Gardapass.com: New Online Booking Portal for Verona’s Tourism Sector
Keeping up with the times. The board of directors of the Unione gardesana albergatori veronesi (Ugav), an association representing 320 accommodation facilities, has decided to create the portal gardapass.com. The initiative, born from a synergy with the municipal hotel associations of the Riviera degli Olivi, will be officially launched at the beginning of 2002.
“The figures we have clearly show,” states Giovanni Altomare, director of Ugav, “a steady increase in requests for tourist information and bookings via the Internet. Passersby are becoming fewer, and travelers come better informed thanks to the network.” Therefore, it becomes almost essential to adapt to users’ new needs by creating a dedicated portal.
The sections of the portal and booking procedures
“It will consist of two sections: the first reserved for tourist information about the territory and accommodation locations (environment, art, culture, events, sports, and leisure), and the second dedicated to booking. Here, customers will be able to evaluate proposals and book directly with the hotel through fully automated methods, or by using the reservation center (Call Center) available in four languages (Italian, German, English, and French), provided by Ugav,”
Only afterwards will contacts be initiated with Provincia, Fiera, Fondazione Arena, Aeroporto Catullo, and Camera di commercio for potential synergies, agreements, and collaborative exchanges, aiming to enhance the portal’s presence and visibility and make it a key tool for the marketing of hotel businesses.
Advantages and technical operation of the portal
“The portal represents a strategic project and an innovative service for both our category and tourists,” states Giuseppe Lorenzini, President. “In this way, we can promote and sell the Gardesana hotel offerings online, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
Our visibility will increase and the most comprehensive tourist and hotel offer of our Riviera will be introduced to the market.” Naturally, the initiative’s success depends on the open-mindedness of individual hotel owners. “Ideally, each of our 320 members would make at least one room available to the Call Center to create a truly valuable service,” explains Altomare.
But how does the whole technical process work? “Each hotel will be listed and presented on the portal with an individual profile containing the name, category, photographs, location, opening periods, service descriptions, price list, and a map to reach the hotel. Essentially, customers will be able to view the hotel profile, see the accommodation costs, and book the selected property online, paying a deposit with a credit card.”
This approach saves the time typically spent requesting brochures and waiting for reservation confirmations. With gardapass.com, customers can choose their vacation and hotel directly from their computer in real-time and receive a reservation confirmation via email after making the initial deposit. The hotel owner will have the security of the deposit thanks to the Visa Set e-commerce system guaranteed by Cariverona,”
