Tourism group seeks sign-ups for online reservation system

ALEXANDRIA BAY — Tourists soon may be able to plan an entire trip to the Thousand Islands — from booking rooms to buying admission tickets for attractions — from the comfort of their homes.

The 1000 Islands International Tourism Council is planning a soft launch of its new online reservation system by mid-April and is asking businesses to sign up.

Gary S. DeYoung, the council's director of tourism, said anyone with Internet access and a credit card will be able to book rooms and purchase admission tickets, concert tickets and boat line tickets from participating businesses year-round by visiting the council's Web site.

"I'm confident that this system is going to generate more revenue for businesses in the Thousand Islands region," Mr. DeYoung said, adding that business owners also can integrate the system into their own Web sites.

He said that the council hired Meridian Reservation Systems, Niagara Falls, Ontario, to build and maintain the system and that a dozen businesses in the region — including resorts, boat lines and attractions such as Boldt Castle on Heart Island — have signed up so far.

The Tourism Council hopes to have about 20 businesses signed up by the time of the initial launch of the system, Mr.

DeYoung said.

Instead of a commission to participate, business owners will pay a flat fee depending on the size of their operations.

For example, a small lodging operation with 10 rooms or fewer will be charged $200 for a whole year, while larger operations, such as Boldt Castle, will be paying $100 per month.

Mr. DeYoung said that the Tourism Council's Web site attracts 800,000 visitors a year seeking information about the Thousand Islands and the region's prime attractions. He said he hopes the new reservation system will help area businesses to "close the deal."

The deadline to be part of the first group on the system is Feb. 28.

For more information, call Tillie L. Youngs at the Tourism Council at 482-2520, ext. 218.