Surfing for vacation options unveils complications.

A seat over from the armchair archaeologist, the armchair traveler lives vicariously through images of the Andes, a beach explorer's travel accounts, or all the excitement of a jungle expedition without any of the sweat or bug spray. And with the multitude of travel sites available via the Internet, reaching out to these adventure seekers has never been so easy.

Mexico's Tourism Secretariat (Sectur) claims that well-organized sites publicizing a multitude of services and destinations for tourists have revolutionized the tourism industry. They've made it possible for the potential tourist to become "virtually" acquainted with a host of tourist attractions--and the industry's smaller players have been some of the first to reap the benefits.

"Websites, links, web portals, search engines, etc., have really changed the way of promoting tourism," says Kenneth Johnson, president of Amtave, the Mexican Association of Adventure Travel and Ecotourism. "Especially in the case of ecotourism where there are not large amounts (of money) for promotion."

The advertising advantages couple well with the Internet's most seductive feature: the convenience of travel planning at your fingertips. Just go into one of Mexico's principal travel agency sites, such as viajo.com, and the first thing to greet you is flight reservation information, hotels, car rental services and other tour options.

As a means of consulting information and collecting data, an Internet page has the surface value of answering all your vacation needs. But making the practical link between clicks of the mouse and concrete reservations is still far away.

"One of the greatest obstacles still faced when making reservations via the Internet is the lacking interface: The 'iata' database system is what allows travel agents to book flights, tapping into the reservation system that the airlines use," says David Fierro, director of the Market Investigation Committee for AMIPCI (Mexico's association for Internet advertising). "Booking via the Internet is almost like sending a fax ... once you've entered your information, someone still has to manually pass it into the 'iata' system."

REALITY HITS

Still ready to jump off into the deep end of credit card debt with reckless travel-fever abandonment? Better check for a safety net ... if you can find one at all.

Some travelers might think twice if they knew there's next to nothing to ensure quality or verify the validity of the product or service being offered.

In Mexico, travel agencies proper must register with the Mexican Travel Agency Association. But a travel site on the Internet is not controlled by the same set of requirements, nor does it have to be registered with any organization.

"I don't know of any way to actually certify that these companies even exist. Amtave wants to establish a certification program to have only those association members that comply with safe, quality measurements," says Kenneth Johnson.

And while private associations like Amtave deserve praise for thinking of their customer's safety, what does the government do to show that it cares?

Currently, Sectur is not responsible for certifying or registering these pages, which have the right to exercise their "freedom of expression," according to a Sectur spokesperson. An Internet travel site's only regulation comes from complying with the standards that are laid out as part of establishing any site.

GETTING PRACTICAL

With tourism endlessly plugged as one of Mexico's most important industries, the government has an invested interest in fomenting its use of the Internet. And this is just what Sectur wants to do.

"Considering the penetration this media has throughout the world, and given the Internet's versatility in the use of visual and auditory material to display any tourist attraction in full dimension, the Secretariat promotes the country's tourist attractions through its Internet site www.mexico-travel.com," a Sectur spokesperson told BUSINESS MEXICO.

An increased interest in regulating the travel websites of private companies or other organizations would reap long-term benefits for all players. If Sectur challenged these companies to ensure product quality, not only would they earn more respect in their sector, but more travelers would be willing to trust in the services presented. And if Mexico's tourism industry wants to grow and prosper, like any business it must be able to reassure its customers, even in cyberspace.

Emily Hinch is BUSINESS MEXICO'S contributing editor.