Computerised information service—a great help to domestic tourists

Press, 2 September 1986, Page 26

Computerised information service—a great help to domestic tourists

According to the New Zealand Tourist and Publicity Department, it has the most advanced computerised data base for domestic travel in the country. This system is geared to provide almost any sort of information needed by a New Zealand tourist. Detailed information such as the cost of a taxi ride from the airport to a motel in a given town at a given time; the individual tariff rates of any number of accommodation centres at any town — all this, can be specified over the telephone with the use of the department’s data base, simply named T.R.A.I.T.S. — Travel Reservation Accounting Information Ticketing System.

It encompasses six New Zealand, and three Aus-

tralian cities so the information is continually up-dated. The “travelphone” enables people to ring for accommodation and transport reservations anywhere in New Zealand. Bigger establishments can also operate monthly accounts with the department.

Print-outs are also given by T.R.A.I.T.S. on such things as bus, train, ferry and aeroplane timetables, whether the destination be the Stewart Island or Cape Reinga. If one wishes to know whether there is a hotel 10km in the Eastern suburbs of Oamaru with a spa pool and coffeemaking facilities, T.R.A.I.T.S. all offers an answer.

Information manuals that were superceded by T.R.A.I.T.S. were a labori-

ous task to keep up to date.

“By the time head office had compiled updated information on travel and distributed it to all the relevant offices, it was time to up-date them yet again,” said Mr Murray George, the electronic data processing advisory officer for the Christchurch branch.

“With the new system, up-dated information is fed into the system continuously and that’s merely done by punching information into the computer, rather than the costly postage system,” said Mr George. “The change of name to include ‘Tourism’ was another way to make the public more aware of our services,” said Mr Roger Rowe, the Christchurch branch’s sales manager.

“We have the lowest profile in tourism, and yet we are one of the largest operations,” he said.

Mr Rowe blames this on the department’s old image under the Government Tourist Bureau, as it was called, which many saw as a body which only looked after overseas tourists who travelled to New Zealand.

“We’re here to provide a service which is aimed at the public in general, not just overseas tourists,” said Mr Rowe.

With the new data system, Mr Rowe hopes people will take further advantage of the information service provided. “We’ve got the equipment, now we need the people to use it,” said Mr Rowe.