Increasing numbers of visitors to the Peak District & Derbyshire are using the internet to find somewhere to stay, both for short breaks and longer holidays. To help our businesses respond to this trend, the Visit Peak District website became 'bookable' in July 2006 and since that time, a growing number of bookings and enquiries have been received both by serviced and self catering accommodation.

 

Internet bookings and enquiries, which are currently free of commission or fees, are made directly to accommodation providers and are self-managed using the Guestlink suite of products to update the Destination Management System (DMS). As well as being published to www.visitpeakdistrict.com, this information is also used by our Tourist Information Centre staff to make bookings on behalf of visitors – these bookings are subject to a booking fee and commission.

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Guestlink Online is a FREE product that enables you to amend certain accommodation details and importantly, your availability and prices. It also allows you to promote special offers and short breaks and, if you choose, allow visitors to make either real-time bookings or enquiries about availability.

 

Providers wishing to use Guestlink Online are expected to attend a workshop to ensure that they are able to make full use of the functionality. Workshops are hands-on and last around two hours. Should you not be able to attend a workshop, you can also amend availability and prices using a touch-tone phone. A complete list of workshop dates is available here.

 

Two additional products, Guestlink Desktop and Guestlink Web, are also available to help your business. Normally chargeable (prices vary according to the size of business), funding is currently available* to reduce costs by 80% for the first two years. A fixed price of £400 has been agreed so a business will pay just £80 for both products!

 

Guestlink Desktop is a property management system that allows you to manage all your bookings (whether taken via the DMS or not) including deposits and payments. You can also communicate with your customers at the touch of a button using a selection of templates - which you create. These allow you to send a host of letters, emails and invoices that can be personalised and adapted to reflect your business needs. Key Performance Indicators allow you to monitor the performance of your business – and the websites on which you advertise.

 

Guestlink Web enables you to publish availability and take bookings and enquiries from your own website and any other websites on which you advertise. Availability is automatically updated everywhere, whenever a booking is made – either by yourself, by a TIC or from any of your websites. As it completely integrates with the DMS system, your details are always completely up-to-date!

 

No-obligation demonstration workshops for Guestlink Desktop and Guestlink Web are offered to show the features and benefits of these products. Workshops last around two hours and a complete list of workshop dates is available here.

 

Places on the Guestlink Workshops are limited – please email Kate Kearns at kate.kearns@visitpeakdistrict.com or call 0845 833 0970 ext 4864 with your first and second choice of dates as soon as possible.