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Spring is just around the corner (I promise) and we're pleased to be able to announce
that we will soon be launching a Travel category on Trade Me. Please read on for
more information about that and much more.
- Trade Me Travel auctions
- New Travelbug feature
- Vianet shutting down 30th September
- GST changes
- Rugby World Cup 2011
- Reseller feature - Kidsfriendly
- E-tourism conference, Auckland, 31st August
- New resellers in the network
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Trade Me Travel auctions
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We will soon be launching a Travel category on Trade Me where anyone will be able
to list their accommodation, event tickets, flights and other tourism-related product.
But the really exciting news is that you will be able to load and manage Trade Me
accommodation auctions through your BookIt account. Trade Me members will be able
to bid or "buy now" and then redeem through Travelbug.
This will take payments, re-listing, reporting and traveller communications out
of your hands so you can concentrate on selling rooms.
Watch out for further information from us in the next couple of weeks.
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New Travelbug feature - on request clarification
We have added on-request indicators to Travelbug's booking calendar to make it clearer
to travellers whether their booking is going to be instantly confirmed or if it
will be subject to confirmation. Instantly confirmable bookings are the traveller's
preference, so you should switch to instant confirmation in BookIt if you can. BookIt
links to most channel managers and many PMS, and you can also allocate rooms using
our 'inventory manager'.
Visit your Travelbug listing and see how
your property looks to potential guests.
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Vianet shutting down 30th September
We will be turning Vianet off for new bookings on 30 th September 2010.
Forward Vianet bookings and funds are safe and you will still be able to log into
your Vianet account to review existing bookings and draw down funds. The upcoming
change in GST has helped define the 30 th September deadline. While BookIt
is ready to go for these tax changes, Vianet would need a lot of work to allow it
to process bookings at the new tax rate. As the intention was always to switch Vianet
off by the end of the year, it is practical to do so before these changes take place.
If you are using Vianet in your website to process bookings, you'll need to swap
the Vianet tools out for BookIt ones. The code can be downloaded within your BookIt
login. Simply visit the Product setup > edit business > link manager page
and you'll find what you need.
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GST changes coming into effect 1st October
On 1 st October 2010, the GST rate will rise from 12.5% to 15%. The main
questions suppliers are likely to have are when will the traveller be charged 12.5%,
when will they be charged 15% and what rate do I need to account for? The rate to
be charged is dependent on when 'supply' is deemed to have taken place. Under the
GST Act, a supply is deemed to have taken place at the earlier of an invoice being
issued or the time of payment.
When a traveller books through BookIt on or before 30 st September 2010,
an invoice is automatically issued and the applicable GST rate will be 12.5%. This
is the rate at which you will receive payment for that booking. All bookings made
from 1 st October 2010 onwards will have GST charged at 15%.
This approach is consistent with the professional advice sourced by TIA and the
NZ Hotel Council. A copy of which is available on the members section of the TIA
website at www.tianz.co.nz. Alternatively you
can contact us at accounts@bookit.co.nz. |
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Rugby World Cup 2011
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You may already be sick of hearing about the Rugby World Cup, but we thought it
important to remind you that some BookIt resellers can sell your rooms for the Rugby
World Cup already. Do you know what price your property is selling
for in September 2011?
Take this chance to login
to BookIt today and make sure that you are happy with your rates and availability.
Travelbug sells rooms up to 12 months in advance, so as soon as individual tickets
go on sale on 10 th September, you should be ready to receive bookings. |
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Reseller feature - Kids Friendly New Zealand
KidsFriendlyTravel.com is a one
stop shop for families who love to travel. The site has teamed up with blue chip
operators, the likes of Air New Zealand, Qantas, Budget Rental Cars and BookIt to
provide families travelling with children an easy way to choose and book a trip.
Along with flights, rental cars and campervans, visitors can start to book their
accommodation from any page on the website. The site is ideal for any activity or
accommodation business which targets the family market. Check their site out
here.
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E-tourism Conference
Daniel, Chris and Alex are heading along to the e-tourism conference, to be held
at the Ellerslie Event Centre on the 31 st August and 1 st September
and they hope to be able to say hello to you in person at our stand.
Take a look at the programme here. |
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New resellers in the network
Chris keeps signing up resellers and helping them come over from Vianet. Here are
the resellers that have gone live with BookIt in the last month:
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Thanks for your continued support. If you have any questions at all, make sure you
contact us on 0508 BOOKIT or email support@bookit.co.nz.
In the meantime, watch out for more news soon about managing Trade Me auctions through
BookIt! |
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