The Cocoa Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau Offers Visitors Online Travel Reservation System Through Partnership with ReserveDirect

The Cocoa Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, the official visitors bureau of the coastal city of Cocoa Beach, Florida, enhanced its service to travelers and members by teaming-up with ReserveDirect, a travel reservation company that provides web-based reservation systems for destination marketing organizations.

Travelers can use this new booking engine to plan and book a variety of central Florida travel products, including lodging, entertainment and ticketed attractions. Since the booking engine allows Cocoa Beach CVB to maintain its brand identity, the CVB can to expand its customer base by maintaining brand consistency while utilizing a robust, online reservation system.

“With this tool, the Cocoa Beach CVB has a great opportunity to further their presence in the Florida tourism market,” John Johnson, President of ReserveDirect, stated. “Since we offer our service with no ongoing fees or set-up costs, it’s a perfect solution for CVBs with limited funds.”

“We are in a good position to enable other marketing organizations such as VisitCocoaBeach.com in their travel planning services because we’ve been providing online travel reservations like this since 2001,” Johnson said. ReserveDirect’s own destination site, ReserveOrlando.com, has been aiding customers in online travel since 2006.

Cocoa Beach is located about 45 minutes east of Orlando and offers a variety of activities for visitors who wish to see the other side of the central Florida vacation zone. A few of the attractions available include Cocoa Beach Thousand Island Dolphin and Manatee Tour and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Since Cocoa Beach area lodging is also offered through the new booking engine, customers can now plan their entire vacation at one website.

ReserveDirect has provided similar solutions for lodging associations and destination marketing organizations in markets like Branson, Missouri; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and Orlando, Florida. ReserveDirect also operates its own consumer booking engines in each of these destinations, as well as services for Polk County, Florida, Table Rock Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, Silver Dollar City and Dollywood.

Branson Vacation Magazine To Offer Online Reservations

Springfield, Missouri – Whitaker Publishing, LLC, publishers of Branson Vacation Magazine, announces the addition of the online reservation technology services of ReserveBranson.com, a destination website of ReserveDirect, to provide a booking engine to accompany the online presence of the magazine. The reservation system will allow readers of Branson Vacation Magazine to research, plan and book their Branson vacation to include lodging, attractions and theater tickets.

Branson Vacation Magazine, which launches in mid-April, is direct mailed to a targeted list of previous Branson visitors, as well as those who have requested more information about the area. “Our goal with Branson Vacation Magazine is to provide advertisers with an extremely targeted distribution and provide recipients of the magazine with quality editorial content to lure them to Branson,” says Gary Whitaker, president of Whitaker Publishing. “Our partnership with ReserveDirect allows us to cherry-pick proven Branson visitors through its database. ReserveDirect has been collecting data and booking reservations for more than seven years, so our ability to partner with them is a boon to advertisers.”

Whitaker says Branson Vacation Magazine has four components: the print publication, the magazine’s website bransonvacationmag.com (launching with publication of the magazine), a digital version of the magazine which will be emailed to almost 100,000 email addresses, and the reservation and ticket booking engine. “It’s a very strong package,” says Whitaker.

With the use of ReserveDirect’s database and guidance from the Branson Chamber of Commerce and Convention and Visitors Bureau, Branson Vacation Magazine will be mailed to more than 40,000 homes. The primary distribution areas are: St. Louis area; Kansas City area; northwest Arkansas and the Little Rock area; Tulsa and Oklahoma City areas; Wichita and surrounding Kansas areas; and the Dallas surrounding area. Secondary distribution areas are: Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska.

“These are all households who have either visited Branson previously or requested more information. This is great news for advertisers because there will be virtually no waste in the distribution,” says Whitaker. “After they receive the magazine, they can go online and research and book their trip. Each component…print, web, and booking engine is designed to complement the other.”

“Perhaps the best thing about ReserveDirect is the services they offer the Branson theatres, lodging companies and attractions,” adds Whitaker. Suppliers can manage rates and inventory through an online account. Whitaker says ReserveDirect’s system assures consumers they are getting the most accurate and timely information related to their purchases and the most competitive pricing.

Branson Vacation Magazine is a four-color publication on glossy paper. It will publish five times per year: March-April, May-June, July-August, September – October, November-December. Whitaker says the content is lifestyle-driven and designed to showcase Branson as an affordable family destination.

Whitaker Publishing, LLC, was formed in 2001 and is the publisher of 417 Magazine, 417 Home, 417 Bride and GO magazine.

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ReserveDirect Celebrates Seven Years and One Million Customers

ReserveDirect, a travel reservation company, announced today that they have served their one millionth customer at the close of 2008, a year that captured two hundred and thirty thousand customer bookings. This milestone coincides with the celebration of their seventh year in the online travel industry after launching their first destination in 2001—ReserveBranson.com—a website that services Branson, Missouri, a popular entertainment destination.

