|
WINTER
1999
CHIPPENHAM
TIC |
|
|
Chippenham
has been a CTV site since 1989 when the very progressive Tourism Manager of the
day installed two single-user PCs and - one of the first in the country - a
Public Access Terminal, or PAT as we know her.
This ingenious piece of equipment was the first 24 hour interactive tourist
information system for visitors to use, and they loved it.
Originally located in its specially-designed PAT cabinet, the unit lost none of
its appeal when Chippenham TIC moved to new premises and had to reinstall its
PAT through the window of the centre.
And, now that she has seen and tested out PAT2, the latest Public Access
Terminal, TIC Manager Janice Leard hopes to acquire new hardware - budget
permitting! - on which the software can be installed.
"It is impressive", says Janice "I'd love to be able to offer it
to our visitors!"
However, although Janice is still hoping for the latest PAT system, her TIC at
Chippenham does offer a range of other services, all up-to-the-minute and
designed to make tourism management as slick and professional as possible.
Janice says "We began our relationship with CTV ten
years ago with TIM, a DOS-based package which at that time seemed amazing -
little did we know what lay ahead!
"Now TIM4 has become a sophisticated Destination Management System (DMS)
which has many different modules servicing our ever-increasing needs.
"CTV keeps on developing new systems, so that as the
needs of TICs change and develop, so CTV has the right new module prepared and
ready to help us with them!"
The TIM software can also be personalised to suit the needs of individual users
with a range of setup and configuration options.
Although the system holds the national TRIPS database of accommodation,
attractions and events, these can also be added to, edited and deleted at local
level which means that visitors - and locals - wishing to make bookings for
events in their own area, as well as for national events, can simply pop into
the TIC, or 'phone, and do the business.
As well as the TIM Destination Management Suite, Chippenham makes full use of
the AA Milemaster system - an itinerary planning service for road trips
throughout Britain, Ireland and Europe - and BR Journey Planner, for rail travel
including Eurostar and London Underground information.
In addition, Chippenham uses CTV On-Line to gain fast and efficient access to
FastTrack for National Express bookings.
The most recent acquisition is QuickAddress postcode software, a programme which
produces an address once the operator has keyed in the name and postcode of the
person to whom the material is to be sent.
With this embedded in TIM4, Janice feels the software will be of enormous
benefit to the brochure fulfilment aspects of their daily life in preparation
for the year 2000 marketing campaign.
She said: "With CTV's understanding of the tourism business, when asked if
it was possible to devise a system whereby the chore of collating and reporting
visitor statistics is simplified, they responded by devising the TIM4
'clickers', which make the recording of statistics a 'whizz' with a mere click
of the mouse, or by just pressing one of the eight dedicated function keys. All
that paperwork just disappeared overnight!
"Apart from that we find that the CTV National Helpline is a tremendous
benefit. Knowing that full back-up, seven days a week, is just a 'phone-call
away is vital to our operation.
"We know that if we are ever unsure about anything we have learnt, we only
have to call for immediate, clear and sympathetic assistance."
|
|
|
