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April 22, 1998
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation)


Free sign-up offered for provincial reservation system

Hotels, motels, inns and bed and breakfasts in Newfoundland and Labrador are being offered a free sign-up with the provincial tourism information and reservation system, Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister Sandra Kelly announced today.

The information and reservation system is a joint venture of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, Destination Newfoundland and Labrador, and Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador, the umbrella organization of the provincial tourism industry. By joining the system under this initiative, accommodation operators will save the sign-up fee, which varies according to the size of the business. A bed and breakfast operator would save about $120.

"The information and reservation system supports the tourism industry by providing a live, interactive, online system to obtain tourism information, to handle tourist questions more effectively, and most importantly, to close the sale and book the reservation before the call ends," the minister said.

The system is operated by Destination Newfoundland and Labrador, a business unit of NewTel Communications.

"The information and reservation system builds on the professionalism and skills of tourism businesses by putting at their disposal a team of specially trained travel counsellors who are focused on making sales on their behalf," Kelly noted.

The travel counsellors utilize a very sophisticated on-line information system to receive calls from tourists, provide information, and close the sale and book reservations. The tourism businesses are then notified of the reservation, so that the tourist gets complete service from one contact.

"We are offering this free listing opportunity to all tourism establishments now so that they can capitalize on major tourism promotion campaigns," Kelly said. "Currently, we are in the middle of our annual Canadian advertising initiative, which will build upon our very successful Cabot 500 Celebrations last year."

The minister also said the initiative will benefit in-province tourism.

"Together with the hospitality industry, we are finalizing the 1998 `Summer Spree' campaign, encouraging residents to vacation here in the province this year," she said. "The Summer Spree campaign will encourage residents to call the toll-free reservation and information line, and again create opportunities for tourism sales."

Kelly says that through this initiative, the government is making a strategic investment which will bring the industry to a new plateau.

"Tourism businesses have been investing in their facilities, services and skills," she notes. "This one-time listing offer gives them access to an additional sales force, supported by a powerful technology platform, and focused on creating additional business for the tourism industry."

"The tourism industry is highly competitive, and to compete in the market we have to make it simple and easy to buy a vacation in Newfoundland and Labrador," Kelly says. "Our competitors are getting on-line, and our industry has to be there as well."

"Our goal is to have 100 per cent of fixed roofed accommodation in the province on the reservation system," the minister said. "This will mean better service for our tourists, and help `close the sale' for tourism business."

The minister noted that those who join must have a fax machine, as the reservation system uses faxes to notify the accommodations operators that reservations have been made. Participating accommodations will also have to pay the standard 10 per cent reservation commission.

A special direct mail campaign will provide a sign-up information package. Tourism businesses are encouraged to call toll-tree 1-888-722-8367 to join.

Contact: Doug Burgess, (709) 729-0928.

1998 04 22 4:40 p.m.

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