leisureholding.com

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Deb Kohls
Friend Communications
(888) 333-9383, ext. 223

Statistics Show Travel Bookings Up for Camping and RVing

ORANGE, Calif. - In the midst of increasing gas prices and questions about consumer travels, the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) and Friend Communications have good news to report. Total campground and RV bookings are up 23 percent from January to May 2008 versus the same period last year, according to online bookings at GoCampingAmerica.com and reservation statistics from Friend’s front office management system. Web bookings alone have increased by more than 17 percent, as more consumers plan their trips online.

“These numbers show that camping continues to be a strong and viable vacation option even in this uncertain economy,” said Linda Profaizer, ARVC president. “People still have a desire to get outdoors and travel. The statistics say they are turning to camping and RVing as a getaway.”

According to the statistics, people are using the Internet even more for those transactions. “We’ve always known that consumers appreciate the convenience of being able to make reservations online at anytime with just a couple of mouse clicks. We continue to see online traffic and revenues increase as more and more campers and RVers turn to the Web to make their travel plans,” said Kelly O’Bryan, vice president of marketing at Friend and Camping.com.

The numbers show that the top 10 states for camping activity this year are Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Wisconsin. Michigan and Wisconsin have seen some of the most favorable changes this year with 30 and 29 percent increases, respectively.

“What does this mean? This is good news for the outdoor travel and hospitality economy,” O’Bryan added. “For those consumers planning to head out this summer, we suggest booking early. With these numbers, it’s clear that sites are filling up quickly.”

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds (ARVC) is the trade organization with 4000 active members representing the interests of the approximately 8500 privately owned (commercial) parks in the United States. Commercial parks contribute an estimated 21 billion dollars to local economies each year and the growth prospects for this sector of the outdoor hospitality industry are very strong. For more information, visit www.ARVC.org.

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 make up 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Deb Kohls
Friend Communications
(888) 333-9383, ext. 223

Friend Communications Launches Powerful Front Office System

ORANGE, Calif. - Friend Communications launches Hercules – a first-of-its-kind comprehensive and easy-to-use front office management system. Hercules is designed for multi-park operators and small, family-run businesses, saving both time and money, while increasing marketing presence.

“The operational benefits that our new front office system brings to campground and RV Park operators is unparallel in the market. We are excited to introduce our new front office for several reasons. First, the technology and functionality are revolutionary in the campground and RV park industry. Second, we worked with park operators to really understand the needs of today’s campground operations. And finally, because we delivered what they told us they needed – a front office product that combined the power of a hotel-type folio based system with the simplicity of common word-processing and spreadsheet programs. By working together we have really created a front office product that will help park operators take control of the operation regardless of size, reduce operating expenses and workload, as well as increase market exposure through our network partners,” said Gary Pace, president of Friend.

Designed to reduce the workload of campground operators, reservations are pulled from a single database for both Internet and front office bookings, greatly reducing the reservation processing time and eliminating double bookings. Additionally, the application provides the benefit for multiple park owners to manage their parks from a distance. With a single log in, the owner can see at a glance the status of each park without having to wait long lag times for reporting and accountability from each park.

The Web-based system means no software needs to be installed and users can log in from any location to check the status of their campground. The American made and serviced system features automatic and secure off-site data back-up, audit trail for charges, robust reporting, drag and drop functionality, and, of course, the real-time online booking engine.

Hercules harnesses the power of the Friend network, which includes 30 portals such as Camping.com, GoCampingAmerica.com, ElMonteRV.com and Camp-California.com. The network boasts 5 million new consumers, is the largest private campground network with over 1,200 partnerships and continues to grow.

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 make up 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Deb Kohls
Friend Communications
(888) 333-9383, ext. 223

Friend Communications' Reservations Go Global

ORANGE, Calif. - Friend Communications has partnered with ITS/ Magellan Services to take its reservation system global. By using ITS/ Magellan Services, Friend will be the first and only campground reservation network to offer campgrounds the ability to be seen in worldwide mainstream travel portals, such as Expedia, Orbitz , Travelocity, and over 400,000 travel agencies worldwide.

