A TRAVEL information service has announced plans to switch to a .cymru domain name making it one of a handful of founding organisations to adopt new internet addresses.

Traveline Cymru, the Welsh Government’s public transport information service joins 30 organisations, including the National Eisteddfod and S4C, in a founders programme, showing its commitment to adopt the .cymru and .wales domain names ahead of the official launch.

ICANN, coordinators of the web’s global domain name system, gave the go-ahead. for businesses and consumers to have internet addresses ending in both .cymru and .wales, earlier this year

The two top level domain names are managed and run by Nominet, the same people that have successfully run .co.uk since 1996 and the aim is to market Wales to the world .

A phased launch plan will allow those with a registered trademark to benefit first from registrations in September, closely followed by businesses and organisations who can prove interests and use of a brand name in Wales even if they don’t have a trademark.

The final phase will see the addresses open up to everybody from St David’s Day next year.

Managing director of Traveline Cymru, Graham Walter said: “Traveline Cymru is delighted to transfer to the .cymru domain. By doing so, it is in keeping with our brand identity and reflects the unique and vital service we provide to the travelling public in Wales.

“Demand for public transport information in Wales is growing at a high rate. Our range of services and breadth of channels allows customers to access the information they need, when and where they need it, be it at home, at work or on the move.

“By switching over to the .cymru domain, we will be able to continue to differentiate ourselves from the other Traveline operators across the UK, making our services easily identifiable to our users across Wales.”

Traveline Cymru is the Welsh Government’s public transport information service providing journey planning, routing and timetable information for all bus, coach and rail services in Wales.