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Tourism Whistler close to signing deal with Rez Rez

Intrawest’s company poised to continue to run the resort’s central reservations bookings After a lengthy review process Tourism Whistler has once again shortlisted Intrawest’s Resort Reservations Network to run its central booking busi

Intrawest’s company poised to continue to run the resort’s central reservations bookings

After a lengthy review process Tourism Whistler has once again shortlisted Intrawest’s Resort Reservations Network to run its central booking business.

"We have met with Rez Rez (Resort Reservations Network) and told them that we have accepted their proposal, but now we are just working on the finer details of the contract," said Kevin Toth, who is on the board of directors for Tourism Whistler and led the committee which reviewed the outsourcing of central reservations for the resort.

"Tourism Whistler is negotiating the contract with Rez Rez and the intention is that we will have a contract signed by the end of this month."

Last fall Tourism Whistler’s decision to partner with RezRez came under fire from various sectors of the community because RezRez manages and books properties and services owned by parent company Intrawest – everything from ski rentals to vacations in other resorts.

Some saw that as a direct conflict.

At the time Tourism Whistler said the Intrawest company offered not only the best call centre and on-line technology, RezRez also had a unique understanding of what the resort was all about.

All the same, Tourism Whistler decided to strike a committee to look at the process which led to the partnership with RezRez and investigate what concerns needed to be addressed as the resort moved toward this month’s deadline for the first contract renewal.

The committee headed up by Toth, the general manager of the Fairmont Chateau Whistler, and Diane Mombourquette, Tourism Whistler’s vice-president of business development, decided a new request for proposals process should be initiated. A third-party consultant was also hired to help with the development of the RFP.

With that in mind, 103 criteria were drawn up for consideration by companies interested in putting a proposal forward to Tourism Whistler to run central reservations for the resort.

"There was recognition that the process of awarding the contract to Rez Rez was maybe not as transparent as it could have been last time around and one of the components of addressing that was developing a quality RFP and getting community involvement in that development," said Toth.

Several companies showed an interest in the opportunity including estays, Expedia and RezRez.

On site visits were done with the two front-runners.

"(Rez Rez) by far had the most robust technology," said Toth.

"And that was really the clincher."

Other issues such as the perceived conflict with other accommodation and service providers was also addressed said Toth.

"The RFP had a conflict of interest quotient to it and that was satisfied 100 per cent," he said.

RezRez has already reconfigured its software so that holiday bookers can get things such as skis from any Whistler outlet, not just the Intrawest outlets. A number of other changes have been negotiated as well.

Toth believes what is most important now is to get the most out of the relationship with Rez Rez.

"We have lost ground because we haven’t been able to leverage the technology of Rez Rez and our relationships with them to drive more business into the call centres," he said.

"As far as I am concerned as a property manager that is what my expectation is now and to get going and try to book some more reservations into the resort."

But the perception that there is a conflict of interest in having RezRez represent the resort remains an issue.

"I think that some of the requirements for a booking agency should include non attachment to any other rental properties," said councillor Gordon McKeever, who also owns and operates Rainbow Retreats Accommodations.

"I don’t believe (there should be) a direct association within the same company that manages properties and also manages a booking services. To me that doesn’t seem prudent."

McKeever does not believe that RezRez has shown any favouritism towards its own properties and services or acted improperly over the last year but he said: "Why create a need for perpetual vigilance?"

"There is no way I am saying that this is happening, that they are showing any level of favouritism. I am just saying from a strategic point of view it doesn’t make sense that over a span of time to have that association."

McKeever also questions the brand loyalty this type of partnership can provide.

"I don’t like the idea of a booking service also booking other competing vacation destinations," he said.

"To me that seems there would be a division of loyalty and if conditions are less than perfect in one place you’ve always got the opportunity to sell another place."

Last year, after 18 months of investigation, Tourism Whistler decided it needed to outsource its central reservations operation after it became clear it needed new technology and a more reliable labour pool.

At one point it had considered moving the call centre to Vancouver but that still meant it had to purchase technology.

That technology was estimated to cost up to $5 million, although some in the field estimated it may have cost twice that much.

The decision came on the heels of Tourism Whistler’s decision to partner with Intrawest to operate the Whistler Golf Course.

The term "one-horse town" could be heard all over the resort.

But Tourism Whistler was adamant that the best proposals for each opportunity were chosen. And at the time it was pointed out that even when you look at combining the reservations of RezRez with the reservations of Tourism Whistler it still only equates to 20 per cent of reservations for the resort.

Eighty per cent of the reservations still come through travel agencies, tour operators, meeting planners, the Tourism B.C. call centre, Whistler.com, hotels, and others.