Travelstar Launches Social Networking Travel Site
Published on: February 28, 2008

Travelstar, Inc. has launched the beta version of Travelstar.com, a social networking site for passionate leisure travelers. Travelstar.com is a new online social network that combines the most popular social networking features enabling users to share vacation photos, read and write reviews, interact in traveler forums and blog about their travel adventures. Social networking has become a part of Americans' everyday life. Websites including Myspace.com, Facebook.com, YouTube.com and Meetup.com have attracted hundreds of millions of passionate members to their communities. "In addition to the social networking features on Travelstar.com, it will also be a place for travelers to gain access to the travel industry's top travel experts," said William Alverson, Travelstar chairman and CEO.

Travel professionals from all over the nation and from every agency affiliation can build their business on Travelstar.com for free. The goal is to build an expert review database. Consumers can read reviews, interact with experts and contact them to make bookings. Alverson said that a recent PhoCusWright study found that the large online agencies control only 5 percent of the cruise market. While they handle more than half of all travel bookings, they still lack the personal advice and human contact consumers desire to complete a complex travel booking. "We believe travel experts are the missing link in the online travel purchasing cycle," said Alverson. For more information, visit www.travelstar.com.