How Travel eBusiness Can Persuade More Travelers To Share Valuable Personal Information

Its 2010, the Web should be safe and secure for personal information, right? Wrong. Online privacy is constantly threatened with phishing and malware attacks, and US online leisure travelers are perceptive: Forrester data reveals that 37% of US online leisure travelers are concerned about disclosing personal information to travel companies online. Even more disconcerting, the percentage of US online leisure travelers who feel that their personal information is secure when they are making online purchases dropped by 5% in 2009. Forrester data also found that travelers are most willing to disclose personal information to hotels and airlines and are most comfortable sharing basic information such as ZIP code and mailing address. Three ways eBusiness professionals can address privacy concerns are: 1) assuring travelers that their personal information is secure, 2) communicating the value of sharing information, and 3) using travelers' information in meaningful ways.