JackRabbit Systems, Inc., is pleased to announce a partnership with the Manhattan, Kansas Convention & Visitors Bureau. Online visitors to www.visitmanhattanks.org will now use the Book › Direct search engine, allowing them to compare local rates and availability and select desired lodging. Book › Direct will then seamlessly redirect the traveler directly to the lodging property to complete their transaction. "We are pleased to have entered into this partnership with JackRabbit Systems," said Karen Hibbard, Vice President of the Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau. "To be able to offer the service to our visitors to book rooms directly from our website is a great service. Even better is the fact that this service is complementary to our hotels, B&B's, and unique lodging in the area. We have just unveiled our new website and look, which was a perfect time to offer this service as well. We look forward to working with JackRabbit Systems for many years to come, as together, we want to make the visitors experience in Manhattan, KS a great one!" The Jackrabbit team used a customized Book › Direct search engine interface to match the Manhattan Convention & Visitors Bureau website.

The Book › Direct Search Engine is the only booking solution in the marketplace that is 100% dedicated to facilitating direct reservations to all lodging properties in each tourism bureau destination. Book › Direct also keeps 100% of the gross lodging revenue and associated taxes within the DMO market.

KEY BENEFITS
FOR DMO (DIRECT MARKETING ORGANIZATION) WEBSITE VISITORS

  • Website visitors can conduct dynamic searches by preferred location, category, and check-in and check-out date from the Book › Direct toolbar located directly on the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau homepage and other site profile pages.
  • Date-driven Book › Direct search results provide immediate information on the lowest average rate per night, hotel amenities, location, and type of accommodations available.
  • Most consumers book direct, especially from DMO websites. According to the latest American Hotel & Lodging/Smith Travel Research Study, nearly 81% of consumers completed their reservations directly with the lodging property supporting the fact that consumers highly prefer (and do) book direct.
  • Allows consumers to easily utilize loyalty reward points, membership discounts, etc. based on the direct reservation and relationship with the lodgings.
FOR DMO LODGING PARTNERS
  • JackRabbit Book › Direct allows travelers that visit www.visitmanhattanks.org to book accommodations directly, with no additional fees or commissions, bypassing online booking fees and travel agency commissions from standard 3rd party booking engines, completely eliminating the "middleman."
  • JackRabbit does not require any additional inventory management for lodgings into the Book › Direct system!
  • Consumers become the lodging's direct customer, allowing the lodging to service, transact the booking and remarket to their customers for repeat stays.
  • Allows lodgings better control of pricing realizing in a higher ADR compared to 3rd party booking engines.
FOR DMOS
  • State of the Art site visitor experience utilizing dynamic search efficiency and navigation.
  • 100% participation, meaning all lodging partners participate in the Book › Direct technology and search results.
  • Real-time analytics and detailed reports data.
  • Keeps 100% of the lodging and sales tax within the DMO's market. Instead of bed tax being collected on 70%-75% of the rate with many major online travel agencies, it is collected on 100% of the rate via Book › DirectTM driving the highest market ROI compared to any other 3rd party solution.