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From the Dom Post
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/print/0,1478,2939853a28,00.html
====================================================E-booking for trampers by 2005
MONDAY , 14 JUNE 2004
By TOM PULLAR-STRECKER
The Conservation Department has confirmed plans to let trampers book and pay for hut passes over the internet but has pushed the launch date for the service back a year to July 2005.Southern region technical support manager Graeme Ayres, who is heading the project team, says initially only huts on New Zealand’s “Great Walks” will be able to be booked over the internet.
The online booking option may be extended to other DOC facilities later.
DOC manages 3900 huts, campsites and other recreation facilities and estimates these receive about 40 million visits each year. It previously mooted allowing all of these facilities to be booked over the web.
The narrower initial scope of the project means staff are unlikely to be impacted by the initiative at this stage, says Mr Ayres.
DOC is keen to introduce the service during the month of July, before bookings open for the peak season, and pushed the launch back after missing an earlier mooted target of July this year.
Mr Ayres says the department has yet to decide whether to purchase an “off-the-shelf” booking system or build its own, despite receiving more than 50 replies to a request for information issued to possible technology suppliers early last year.
The latter option would make it easier to integrate online booking with other DOC systems, he says, and could help ensure trampers using the service also get up-to-date safety information.
The Conservation Department said in a business case released in January under the Official Information Act that there was some opposition to the project from people within and outside the department.
One fear is New Zealanders without access to the net might find huts filled with overseas tourists who booked online.
Mr Ayres says the project team will examine any issues that may be created by block bookings.
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