Web design offers the ideal opportunity for travel and leisure businesses to showcase their services and attract new customers. The importance of an appealing web design to draw customers, is not more prevalent in any other sector that in the travel industry.

Travel websites act as online brochure for the company and play a very important role in encouraging customers to visit the destinations on offer or avail of other travel services. Here are 5 great travel web designs for inspiration.

There are many essential principles of good web design. The following criteria have been used to select the sites in this list:

• Visual appeal of the website
• Usability
• Ease of navigation
• Quality of Homepage design

1. Lonely Planet

Lonely planet needs no introduction for the independent traveller. Their website is an excellent all-round travel resource featuring destinations from every corner of the world.

Good Web design features:

• Modern web design with a magazine layout
• Blog format makes it easy to explore content
• The ‘Where do you want to travel’ feature and ‘blue list’ section are very useful and easy to use
• The website design also makes good use of call to action that are bundled together and prominently displayed on the right column.

2. Definitely Dubai

Good Web design features:

• Clean design with good use of background image
• Effective Top menu filtered by ‘I live here’, ‘ I am visiting’ or ‘Here on Business’
• Additional tabbed navigation in content body works well and  is easy to navigate

3. Crystal Cruises

I have featured this site on this list due is simple yet elegant design. Bright images stand out against overall light colour shades.

Good Web design features:

• Simple yet elegant design
• Light colours are very easy on the eye
• An overall up-market feel
• Intuitive voyage finder feature visually appealing results

4. Lake Powell

This is a travel and holiday activities website for the Lake Powell region in US. The design is visually appealing and is easy to use.

Good Web design features:

• Creative website design that creates a lasting impression
• Good use of large background image contributes to the visual appeal of the website Simple top navigation
• Good pop-up ‘explore’ feature

5. Little Palm Island Resort, Florida

Little Palm Island Resort & Spa is a piece of paradise discreetly located off the fabled Florida Keys coastline so remote it’s only accessible by sea-plane or boat.

Good Web design features:

• The website design has a unique look that does not follow typical web design layout Use of large background image covering the entire homepage works well
• Unique, appealing design, well suited to its purpose, draws the user in.
• Prominent booking feature and special offers on website

Conclusion:

There are many factors that make a website successful. You can use the above Web design examples for inspiration or to find ways to improve your website.  You only get one chance to make a good first impression when customers visit your website. The design of your website, in particular the homepage, plays a key role in creating a lasting impression.

Have you come across a great travel website that you would like to add to this list?

Please leave a comment. All valid suggestions will be displayed. Great suggestions will get further mention in the post along with due credit to you.