Hang out, hook up and hello holiday romance…
Tuesday, 10 Mar, 2011
0
Up until now, if you’re single and heading off on holiday, you’d have to wait until you got there to check out the talent.
Ah, but that great 21st century invention social media is about to change all that.
Thanks to a new website dreamt up by former Holiday Taxis boss Paul Stanyer, now you can start lining up who you’ll be downing the sambuccas with even before you get on the plane.
The Hang Out On Holiday site launches today and currently lists 40 destinations, the idea being punters register and say which resort they are going to and when.
A brief look at the home page offers up some suspiciously good-looking people in rather professionally done photos with their names, ages and where they are going this spring and summer. So, you can try and hook up with “Nicola, 24, visiting Xanthe in July”, “Holly, 27, visiting Santorini in May” or hunky “Carlos, 26, visiting Rhodes in August”.
Now, where are those two male models we arranged to meet?
Something tells Travelmole that when the horny hordes start signing up, the quality of the pictures may drop a little.
Said Stanyer: “People of the 18 – 35 age group tend to go on holiday for three main reasons, to get a sun tan, to get drunk and to meet and have fun with people of the same or opposite sex.
Up until now you have to wait until you get to resort to start the process of meeting new people.
“Hang out on Holiday allows you to see who is going, get a brief profile and then choose to interact where the communication stays only between the individuals.
“You don’t have to respond to a request to hook up with or hang out with anyone who you don’t like the look of. Put simply, the new site allows you to check out your fellow travellers, before you check in for your holiday.”
Once a member, there is an alert system to let you know when someone new has registered and is going to the same destination as you.
And if you aren’t sure where to go on holiday yet, you can be placed in the Departure Lounge with others until you have made your mind up (perhaps based on seeing who else is going where).
This area is a potential earner for agents and operators as distressed stock can be listed, tempting those yet to book.
There is also an online diary so that members can see what is happening whilst they are in their destination. Other perks include access to discounted club tickets.
The site will also be tailored towards particular groups such as festival goers or skiers.
Said Stanyer: “This is not trying to copy Facebook, that’s impossible, but it remains the case that Facebook is for those you already know while Hang Out is for those you ought to know.”
by Dinah Hatch
Dinah
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