Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Bahamas Launches booking engine for Scuba Diving travelers

Bahamas Diving Association
Booking a dive trip to the Bahamas just got easier - a whole lot easier in fact! The Bahamas Diving Association and Bahamas Ministry of Tourism announces the launch of an innovative scuba diving packages and activities booking engine! The unique engine allows adventure-seeking travelers the ability to book diving and dive packages via a special booking engine, while still offering dive retailers and travel sellers full commissions on FIT or individual bookings.

The new engine was built custom for the Bahamas by Segnant Technologies of Dallas, Texas, and allows divers to book diving activities with any of the 37 members of the Bahamas Diving Association. Aside from diving and snorkeling, dive packages including hotel and in some cases, meals are available for booking on the engine.

Neal Watson, President of the Bahamas Diving Association, explains why the engine is unique: “We decided to take a different approach in the development of this engine. Our first priority was to create an engine that was convenient for divers to use, but totally protected the dive retailer. We are happy to announce that our engine on www.BahamasDiving.com has fulfilled those objectives.”

The unique engine went live recently, and features many options of diving and dive packages on several different islands within the Bahamas. Stuart Cove, Bahamas Diving Association Vice-President, says that: “The engine is very different than what’s currently available in the diving marketplace. We have created an innovated travel seller or dive retailer link system that allows a retailer to place the link on their website and offer the engine to their customers, yet receive full commissions as if they booked the travel themselves! It’s really unique and truly designed to help and reward dive retailers and travel agents for selling dive travel to the Bahamas.”

The new booking engine features last-minute specials, offers travel commissions for pre-approved travel sellers, offers activities and dive packages, plus allows BDA Dive Operators to install the engine on their individual website, and display just their individual inventory.

The Bahamas Diving Association is the official association of dive operators for The Islands of the Bahamas (www.bahamasdiving.com).