JackRabbit Systems, Inc., developer of online travel software for destination and tourism bureau websites, has today announced a partnership with Visit Saint Paul.

Now, when travelers go to www.visitsaintpaul.com to search for accommodations, they will interface with the Book › Direct system, which has been branded to match the Visit Saint Paul website and includes functionality that allows visitors to compare rates and availability and select desired lodging. The visitor will then be redirected to complete their transaction directly with the lodging property. "The great team at JackRabbit Systems has provided us with a user-friendly hotel room booking interface on our website for visitors to Saint Paul," said Karolyn Kirchgesler, President & CEO of Visit Saint Paul. "We can now offer a competitive rate to our visitors directly from the inventories of our member properties - it's a win-win-win for all entities involved."

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 within the DMO market (and 100% taxable).

KEY BENEFITS
FOR DMO 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 Visit Saint Paul home page 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 go to www.visitsaintpaul.com to book directly with accommodations 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 › Direct driving the highest market ROI compared to any other 3rd party solution.