Book Your Vacation Over the Internet
Potential visitors using Nova Scotia's visitor information and reservation system can now book their accommodations over the Internet. They can also get customized information to help them plan a Nova Scotia vacation.
The service enhancements are part of a new management contract with CorporaTel to operate Check In, the province's free information and reservation service. Visitor information centres and accommodations will also be able to access the new service online.
"Nova Scotia is already recognized as a leader in information and reservation services. With these new enhancements, we're taking our tourism information services to a new level and helping to grow Nova Scotia's tourism industry," said Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism and Culture.
Tourism and Culture has been offering visitors information via the Web for some time and are now completing the loop with online reservations and a new, more up-to-date database with Nova Scotia tourist information.
Check In employs multilingual reservation agents to help visitors plan and book a great Nova Scotia vacation in one call. The unique reservation system, managed by CorporaTel, provides staff with access to over 700 hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs and campgrounds throughout the province, as well as car rental agencies. For a preview of the new service enhancements visit www.checkinnovascotia.com .
"We are thrilled to have been selected to manage the Check In service. This announcement represents an exciting new dimension to our relationship as both the Department of Tourism and Culture and CorporaTel expand their business to include new media. Our representatives will now serve visitors to Nova Scotia via telephone and over the Internet," said Susan Tilley-Russell, vice-president of CorporaTel.
CorporaTel is a leading provider of outsourced multilingual contact centre services throughout North America, serving clients such as Aliant, Citibank, Scotiabank, Primestreet.com and Super Natural BC. It is a member of The CCL Group, and has managed the Check In service for over six years. With the new contract, CorporaTel partnered with MTT, an Aliant company, to bring a multi-channel, fully integrated telecommunications solution for the department.
"Travellers want choice in how they make contact so it's crucial to offer them every possible method of access to information on Nova Scotia," says Doug Fawthrop, chair of the Nova Scotia Tourism Partnership Council. "The Internet provides ready access to millions of people all over the world and this new service will help Nova Scotia take advantage of that reach."
The council is a private-public sector team that leads provincial marketing and product development initiatives.
Tourism revenues for the year 2000 are projected to be $1.25 billion and the number of non-resident visitors is expected to surpass 2.1 million. Revenues translate into jobs for some 35,000 Nova Scotians with an estimated payroll of close to $487 million. Tourism is also a significant export industry, with more than half of the money generated coming from outside the province.
NOTE TO EDITORS: Media are invited to tour CorporaTel and view the new Check In Internet service between noon and 1:30 p.m. today, Nov. 23. CorporaTel is located at 2695 Dutch Village Rd., Suite 500, Halifax. For more information, please call Natasha Chow Foster at 902-493-3100.