New policies will go in effect at the end of the year to make it easier to register a .TRAVEL domain.
At the moment, should you want a .TRAVEL domain name, you as prospective registrant must be vetted by an authorised .TRAVEL authentication provider and request a name that is used or associated with your organisation.
On December 21, 2007, .TRAVEL registry Tralliance is implementing new registration policies.
The changes are designed to make it easier for a larger number of people to register a .TRAVEL domain. Whereas current rules require a registrant to have as its "primary area of activity" the travel industry, the new rules only ask that the applicant be a "significant participant" in that industry.
Couple that with the fact that any vetted applicant will now be able to register any available name, and not only names linked to his or her organisation, and you effectively get a "first-come, first-served" extension.
Names must be used
Making it so much easier to register a .TRAVEL domain would seem to go against the philosophy of a sponsored extension such as .TRAVEL, which was created to service and display travel industry-related content.
But Tralliance doesn't seem to have turned its back on that mandate. The registry is implementing a "name use" requirement whereby, starting January 1, 2008, all names registered should, within 60 days of registration and through the life of the domain, be used for a website displaying travel content relevant to the name.
Tralliance will carry out checks on a random basis and any contravening names will be given 30 days to comply. Failure to do so may result in the name being revoked.
Such stiff measures should ensure that .TRAVEL doesn't become a cybersquatter paradise, while still increasing its potential appeal. Especially as Tralliance is removing its "Place Names" reserved list, thereby freeing a large number of names for registration.
The latest data Domaines.Info was able to obtain (on December 4, 2007) for .TRAVEL points to a total of 35,000 registered names. A good result for a very specific sponsored TLD, but obviously a far cry from other, more generic extensions.
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