16/12/2009
Recently, visiting American tourism marketing expert, Philip Wolf, talked of New Zealand attracting half a million more visitors by better using interactive technology. One Hawke’s Bay tourism provider, Johnny Ormond of Wallingford Homestead, is using the brand new Tourism Exchange technology system to provide a boost to his historic 3000 acre property.
“The concept is absolutely fantastic,” says Ormond. “We looked long and hard before we went into it. A lot of people in the online space want to make something for nothing out of you. Tourism Exchange is different, if we succeed, they succeed!”
Tourism Exchange offers real-time online booking systems and access to distributors on a success fee basis, providing operators a risk free opportunity to participate with multiple distributors, with no up front investment. Participation in the Tourism Exchange also enables operators big and small to offer real-time online booking, and immediate settlement of monies into their bank account of choice. For those with no web presence or prior online booking facilities, the service offers real value with a small transaction fees only on actual bookings.
“Apart from the affordability and technology, the exposure to the trade, which is difficult for small to medium-sized operators, will be a bonus for New Zealand tourism,” says Ormond.
“Visitor numbers fell by 3 per cent in the last year and this summer is expected to be tough,” says Sam Coxhead, Tourism Exchange’s Central North Island regional development manager. “It’s rewarding to be providing an innovative product for people struggling and wanting to boost their businesses, but without capital outlay.”
Using industry-wide technology, the Tourism Exchange provides a neutral ‘business to business’ market place, allowing tourism operators to contract and transact in real time.
“The internet has a lot of poor searching abilities and a lot of confusion for visitors,” say Ormond. “Tourism Exchange is stepping in and tidying it up – making it really easy for visitors to this country to find what they want and providing tourism operators with the visitors they need.”
