The official Bay Islands website, http://www.bayislandstourism.com , sanctioned by the governor of the Bay Islands and the institute of tourism, is now online. The site gives an informative overview of the Bay Islands, in addition to easy one-stop shopping for information on tourism and general businesses operating on Roatan, Guanaja, Utila and Cayos Cochinos. Designed and maintained by Bay Islands Marketing, the content-rich site contains information about resorts, hotels, airlines, dive operators, restaurants, businesses that offer products and services as well as real estate services. Simple drop down menus and links to each individual business' information page or website makes navigation easy. According to Nielson Media's NetRatings, over 192 million North Americans, which include the United States and Canada, are active Internet users and 37 million of them have already purchased travel online. Gartner Dataquest estimates that there are 150 million Internet users in Europe and this number is expected to grow to 178 million by 2004. ''Statistics prove that the Internet is a growing distribution channel for the hospitality market,'' explains Sandra Sampayo, of Bay Islands Marketing. ''The percentage of people who book travel directly through websites rose from 16% in October 2001 to 21% in August this year. Hotels on the Bay Islands receive the majority of bookings through the internet, so it makes perfect sense to develop a strong internet marketing plan to increase those reservations. Our aim is to provide travellers to the Bay Islands with relevant, up-to-date information on the destination, with a second-phase aim of providing reliable online processing capabilities.'' Bay Islands Marketing is currently developing a secure online payment system that will allow international visitors to access a central reservations system and book their vacations directly online, using the most secure internet payment platforms available. The website is expected to generate interest in the Bay Islands and be a valuable informative tool for individuals, dive groups, tour operators and travel agents. In addition to travel and leisure information, the website also provides information on job vacancies throughout the islands, real estate opportunities, as well as a comprehensive press information centre. Businesses interested in participating in the website or placing a link can contact Bay Islands Marketing at [email protected] or call the office at + 504 455-5841.