If image-based search is the next big thing, as many might have us believe, then travel guide giant Fodor’s is listening.
Borrowing the blanket-of-images approach adopted by the likes of 101Holidays and others to kickstart the user’s search process, Fodor’s has thrown a flashy (in more ways than one, given the small animation which occurs) image guide onto its new European travel section.
Visitors can then select a destination idea.
Users are then taken to an existing European content page which features interactive Google Maps, suggested itineraries and links to detailed descriptions of each destination, activity or attraction.
Bolted on the side of the page is Fodor’s affiliate search system tool for hotels, flights, packages etc with the likes of Hotwire, Hotels.com, Hotelscombined and Bookingbuddy am0ngst others.
Fodor’s has created over 60 itineraries for the image search tool on what it calls its To Europe project, launched to coincide with the peak period on the site for visitors looking for a European getaway.
Although the individual parts behind the tool are not unique or particularly unusual, putting a lot of effort into a image-led search tool is becoming an interesting and increasingly popular mechanism to channel consumers into more detailed and dry pages.