Travel Ad Network Raises $15 Million for Expansion

Travel Ad Network (TAN) has raised $15 million from investors to fund continued expansion of its Internet advertising network products and services for targeting consumer travel promotions.

Its new funding comes from Rho Ventures, a private equity investment firm and Village Ventures, a venture capital firm, in addition to individual investors.

Habib Kairouz, managing partner at Rho Ventures will join TAN’s board of directors. Also joining the board is Rho Ventures’ partner Doug McCormick and Benjamin Wolin, co-founder and CEO of Waterfront Media.

According to the market research firm comScore Inc., TAN reaches 14.5 million Web site visitors per month through 50 travel Web sites and online publishers such as BBC’s Lonely Planet and Rand McNally.

The network targets ads to consumers planning trips and booking travel reservations online based on geography, behavior, Web page content and other variables, including frequency of Web page visits and e-mail newsletter subscriptions.

TAN sells Web site advertising for such brands as JetBlue, American Express, Best Western, Hertz and Hilton, among others.

The network recently expanded from the U.S. to Canada and the United Kingdom. It also recently launched its first video advertising campaign online.