching travel on the Internet, according to Henry Harteveldt, senior analyst. In addition, Harteveldt noted that approximately 80% of travelers have a price in mind when shopping on-line. “So if the price meets their needs, a lot of times they’ll buy it,” he added. This trend could prove challenging for opaque websites, like Priceline.com, which claim to offer better prices by concealing brand identities until a transaction is complete. “These opaque sites need to show tangible value over branded sites,” he said, noting the Priceline’s foray into travel packages could prove successful along with Hotwire.com plans to expand internationally. —Diana M. Rodriguez
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