“We are excited about our progress, but mostly we enjoy hearing from our customers who had a great vacation experience that started by using one of our destination websites,” said John Johnson, President and founder of Reserve America LLC, the parent company of ReserveDirect.

The original model for ReserveDirect’s online system centered on building an administrative tool that allowed travel suppliers of lodging, theater shows, attractions, recreation activities and other ticketed events to place their product inventory into a reliable and consumer-friendly travel website. The end results provide vacation-bound consumers with real time availability, competitive pricing, one-stop shopping and instant reservations.

According to the PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey, 60% of U.S. travel will be booked on-line versus off-line in 2009 as the Internet continues to provide consumers with easy access to the necessary resources for planning their vacations. ReserveDirect, with its direct relationship with travel suppliers and its comprehensive travel websites, helps to turn “travel shoppers” into “travel buyers” by offering improved service and experience gathered from servicing over one million customers.

“By offering complete itineraries with real availability, families can take the guesswork out of planning their vacations. We have the functionality, ease-of-use, and reliability of the national travel websites but with the charm and in-depth knowledge of the local products,” Johnson added.

Since its founding in 2001, ReserveDirect has launched five destination sites including Branson, Missouri; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Pigeon Forge & Gatlinburg, Tennessee; & Orlando, Florida. ReserveDirect’s destination websites offer a range of travel services, including up-to-date travel information, destination blogs, city guides and product reviews to aid in consumers’ travel decisions.

The Vacation Channel to Provide Booking Tool to Branson, Missouri Visitors with ReserveDirect Technology

The Vacation Channel has made it their business to aid Branson visitors in their vacation needs for 20 years through their cable-based television programming. With a concentration on giving visitors interesting facts, tips, directions & suggestions regarding the Branson area, The Vacation Channel has become a leader in Branson vacation information.

In an effort to expand the reach of their various Branson-related travel information, The Vacation Channel has launched ViewBranson.com, a web-based portal into all things Branson. As a major component of this new web venture, The Vacation Channel is utilizing ReserveDirect, an online travel fulfillment service, to be the backbone of the ViewBranson.com’s Branson-related travel reservations.

This new website will allow The Vacation Channel to offer Branson visitors the ability to purchase travel products while maintaining The Vacation Channel brand, building their overall value to their customers. The ViewBranson.com website will help visitors plan their next Branson vacation, reserve hotel rooms, make ticket purchases and schedule events online, all made possible by ReserveDirect’s travel technology, which allows for seamless and secure reservations for travelers.

“ViewBranson.com’s booking engine is based on our ReserveBranson.com technology, which has been a proven tool in making vacation planning more fun and less stressful for almost 10 years,” said John Johnson, president of ReserveDirect. “And that experience will make the difference for users of ViewBranson.com.”

A St. Louis based company, ReserveDirect has provided similar solutions for lodging associations and destination marketing organizations in markets like Branson, Missouri; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and Orlando, Florida. ReserveDirect also operates its own consumer booking engines in each of these destinations, as well as services for Polk County, Florida, the Cocoa Beach Chamber of Commerce in Florida, Table Rock Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and Springfield, Missouri Convention and Visitors Bureau.

ReserveDirect recognizes TOP 5 travel agents for 2008

ReserveDirect announced today the winners of it’s third annual TOP5 AGENT awards. These awards have been put into place to recognize the top producing travel agents who utilized one or all of ReserveDirect’s reservation websites to book travel for their clients throughout the year.

“We continue to see growth in all segments, including our travel agents and forecasts for 2009 indicate even more success,” explained John Johnson, President of ReserveDirect. “This marks our third year for this award and we’re proud to announce the winners and encourage other agents to participate with us.”

The winners of the TOP5 AGENT award in 2008 include:

1. Pat Toney is with AAA Oklahoma and works from the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma location. Pat was our number one overall agent and this year’s award marks her 2nd TOP5 recognition in two years.
   
   
2. Donna Lewis is also with AAA Oklahoma and works from the Tulsa, Oklahoma location. Donna was second to Pat in overall sales as well as second for AAA Oklahoma. This also marks her 2nd TOP5 recognition in three years.
   
   
3. Gabriele Church is with Information Tickets & Travel located at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. This year’s award marks Gabrielle’s 2nd TOP5 recognition in as many years.
   
   
4. Brenda Berry is with AAA Missouri and works from the Washington, Missouri location. Brenda was our #1 overall AAA Missouri agent and a first time recipient of a TOP5 Award.
   
   
5. Sarah Wopart is with AAA Oklahoma and works from the Tulsa, Oklahoma location. Sarah, along with Pat and Donna combined to make AAA Oklahoma our overall #1 agency for 2008. Sarah is a first time recipient of a TOP5 Award.
   

ReserveDirect provides agents with easy to use, online reservation systems for a variety of destinations including Branson, Missouri and Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Orlando, Florida. Each travel agent can use their login to access their account of any of ReserveDirect’s websites, build custom packages for their clients including a large variety of lodging and ticketed attractions such as theater shows and theme parks, all while earning a commission and other incentives.

“The convenience of real time packaging, the best rates including many discounts, and our instant confirmation helped these agents convert more sales to destinations we serve,” Johnson said. “There simply isn’t a better in-market tool for agents who are researching, quoting and securing reservations for their clients.”

Sight and Sound Theater Expands Customer Base with Reservation Technology Developed by ReserveDirect

Sight and Sound Theater, producers of the popular “Noah – The Musical” in Branson, Missouri, expanded its reach to new customers with internet reservation company, ReserveDirect. Developing a new reservation solution specifically for Sight and Sound Theater, ReserveDirect enabled a smoother means of communication for the ticket ordering process while producing a greater customer base for Sight and Sound and an enhanced relationship with the Branson, Missouri market.

Due to the high volume of sales of Noah The Musical tickets, Sight and Sound needed a third-party inventory system that could be managed automatically. ReserveDirect, a consistent market leader in internet reservation technologies, developed a seamless reservation process, allowing Sight and Sound’s inventory system to communicate directly with ReserveDirect’s regional order fulfillment website, ReserveBranson.com.

John Johnson, President of ReserveDirect, stated, “Theater show vendors traditionally sell tickets on our system by logging into their account to enter inventory and prices. That inventory then shows up on the customer website, allowing consumers to purchase tickets. But the tool we developed for Sight and Sound eliminates that step and communicates directly with their reservation system, allowing Sight and Sound to maintain their inventory in our system without manually updating the information.”

“By accessing Sight and Sound’s inventory directly,” said Johnson, “ReserveDirect has added an extra layer of trust to customers’ reservations.” The enhanced reservation interface creates a better level of business-to-business transaction by sharing order confirmations and other customer data.

ReserveDirect is the first and only third party ticket reseller to offer this method of ticket fulfillment for Sight and Sound Theater, and has also created similar reservation interfaces for other major tourist attractions, including Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri, and Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

ReserveDirect has been working to establish a new standard in travel reservations since 2001 with the launch of their first destination website for Branson Missouri vacations, ReserveBranson.com. Since then, ReserveDirect has been combining its reservation technology with Internet marketing abilities to grow each destination. In 2004, ReserveDirect launched ReservePigeonForge.com and ReserveGatlinburg.com to service the Smoky Mountain family vacation destinations. ReserveOrlando.com, servicing the Central Florida region, was launched in 2006.

Dolly Parton's Dollywood And ReserveDirect Encourage Travel By Offering Discount, Lodging-Inclusive Vacation Packages To Save Customers Money.

Earlier this spring, Dollywood introduced their new vacation packages program to aid families during difficult economic times. These money saving packages, developed by reservation technology company, ReserveDirect, were created to combine the award-winning theme parks, Dollywood and Dollywood's Splash Country, with an assortment of approved Pigeon Forge, Tennessee area lodging, allowing guests to reserve their vacation package with a twenty percent discount in comparison with walk-up prices.

The all-inclusive design of the Dollywood vacation packages allow customers to reserve park tickets and lodging in one convenient, money-saving package— something Tim Berry, Marketing Director of the Dollywood Company, was searching for. “We needed a system to communicate directly with our in-house ticketing system to provide seamless transactions. So, now that ReserveDirect’s system is speaking to ours, we are able to provide our customers a great added value of money-saving, lodging-inclusive packages.”

John Johnson, President of ReserveDirect, added “Even though these are tough times, economically speaking, we felt that by partnering with Dollywood, we could offer families a way to save money and still go on vacation. With our service, you can get your Dollywood tickets and hotel for a lot less money and have the same amount of fun.”

ReserveDirect has been providing online reservation technology since 2001 with the launch of their destination website, ReserveBranson.com. In 2004, ReserveDirect also launched ReservePigeonForge.com and ReserveGatlinburg.com to service the Smoky Mountain family vacation destinations.

A St. Louis based company, ReserveDirect has provided similar solutions for lodging associations and destination marketing organizations in markets like Branson, Missouri; Eureka Springs, Arkansas; Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, Tennessee; and Orlando, Florida. ReserveDirect also operates its own consumer booking engines in each of these destinations, as well as services for Polk County, Florida, Table Rock Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, and Springfield, Missouri Convention and Visitors Bureau.