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BEAVERTON, OR: September 8, 2008 � The 12 properties that comprise the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii portfolio are the first to debut their rich content on thousands of travel agency�s consumer facing websites through ResortPort � the newest product from Passport Online, Inc. Passport Online is the leading provider of e-commerce solutions to leisure travel agents. In addition to websites, email programs and other tools, Passport provides the updated content from major cruise lines, tour companies and wholesalers to well over 10,000 consumer facing websites. ResortPort extends that opportunity to the hotel and resort community. Currently, well over 1 million unique consumers each month are shopping for their next vacation on a website with content powered by Passport Online. �In an effort to enhance the shopping experience for these consumers and to provide an even stronger and more effective online marketing program for the travel agents, Passport Online developed ResortPort to enable hotels and resorts to control the presentation of their properties within any offer or promotion that includes their resort,� said Randy Goodrich, Senior Vice President, Passport Online Inc. �Properties will be presented to consumers in a number of ways on travel agency websites, including in their own dedicated online presentation and in relevant tour operator and wholesaler offers. For our tour operator and wholesaler partners, ResortPort helps to solve one of their tremendous challenges � acquiring and maintaining hotel content.� For Starwood Hawaii, accessing these valuable consumers and enhancing
presentation within their wholesaler and tour operator offers was the key.
�We truly value the power of the travel agent/consumer relationship and
we know the wholesaler community is a strong part of the Hawaii sales process.
With ResortPort, we are able to help enhance the online shopping experience
and highlight our properties at so many agency distribution points,� said
Michael Troy, Director of Advertising & Promotions, Starwood Hotels
& Resorts Hawaii.
ResortPort enhances websites of travel agents currently using VacationPort or NexCite from Passport Online. Steve Tracas, President of Vacation.com said, �We know that consumers are increasingly visiting our member agent�s websites to shop for their next vacation. ResortPort is a great way for Vacation.com members to better communicate hotel offers to their clients. Starwood Hotels is a key strategic partner with Vacation.com, and we�re particularly excited about their participation. We believe the addition of ResortPort for our many members who use VacationPort or NexCite will enhance the hotel product presentation for today�s consumer.� For travel agencies to participate in ResortPort, they need to subscribe to either the NexCite or VacationPort products offered by Passport Online. ResortPort is included with NexCite and VacationPort at no extra charge to agencies. For further information, agents can go to www.passportonlineinc.com. For hoteliers interested in accessing these thousands of websites and millions of unique travel agency consumers, contact Randy Goodrich at [email protected]. About Starwood Hawaii:
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