Mr. Withiam added that travelers were expecting trip-related services to be available on the new platforms. PhoCusWright, a travel research firm, has found that 13 percent of social-network users now shop for travel on those Web sites and 35 percent of mobile-phone users expect to book travel on their phones in the next year.
An overview of sites like Gaia Online and Habbo Hotel and how although they have abandoned the "virtual world" branding, they are still pulling in advertisers and revenue.