Investments in Technology to Streamline Operations and Make Guest Experience Better are on the Rise as RTP Signs Double-digit Number of New Customers
Positive Sign as Resort Companies Make Investments for Infrastructure Support
AVON, Colo. – The $6 billion ski resort industry is showing positive signs with improved ticket revenues and yield growing by nearly 1 percent.* Looking ahead to the 2010/11 season, the Kottke National End of the Season Survey projects resort operator revenues to be positive again. This projection echoes trends seen by Resort Technology Partners (RTP), which is working with a double-digit number of new customers globally to streamline operations and improve the guest experience in ways that generate higher revenue and yield, two key performance indicators.“Resorts are shrewdly increasing yield by balancing investments between physical improvements and operational upgrades to improve the overall guest experience and value,” says Michael McDermott, RTP’s senior vice president of sales, marketing and product management. “Physical improvements such as lifts and snowmaking are great for guests’ on-mountain experience. Upgrading ecommerce, customer self service, resort-wide payment capabilities using ski passes and automated access control make it easier for guests to plan, book, visit and move about the resort. These kinds of upgrades impact guest experience and loyalty, while decreasing operational costs and increasing yield."
New customers in the ski, hospitality and parks & attractions sectors, such as Marmot Basin, Le Massif, Blue Mountain, Thredbo, Medibank Icehouse in Australia, Brewster Travel Canada, Eagle Springs Golf Club, Gemini Resorts Management’s new property called The Residences at Solaris, and ARAMARK Parks & Destinations and The New England Inns & Resorts Association have recently signed with RTP.
Enhancements
“Guests have a lot of choices right now and are focusing their spending on resorts that deliver an experience that matches their needs and expectations,” McDermott said. “We are constantly working with our customers to innovate and deliver products and services that help resorts market, sell and monitor guest transactions online, in distribution channels and at the resort to deliver on their guest promise and drive higher revenue and yield at every touch point.”
The new RTP projects include:
- Streamlining software operations
- Implementing RFID ticket and automated access control
- Developing interactive marketing websites for planning vacations and booking lodging and activities
- Providing IT technical services support
- Offering wider electronic distribution services for ticket sales
- Developing an interactive augmented reality iPhone app that puts information, special offers and live Tweets in guests’ hands as they are making purchase decisions
- Increasing on-line marketing capabilities.
RTP Team Expands
To meet customer demand and to increase experience and support levels for the parks & attractions market, RTP has increased its employee team by 25% in the past 12 months.
* Sources: Kottke National End of the Season Survey 2009/10 for ticket revenues and yield, and NSAA for size of industry.
About Resort Technology Partners
Resort Technology Partners (RTP) enables resort, recreation and hospitality customers to achieve a competitive advantage by improving the guest experience through integrating every aspect of the resort operation. RTP’s innovative technologies integrate critical functions such as back-office administration and reporting; point-of-sale and customer relationship management; RFID access control; integrated eCommerce; interactive marketing and website development; third-party channel ticket management; and augmented reality mobile application development. Integrating these functions allows businesses to optimize daily and long-term results. Privately held and headquartered in Avon, Colo., RTP was founded in 1998. For more information, visit www.rtp.com.
