Kentucky State Parks Takes Room Reservations Online

August 4, 2004

Frankfort, Kentucky - Kentucky state park resort rooms and cottages may now be booked online. The Department of Parks announced June 1 that VIP International had been chosen to provide online reservations. The firm has since been gathering marketing information and setting up the parks’ database. As of now, a customer may book a room by visiting any of the state’s 17 resorts through http://www.kystateparks.ky.gov. In a simple three-step process, the guest chooses the arrival and departure dates, then the type of room and room rate, and then completes a reservation form.

“We’re excited about offering this feature for our guests,” said Parks Commissioner George Ward. “If we are to compete with the private-sector, we have to offer the basic services that they offer, including something as commonplace as online booking. I’m amazed that this hadn’t been done years before we took office.”

Commerce Secretary Jim Host said Internet reservations is the wave of the future. “Statistics show that 40 percent of all hotel reservations are made online,” Host said. “It is clear that the park system will greatly benefit from finally being accessible to the world through the Internet.”

VIP International, based in Calgary, Canada, is one of only three reservations services in the world whose database is available to travel agents through computer systems such as Sabre, and through public Internet booking sites like Expedia. The other companies are in Europe.

For more information:
Jim Carroll
Kentucky Department of Parks
(502) 564-8110, ext. 307
Jim.Carroll@ky.gov

-- end --