Economic Development and Tourism Minister, Wes MacAleer, gave a demonstration of the Prince Edward Island Vacancy Information Service at the Visitor Information Centre on the Charlottetown Waterfront today. The service, which is a central database of accommodation vacancies, consists of an electronic vacancy board system for visitors seeking accommodations on PEI.
"This system is a user friendly, efficient way for tourists to find accommodations and also gives operators the opportunity to promote their facilities," says MacAleer. "The more tourist operators who join the system, the better it is for our visitors by providing them with a broader sample of what's available."
Visitors can access the service through the Internet web site at www.peiplay.com or by calling 1-888-PEI-PLAY (734-7529). The Automated Response System will answer the call and prompt the visitor to make choices based on selected criteria. For example, dates, type of accommodations, rates, and desired area. The service will then present the caller with a list of up to five accommodations which the caller can contact directly.
Tourism PEI and The Tourism Industry Association of PEI (TAIPEI) initially set up the service last June and will operate it each season from March to October. "There are more than 300 members registered with the service currently, and it receives hundreds of call a day, especially during peak season," noted Gerry Gallant, President of TAIPEI. "Everybody in PEI should know the telephone number and give it to friends and relatives seeking accommodations here."