A new program designed to boost the internet visibility of the travel industry, including motorcoach operators, has moved to a new phase.

"Pre-authentication" has begun for the new internet Web-address extension known as .travel.

For a coach operator or other travel industry company to adopt a Web name with a .travel extension, it must be "authenticated" by a recognized trade association that is working with the organization that is pushing the .travel program for the travel industry.

Those behind the effort say the internet visibility of travel-related companies will be increased by virtue of the industry having its own Web-address extension.

So, instead of (or in addition to) having a Web address that ends in .com or .net, a motorcoach or other travel company can also have an internet address that ends in .travel.

Members of the United Motorcoach Association, American Bus Association, and the National Tour Association are among the first companies allowed to reserve a Web name with a .travel extension. The associations are helping handle the reservation process and the initial step is the pre-authentication phase.

Unlike other domain names ending in .com or .net, .travel domains will be available only to travel companies and organizations that prove they are bona fide members of the travel industry.

As a service to members, UMA, ABA and NTA began handling pre-authentication requests this month. This process is expected to last 60 days.

Then, a .travel name will be available for purchase by association members that have been pre-authenticated. This "limited launch" is expected to last from Sept. 1 through Nov. 30.

The pre-authentication period benefits association members because on Dec. 1, any company or organization can apply for a .travel name as long as it can be verified as being in the travel industry.

Coach operators interested in signing up for a .travel domain name should call or visit the Web site of the association they are a member of and request or look for the .travel information.

Companies can pre-authenticate their business name, service mark, trade mark, acronyms, doing-business-as name, marketing slogan, or current Web address.

Once a company has been pre-authenticated by an association, an e-mail confirmation will be sent containing a "unique identifying number," which proves that a company has been pre-authenticated and is eligible to purchase a .travel domain name.

Companies can then visit the Web site of a domain name registrar that is approved by .travel to research the name it wants and to purchase it. There will be two or three online registrars approved to sell .travel domain names.

On the registrar's Web site, companies will be able to select the name or names they want, enter appropriate contact information, provide name selection data and wait online. The registrar will check the information provided against the pre-authentication data entered through the company's association to determine if the name requested complies with the .travel naming rules. This all is expected to happen within seconds.

If everything checks out, companies will be asked to pay for their domain name with a credit card.

At this point, the .travel name will be available within 24-48 hours for a company to set up its ISP information and start directing Internet users to its Web site. Companies can have multiple names for a single Web site.