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 ORANGE, Calif. - Friend Communications
and El Monte RV have expanded their partnership to serve the
emerging demand for U.S. RV rentals by vacationers from the
United Kingdom and Europe.
"Travelers from the UK can now conveniently book U.S.
motorhome rental and campsite reservations through an exclusive
UK Web site," said Joe Laing, director of marketing for
El Monte RV. "El Monte RV is responding to the growing
trend of the U.S. as a popular travel destination for vacationers
from the UK and Europe."
Statistics show that travel from the UK/Western Europe to
the U.S. increased by six percent from 2004 to 2005. That
figure is likely to increase even more in 2006 - up one to
two percent for travel from the UK, and up five to six percent
for travel from Germany and France, according to Mike Gurnell
of MGA International. MGA is the tour company partnering with
El Monte in the UK and, coordinating motorhome reservations
and El Monte RV's Web site, http://www.elmonterv.co.uk.
"We wanted our site to be a one-stop shop for RV travelers,"
Laing explained. "With our online system enhanced by
Friend Communications, British vacationers can rent an RV
and book campsites for their U.S. adventure all in one place."
He noted El Monte RV's use of the Friend system for making
campground and RV resort reservations is one more advantage
the company has over competing RV rental services.
"With other reservations systems, you can't get a campground
reservation in real time. Instead, users have to send e-mail
requests, and then the campground gets back to them. Travelers
planning a vacation - especially those overseas planning travel
to the U.S. - don't like that delay. Speed and convenience
are becoming key to today's travel world," Laing said.
Friend's reservation system, integrated into the El Monte
RV UK site, operates in real time, so campground and RV resort
reservations are confirmed right away. "These days, if
we don't respond immediately, we're going to lose the booking,"
Laing added. "Our system is a logical progression for
the user. First the motorhome is booked and pick-up location
is confirmed, then with a few more keystrokes, the desired
campgrounds are booked and confirmed. The customer gets all
the information in one place, online, immediately," Laing
said.
Deb Kohls, vice president of business development at Friend,
noted that El Monte RV is contributing to growing the RV lifestyle
market through its Internet strategies. "El Monte RV
appeals to a younger demographic, which is bringing newcomers
into the marketplace," she said.
According to Kohls, Friend Communications is pleased to play
a part in El Monte RV's rapid growth and expansion into the
UK market. "El Monte RV has prided itself in offering
the largest, newest motorhome rental fleet backed by outstanding
customer support. Their growing vision of servicing the newcomer
to the RV lifestyle through online conveniences is a competitive
edge. We're pleased to add the latest online campground reservations
technology to the offerings of America's premier motorhome
rental company," she said.
El Monte RV is America's premier
nationwide RV rental company. The company was founded in 1970
by Ken Schork in the town of El Monte, Calif. Since then,
the company has grown to become one of the largest RV rental
companies in the world. El Monte RV has locations throughout
the United States, and is known worldwide for its commitment
to quality products and service. For more information on El
Monte RV, visit www.elmonterv.com.
Friend Communications Inc., a subsidiary of Leisure
Holding Inc., provides an integrated portfolio of services,
including online reservation technology, advertising infrastructure
and marketing services to the outdoor recreation industry.
Friend is committed to delivering best-of-breed products and
marketing support to unite the businesses that makeup this
vertical. Through industry partnerships and its sister company,
Camping.com, Friend enhances the consumer's online experience
by providing outdoor recreation-centric information, resources
and an extensive online reservation network for locating RV
parks and campgrounds. More information is available toll-free
at 888-333-9383, ext. 223; on the Web at www.friendcommunications.com;
or by e-mail at marketing@friendcomm.net.
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