Europe: Metro International hits the road starting travel agency

European newspapers, always looking for new revenue streams, are also faced with a threat from free dailies, especially local editions of the popular Metro. So what happen when the free papers start finding new ways to make money? We may find out soon. Metro International has just launched a travel agency website focused primarily at finding hotels for various types of travelers. Metrotravel.com, focused on facilitating hotel search for the "city break" traveler, went live in Sweden and will open in Denmark in May. If the Website proves successful, it could provide another important income for an already successful business. The primary function of a newspaper is still to report the news. But with waning circulations and increasing threats to their market, it may be financially wise for newspapers to follow Metro's example and find innovative means of making profit.

Source: Primezone