NEW YORK -- Attention travel agents: You're about to be upstaged by
a rabbit.
That's right, a technology firm here called TripleHop Inc.
launched a Web site dubbed Follow the Rabbit!, at www.followtherabbit.com, that claims to use a unique
filtering technology to help people figure out where to go for
their vacations.
The company said its "rabbit" gives Web surfers the benefit of a
"comprehensive, unbiased search capability, enabling them to select
up to 88 different criteria to help find the best possible locale
for their vacation."
According to the TripleHop press release, "Existing on-line
travel services essentially provide reservation and booking
services, and traditional off-line travel agents can be limited by
their own travel experience.
"Travelers have to know from the beginning where they want to
go, or else take a chance on a suggestion from someone who may not
know the destination well enough to really recommend it. Neither
on-line nor off-line agents can match Follow the Rabbit's
network-based knowledge."
A Travel Weekly staffer logged on seeking "leisure activities"
for "me and a romantic partner," selecting two favorite activities
at random: "sitting in cafes" and "golf."
The rabbit returned two matches with a 90% rating: Calgary,
Alberta, and Durango, Colo.