Denver, Colo. � March 24, 2003 � Sceptre, a SWAN solution that provides global-distribution system representation services to hotels, has recently teamed with Glenwood Springs, Colo.-based Blizzard Internet Marketing Inc. to provide Web site design, hosting and promotional services to Sceptre customers. Blizzard has assisted more than 2,000 independent lodging properties in building traffic to their Web sites through specialized Internet marketing plans and strategies.

�More and more of our customers are coming to us looking for help with their Web sites,� said Mark Ozawa, Sceptre VP. �Web sites are critical to selling properties today, and those that contain the right rates and the right GDS strategy are the ones that will attract and retain customers. Because travelers have become more sophisticated in their online booking habits, they will make a purchasing decision based on the attractiveness of a site, its functionality and its flexibility to book a reservation.�

Online Booking Demand Up

Despite tough economic conditions, a tense political climate and fewer travelers, the online travel market performed surprisingly well in 2002. According to a new report from PhoCusWright Inc., Online Travel Overview: Market Size and Forecasts 2002-2005, online leisure/unmanaged business travel grew 37% to more than $28 billion while the overall travel market declined 5%.
By 2002, 15% of all travel was booked online, and slower but steady growth is predicted for the next few years, assuming improved economic conditions by the second half of this year or early 2004. 

PhoCusWright foresees some shift in market segmentation between now and 2005, when the percentage of travel booked online is likely to double and reach over 30%.

�Overall, online travel growth rates will ultimately slow down, but stay in the double-digits � which will still be impressive as the overall travel industry struggles,� said Philip C. Wolf, PhoCusWright Chairman & CEO.

According to PhoCusWright, the online vacation package market will reach $1 billion this year, up 74% from last year. Nearly 60% of online vacation packages are sold through intermediaries, and this percentage is expected to grow considerably by 2005.

Perfect Partnership

Ozawa said Sceptre had been looking for an on-line marketing specialist to partner with for some time. They met with Blizzard officials at various industry trade shows over the past six to eight months, and found that Blizzard�s approach, pricing, quality product and hospitality knowledge mirrored their own.

�We are thrilled to be in partnership with Sceptre because we each have something very special to offer the other,� said Trent Blizzard, owner and president. �Hotels have a strong need for the GDS representation and optimization that Sceptre provides. This is an important part of the overall on-line booking package, but it�s a service that we don�t offer. We needed a business partner, and Sceptre stood out from among its competitors. Their approach to one-on-one customer service and their ratio of account managers to clients was identical to ours. It�s a perfect match.�

Blizzard began building Web site programs specifically for the Bed & Breakfast industry in 1997. Based on proven results and customer demand, their expertise was quickly coveted by properties outside of B&Bs. Today, 85 percent of Blizzard clients are independent lodging properties, including bed and breakfasts, hotels, country inns, motels, vacation rentals, cottages and spas. 

�What drives our business is promotion,� Blizzard said. �A lot of Web masters can design a site, but if the promotional effort is lacking, they won�t get qualified visitors. Our promotion plans are custom by nature. We begin by analyzing a hotel�s Web site and tracking software to determine the strengths and weaknesses of their Internet presence. The specific resources used in each client�s promotion will depend on budget, current positioning and marketing goals.�

Ozawa said Blizzard�s successful track record in generating online bookings for hotels, coupled with Sceptre�s success and rapidly growing portfolio, means a win-win situation for Sceptre clients. 

�Together, Sceptre and Blizzard will continually expand and refine our services to fit the changing needs of our customers,� Ozawa said. �We will deliver high quality services that enable our clients to increase their revenues quickly and cost-effectively. Together our teams of industry experts will create a channel-management and marketing strategy with each property based on their unique needs. Our common objective with each client is to help them drive additional customers and revenues.�

About Sceptre
Since 1987, Sceptre has helped chains, management companies and independent hotels and resorts increase their sales and profits through GDS representation, private-label voice reservations and consulting services. Sceptre provides electronic distribution power and expertise previously reserved for branded or franchised hotels, with state-of-the-art reservations technology and a strong commitment to customer service and support. Sceptre is one of the key business units of SWAN Inc., a multi-service company focused on the hospitality industry. Other hospitality services of SWAN include Richfield (hotel management), Shield (insurance and risk management) and Source (procurement of operating supplies and FF&E).

Swan Inc. is headquartered in Denver with approximately 1,000 employees. The company's shareholders include City e-Solutions Limited (CES) listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels plc, a U.K.-based company listed on the London Stock Exchange, owning 91 hotels worldwide.

About Blizzard Internet Marketing
Blizzard Internet Marketing, Inc. has provided Web site design, hosting, and promotion to the lodging industry since 1997.  The company is owned by Trent and Susan Blizzard and is located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.  Blizzard Internet Marketing Inc. currently has about 30 employees and more than 2,000 national and international clients.  Eighty-five percent of Blizzard clients are independent lodging properties: bed and breakfasts, hotels, country inns, motels, vacation rentals, cottages and spas. Blizzard executives are often featured speakers at lodging conferences - about 25 a year -- sharing their knowledge on Internet Marketing for hotels and B&Bs.

Trent Blizzard, President
[email protected]
970-928-7875
www.BlizzardInternet.com