A display advertising platform has been optimised and launched for the travel industry by kayak.com, the travel search engine. Kayak had purchased Sidestep.com in December 2007 and the new ad platform has been based on the technology developed by them.

The new display ad system, much like the text style in Google AdWords, is of help to search marketers since they can target their ads directly based on search criteria like destinations, trip dates, origination, length of stay, specific airline/hotel brand, car type, etc.

Display ads are also served in the website’s new system. According to it, more than 2,000 travel brands are delivering over 30,000 active text placements on the Kayak Publishing Network.

Kayak.com co-founder and CEO Steve Hafner said:

Our advertisers repeatedly conveyed to us that display ads can communicate travel services in a way that text ads cannot. Yet we know that some consumers dislike these ads and find them distracting. I believe we have found the right balance by allowing our registered users to suppress or view them, whichever they prefer.