Donuts announced the re-launch of the .TRAVEL top-level domain purchased last February from the former administrator of the domain zone, Tralliance. The domain was created back in 2005 with a lot of major registration restrictions. Companies and individuals wishing to register a domain name under .TRAVEL had to prove they are working in the travel industry. It is likely that these restrictions affected the domain’s popularity. The largest number of registered domain names was 215,000 (in 2008); however, since then, the number has steadily decreased. Currently, some 18,000 names are registered in the domain, according to Domain Incite.
The Donuts registry intends to change the situation. First and foremost, it will eliminate most of the registration restrictions. Now registrants only need to check a box in the online registration form to confirm that they work in the travel industry, without any additional formalities. Moreover, it is now possible to register domain names under .TRAVEL via GoDaddy, the world’s largest registrar that did not work with this domain before.
