Bookabach joins forces with 80 Minute Game

Bookabach joins forces with 80 Minute Game in inbound tourism offering

Bookabach and 80 Minute Game team up to ensure quality of “at-game” private accommodation for Rugby World Cup 2011

AA Bookabach and 80 Minute Game have joined forces to offer private accommodation for the fully independent traveller attending Rugby World Cup 2011.

The arrangement will see holiday home website Bookabach (www.bookabach.co.nz) promote 80 Minute Game to property owners keen to offer up their properties for at-game accommodation, while 80 Minute Game Ltd, a property management company specialising in urban, private accommodation, will provide the hands-on services required for the in-bound tourism offering.

Their market is domestic and international rugby fans looking for quality private accommodation while attending Rugby World Cup matches from Whangarei to Invercargill.

In addition to providing marketing services, Bookabach brings its sophisticated online booking management system and web solutions to the party.

“We’ve experienced a real groundswell of home owners keen to list their properties on Bookabach for the Rugby World Cup,” says Bookabach CEO Peter Miles. “While we are delighted so many people are choosing to list with us, we know that RWC visitor expectations will be high, and service levels need to be consistent.”

Miles cites concerns around owners keen to cash in on the RWC opportunity who may not understand the requirements of the Fair Trading Act and the Major Events Management Act or expectations around hospitality.

The arrangement with 80 Minute Game, Miles says, will help ensure that properties are fairly represented, fairly priced, marketed appropriately and offer the required levels of service. 80 Minute Game’s hands-on property management includes guest screening, rental collection, meet and greet, cleaning, linen service and optional provisioning in all the major centres.

Sue Robinson, managing director of 80 Minute Game, says the arrangement plays to the strengths of both organisations. “Bookabach is a well-respected brand in the holiday home market. This arrangement provides us with a robust booking management system and access to a large domestic and international audience of potential guests. In return 80 Minute Game gives Bookabach a high-touch property management service for anyone keen to let their property for at-game accommodation during the Rugby World Cup event,” Robinson says.

A secondary benefit for Bookabach is that it allows the company to focus on its primary market. By ring-fencing at-game accommodation and handing it over to a single capable organisation that specialises in the Rugby World Cup event, Bookabach can focus more of its efforts in the traditional bach/holiday home market.
“We want to encourage in-bound visitors, including these rugby fans, to try a few days in the regions and experience New Zealand like a Kiwi - by staying at a bach or holiday home,” Miles says.

ABOUT AA BOOKABACH LTD
Established in 2000 Bookabach has built one of New Zealand's largest communities of bach owners and renters. Bookabach provides marketing and online property management tools to owners and managers of over 4100 properties around the country. Bookabach is a subsidiary of the New Zealand Automobile Association (NZAA).

ABOUT 80 MINUTE GAME LTD
Established in March 2009, 80 Minute Game is a privately owned Property Management company. 80 Minute Game is a member of the Tourism Industry Association of New Zealand and Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce.

ENDS

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