Travel domain loses its founder

What is the future looking like for .travel? That’s a question that must be asked following the departure of its founder, just eighteen months after the much-flaunted official launch of the domain -- aimed at helping consumers do a better and easier job of searching and finding relevant travel and travel-related information on the Internet

Seven years after pursuing the idea of a travel specific Internet domain and a year and a half after the official launch of .travel, Ron Andruff, founder and President of the Tralliance Corporation, the registry for .travel, is leaving the company to pursue new opportunities and interests.

Utah und Egypt are the only destinations to push the .travel domain, though management says it has "several pending initiatives aimed at helping consumers do a better and easier job of searching and finding relevant travel and travel-related information on the Internet."

Ron Andruff’s departure was anticipated. The company continues to be led by Michael Egan, chairman and Ed Cespedes, CEO, who took steps to expand and reorganize the company last year.

Laying the groundwork for its new initiatives .travel will be launching a consumer advertising and promotional campaign later this year to coincide with enhancements made to search .travel These will include an improved focus on destinations with the addition of greater destination content and information, including virtual maps.