“Our partnership with ITS/Magellan Services delivers on our promise to expand the reach of the Friend network,” said Deb Kohls, Friend vice president. “We believe campgrounds and RV Parks have a lot to offer the leisure traveler. In the past, however, campgrounds have been hindered from delivering their inventory to the mainstream travel distributors because they lacked the technology infrastructure to do so. We are very excited to partner with ITS/Magellan Services to connect campground suppliers with the travel industry and attract new consumers to this lifestyle.”

Kohls went on to explain that the partnership will elevate campgrounds, RV parks and resorts in consumers’ minds as viable lodging choices. The increased exposure will result in new consumers, more reservations and increased revenues.

“We see this as a very powerful partnership. We have the ability to provide the campground industry with Global Distribution capabilities, while Friend is the industry innovator, leading the industry with reservation technology and online sales and marketing delivered across a broad partner network, making this a win-win for everyone involved,” said Eric Trout, director of business development for ITS/Magellan Services. “Together ITS/Magellan Services will provide Friend customers and clients access to distribution channels that haven’t been available to them, driving more revenues, new sales and marketing opportunities. Together we are providing campground and RV parks access to same competitive advantage in the marketplace as any major hospitality group.”

ITS Global Group and ITS Magellan Services are global leaders in the hospitality and travel services, including Central Reservation Systems, Global Distribution Systems and Internet booking engines with closely integrated global distribution services. With almost 700 hotel and travel clients spanning the globe and representing all property sizes and types, ITS Magellan Services caters to independent properties, multi-unit owners/operators, franchisees, franchisors, management companies, destination portals and online travel companies. For more information, visit www.its-magellanservices.netor call (954) 566-7111.

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 make up 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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

For Immediate Release

Contact:
Deb Kohls
Friend Communications
(888) 333-9383, ext. 223

Friend Communications Helps CampRate.com Create One-Stop Shop for Outdoor Travel Needs

ORANGE, Calif. - Friend Communications has once again expanded its growing network by partnering with CampRate.com to further add to the Web site’s features. CampRate launched in May 2005 and offers online visitors the opportunity to easily locate a campground, read reviews and now place online reservations.

“The purpose of the site is to provide a one-stop shop for all your campground finding needs,” said Ken Cochrane, CampRate president. “We try to have all the information anyone needs to find the right campground without having to scour the Web.”

By partnering with Friend, CampRate will allow guests to place reservations online at any time of the day or night — a service that continues to grow in popularity. “Online bookings are continuing to grow exponentially. As a result, our network is growing even larger with partners seeking ways to give consumers the services they demand,” said Deb Kohls, vice president of business development at Friend. “We are excited to provide syndicated content services to outdoor travel Web sites that are attracting a younger demographic. CampRate is a great example of how the Internet provides consumer choice and options.”

CampRate understands the importance of allowing travelers to make reservations at their convenience. Cochrane explained, “If we make finding a campground and booking the reservation easier for a camper, it will make the whole experience much more enjoyable and they will be more likely to go camping more often.”

Cochrane and some of his friends decided to start the Web site when they realized information to help in choosing a campground was not offered in one place. Being small and new to the industry, they looked to partner with seasoned veterans. “Friend is one of the big players in the industry and they have a lot of experience dealing with campgrounds. We hope to learn as much as we can from them,” he explained.

According to Kohls, the size of the business does not matter as much as its goals and vision. “If the Web site provides important information or invites people to join in conversation, it doesn’t matter how large or small the business is. It became obvious that they are a savvy group who is committed to the outdoor community. Our partnership seemed a perfect fit for the goals of both organizations to provide value to the consumer, while building a network of partners.”

CampRate.com contains information that is pertinent to making decisions when choosing a campground. It provides details on campground amenities and offerings, allows visitors to book reservations online and posts campers’ reviews to assist in making travel decisions.

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 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .