Sunday 3 September 2006 by Edward.

Washington State joins Iowa, Utah, Michigan and Texas, among others, to provide wireless internet connection at its highway rest stops, reports Ars Technica. Washington provides free internet access to the Department of Transportation website, to travel sites and to state tourism sites. Other websites and checking of email cost $1.99/20min or $3.99/day. Towns such as Forest Grove, Oregon, are also getting in on the act by providing free internet connections to lure the tourist.

For the tourist this service is invaluable. One can check on available accommodations and tourist destinations in the area and on road conditions during the winter.

Roger A. Brooks Rule 4 “The Rule of Necessity” tells us that ‘Toilets attract more than flies.’ People need restrooms. Clean, readily-available restrooms translate into visitor spending in the area, writes Brooks. Make them publicly available and visitors are likely to stay awhile, and spend money in the community. Internet availability, through WiFi locations, can also translate into visitor spending in the community. Combine the two, restrooms and WiFi hot spots, and you have a recipe for success.

Posted in Gadget/Idea/Webtool, DURING the visit | No Comments »

Sunday 3 September 2006 by Edward.

You own a small B&B, guest house or small villa. You also have a website to promote your business, but you need to convert more online visitors to online bookings. Booksure from South Africa has a webtool to help — you insert the webtool right into your existing website — and you control of the booking process.

Booksure is a secure online booking and payment system. It is not “real-time”, but places control of the process with the B&B owner. According to Booksure’s marketing manager,Lee Rael, “Our product brings all the power and security of a travel portal to the guesthouse owners, under their control at a very affordable price”. Your guests can pay for their stay online any time, right from your own website. Booksure is a three-step process (inquire, quote, pay) and handles bookings whether they arrive by your website, by email, by phone, fax, mail, or walk-in.

Booksure has been in operation for about 18 months, after extensive research and development. Current focus is on the South African market, though other markets will be explored as “the product is universally applicable and viable”.

Posted in Gadget/Idea/Webtool, BEFORE the visit | No Comments »