NZsnowboard.com

27th January 2008

TRUCKEE and SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. ? Responding to consumers who are increasingly booking their travel online, Northstar? and Sierra? Resorts have each launched online interactive trail maps to help skiers and snowboarders plan their entire day on the mountain before they head up to the resorts. Rich media content helps orient guests to the mountain geography so that they may become familiar with the available amenities, as well as chairlift locations, current mountain conditions including open and groomed trails, live weather updates, and weekly video. Additionally, guests can upload videos of themselves skiing/riding directly to the map for sharing with friends and family.

Studies have shown that the majority of web users prefer to absorb information in a graphical, pictorial or video format versus text, hence the growing prevalence of these communication styles on many of the most sophisticated web sites. The essence of the online interactive trail map is to transfer all of the textual information contained in the resort web site onto a visual, geographical representation. Guests can click straight through the content on the interactive trail map to get more information, make reservations or even make purchases.

It is, in essence, an entire web site on a map.

?Our own surveys indicate that the Interactive Trail map is one of the five most popular web pages,? explains Colleen Dalton, E-Business Marketing Director for Booth Creek Ski Resorts. ?This demonstrates that time-deprived customers who are planning a vacation, or simply looking for lift status, go directly to the map versus making multiple clicks through the web site to get to their destination.?

According to the 2007 PhoCusWright Consumer Travel Trends Survey, 51 percent of U.S. travel was booked online. The survey projected that online booking would continue to increase, reaching 56 percent in 2008 and 60 percent in 2009. ?The more we, as a resort industry, can provide a cutting edge web site experience, the better we are able to cater to U.S. travelers who are looking for information and booking their vacations online,? responds Dalton.

The online interactive trail map is the latest manifestation of Web 2.0 in the ski industry. Think of it as an amalgamation of YouTube and GoogleEarth. Cutting-edge technology enables users to upload their own video to pinpoint locations on the map (ala GoogleEarth) and then share them with family and friends (ala YouTube). For example, if a family uses their own video camera to take footage of brother and sister getting fresh tracks down Castle trail at Sierra Resort on a powder day, they can then upload that video to the interactive trail map where it will appear specifically on Castle run. The video is pinpointed on the map where it was taken on the mountain.

The user video uploads are just one of the rich media features of the interactive trail map. Other valuable tools include 360? panoramas that can be controlled by the web user, videos uploaded by the resort, daily snow and grooming information regarding current mountain conditions, weather forecast icons and links to multiple live web cameras.

The URL for the online interactive map can be bookmarked on the guest?s personal computer or mobile device.

Sierra Resort
http://www.sierraattahoe.com/info/winter/trail-maps.asp

Northstar Resort
http://www.northstarattahoe.com/info/ski/the-mountain/interactive_trail_map.asp

Sierra-at-Tahoe and Northstar-at-Tahoe Resorts worked with Resorts Interactive, a New Zealand based company, to develop the technology and implement the first online interactive trail maps using this collection of technologies in the United States.

"Resorts Interactive is excited about the launch of our interactive products with two of California's most progressive ski resorts," said Harry Harallambi, Director, Resorts Interactive. "Looking at the future of interactive maps with the potential of GPS, WIFI cameras and variations of our existing technologies, there will plenty of impressive new content to come. Realistic online experiences are going to be key instruments in attracting visitors to ski resorts."


About Northstar-at-Tahoe? Resort
Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort is becoming one of the finest year-round destination mountain resorts in North America offering activities for all ages. With 83 trails spread across 2,480 acres, world-class terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing, Northstar ? Resort is fun for all. The resort also offers summer activities including mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, horseback riding, fly-fishing and much more. And, with the new Village at Northstar? featuring shopping, dining, special events and a 9,000 square foot skating rink, Northstar Resort offers something for everyone.

Northstar-at-Tahoe Resort is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information on Northstar Resort visit NorthstarAtTahoe.com.

Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort: Part of the Solution
Known for its wind-protected slopes, incredible tree skiing, family programs and parks and pipes that are among the best in the nation, Sierra Resort is committed to being part of the solution to environmental conservation. Environmentally responsible operations that include parking spots reserved for guests driving hybrid vehicles and the use of eco-friendly cleaning products resort-wide let our guests know that we care about the land around us as much as they do. We have also partnered with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation and the National Forest Foundation to offer our guests a convenient way to offset their greenhouse gas emissions.

The closest major resort to Sacramento, Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort is located just 12 miles west of Lake Tahoe and receives an annual average of 480 inches of snowfall. For more information, visit www.SierraAtTahoe.com


Press Contacts:
Jessica VanPernis, 530.562.3866
Kirstin A. Cattell, 530.543.3132
tahoepr@boothcreek.com