AMSTERDAM, March 12 — Planning a holiday usually starts with picking a destination, but a new breed of online search engine is turning that idea on its head. With these platforms, web users can define all kinds of criteria about the type of getaway they’re looking for, then sit back and let the Internet come up with a suggested destination.

Last week, the web’s online reservations heavyweight, Booking.com, grabbed column inches promoting a new search tool to help users find the perfect destination for their next break, with no need to choose a specific location. Joining the growing trend for personalised travel planning, Booking.com now offers users a list of results picked to match their specific tastes, interests or wishes.

Holidaymakers can head to Booking.com/destinationfinder to enter their “passion” or select a preferred activity or type of break from over 200 options. A specially designed algorithm then picks a selection of relevant destinations and places to stay from over 850,000 establishments. 

Departure city at a starting point

The peer-to-peer travel community, NightSwapping.com, is launching a reverse search engine, where travellers enter their departure city instead of a destination. The results provide ideas and inspiration for upcoming trips. 

The NightSwapping tool can be used for more precise searches too, by specifying the maximum distance of travel and arrival dates. The results are generated from the platform’s contact list of registered users offering stays in different locations.

The platform’s users sign up to host travellers, receiving in return a free night’s stay with someone else when they next take a trip. Users who haven’t yet earned any nights or who need extra reassurance can opt to buy nights instead, priced between €7 and €49 (about RM32 to RM222). The NightSwapping platform currently has over 180,000 members.

Google too has a new service called “Destinations”, taking the hard work out of travel planning. Rather than offering an alternative search engine, the American tech giant has created a simple tool for quick and easy mobile searches.

Simply entering the name of a country into a Google search along with the word “destinations” brings up a series of suggested towns and cities.

In just a few clicks, travellers can gauge a trip’s average cost with at-a-glance hotel and flight prices. Google can then take web users directly to the relevant reservation pages.

Here, too, travellers running low on inspiration can enter their interests to find suitable destinations. — AFP-Relaxnews