Online accommodation-booking site Hostelworld.com has surpassed 10 million bookings.
The Irish-headquartered site, which specialises in budget accommodation, reached the milestone this week. The site covers 17,000 hostels and budget hotels in 168 countries, and in 2004 began offering downloadable travel guides for several destinations. It also features podcasts, user reviews and a social network based around travel.
“Consistent innovation and use of the best of breed technology has enabled us to sustain the explosive growth we have experienced, allowing us to remain the No 1 online reservations site for the budget accommodation sector,” commented Feargal Mooney, CEO, Hostelworld.com.
Mooney claimed the credit crunch is not making people skip their holidays but instead encouraging them to look to cheaper accommodation providers.
“With the credit crunch making people reexamine their holiday plans, we have noticed a significant increase in bookings on this time last year. People do not want to forgo their sacred holiday and therefore are turning to a more affordable alternative – hostels – which offer a unique range of accommodations and top-rate facilities.”
By Niall Byrne
