“95% of my new business comes from the internet”, says Graham Fisher from The Heathers Guest House, a six bedroomed 4 star property in York.

Graham sings the praises of Guestlink, the Regional Destination Management System (DMS) which makes online booking a reality for Yorkshire tourism operators. He said, “As
a guest house, we are able to update our availability as it happens, which instantly appears across the Tourist Information Centre network, www.yorkshire.com and on our own website. This means that customers looking for accommodation can always see the very latest information and book online.

“Guestlink is a very visual system and the visual grid makes it extremely easy to use.
It provides all the information that a guest would need to know, including room and date availability and the price. After looking at many different online booking systems during my time in the industry, Guestlink is certainly the best system that I have ever used.”

Graham’s success story is echoed across the industry with many tourism businesses reaping the benefits of online booking through Guestlink. Since January 2008, over 1,700 online bookings have been taken in the York area, bringing in visitors from 26 countries including Brazil, China, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Morocco, South Africa and Taiwan amongst others.

Gillian Cruddas, Chief Executive of Visit York said, “We would urge all tourism businesses to update their availability online as the benefits of online bookings are immense. More and more of our new business is generated via the internet and it is vital that tourism businesses ensure they benefit from this.”

Joanna Royle, Marketing Director, Yorkshire Tourist Board (YTB) further supported the case for online booking through Guestlink, “YTB and the six Tourism Partnerships’ (TP) collective aim is to ensure that the tourism industry fully embraces the technology and provides a united Yorkshire tourism online product which is fit for purpose and enables the region to effectively compete against popular European holiday destinations.

“People are now starting to feel the real effects of the credit crunch and this gives us a further opportunity to market the region to domestic visitors as the perfect destination to spend a short break or holiday. Add to this the chaos of the infamous Terminal 5 at Heathrow and you’ve got a hassle free, cost effective break in the glorious countryside, cosmopolitan cities, vibrant towns and refreshing coastal resorts the region has to offer, all booked online through Guestlink.”

Getting started with Guestlink couldn’t be simpler. Training is free and accessible through your local TP. So why don’t you find out how online booking can work successfully for your business?