LAS VEGAS -- For travel agents, selling the myriad attractions,
tours, excursions, shows and other events that keep Las Vegas
buzzing 24 hours a day just got a little easier, thanks to
technology introduced by Cygnus Entertainment of Orlando.
In May, the company, a technology and services provider,
launched ceTravel Destination GDS, billed as the first reservations
system specifically designed for booking destination entertainment
products.
"Everything available to book [in the entertainment field] in
Las Vegas will be available through ceTravel," said Ian McMillan,
marketing manager for Cygnus Entertainment.
The company also plans to book entertainment attractions in
other destinations, starting with Florida and New York
products.
The creation of ceTravel was spurred by the realization that a
GDS comparable to hotel and airline res systems did not exist for
attractions and other entertainment-related events such as tours,
shows and concerts, said McMillan.
Suppliers wanting to participate in the ceTravel program are
required to sign a wholesale agreement with Cygnus
Entertainment.
Because prices are wholesale, agents are able to earn commission
on products that are offered through ceTravel.
Although all commissions for Las Vegas products haven't been set
yet, McMillan said, they range between 4% and 10%.
For agents, ceTravel also will take care of payment processing,
fulfillment to the consumer, distribution of commissions and
electronic transfer of net rates and applicable taxes to the
supplier.
Another new product from Cygnus, ceOsks -- a play on the word
kiosks -- are touch-screen machines hooked into Cygnus
Entertainment's data system; they can be installed almost anywhere,
from shopping malls to hotel lobbies.
Depending on the agreement reached between Cygnus and a specific
supplier, ceOsks can be used strictly as a fulfillment point, where
clients
can print tickets to a show or event after they have been booked
online, or as a point-of-sale, where clients can make a
reservation.
For consumers, "It's like being at home using [their] own
computers," McMillan said.
The machines are being installed in a handful of Las Vegas
locations, including the Virgin Megastore -- the city's first ceOsk
location -- and Planet Hollywood, according to McMillan.
For more information about ceTravel, agents can call (321)
249-0109 or e-mail [email protected]. The company's new Web site is
at www.cygnus.com.