News release

Enhanced Technology to Improve Services for Tourists

Tourism, Culture and Heritage (Dec. 2003 - Jan. 2011)

It will soon be easier for people interested in visiting Nova Scotia to make reservations and plan their vacations.

Rodney MacDonald, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, announced today, Oct. 12, that the department is calling for proposals for a redesigned system that will bring together the province's reservation booking service and tourism website.

"We want to provide tourists with the best experience possible, even before they arrive in Nova Scotia," said Mr. MacDonald. "This new system will ensure people have access to the most up-to-date information regardless of how they choose to book their vacation."

The Check In call centre contract is currently held by Corporatel, a division of The CCL Group. The new system will consolidate the Check In database and the novascotia.com database to create a state-of-the-art customer contact system. Once in place, the system will offer a seamless service to visitors and to tourism staff who provide information and assist with reservations.

The reservation booking service and tourism website represent important components of the province's tourism marketing efforts. Improving these services through enhanced technology is one of the recommendations of the Tourism Industry Vision and the long-term marketing plan developed by the Tourism Partnership Council.

"This enhanced system will offer some exciting possibilities for Nova Scotia's tourism industry," said Mr. MacDonald. "It will allow us to create a more streamlined, interactive service for visitors and tourism operators. It will also reinforce our position as a world-class destination."

The request for proposals will close on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Responses will be reviewed and evaluated in November and the contract is expected to be awarded in early December.

Copies of the request for proposals are available at the Public Tenders Office, 6176 Young St., Halifax; by calling 902-424-3333; or by visiting the website at www.gov.ns.ca/tran/tour/ .

Tourism is a $1.3-billion industry in Nova Scotia, generating more than 33,000 direct and indirect jobs.