Breckenridge Resort Chamber looks to boost Central Reservations bookings

As economic indicators begin to point to a recovery for Breckenridge's tourism industry, town and Breckenridge Resort Chamber officials are scrambling to find ways to return the still-struggling Central Reservations to profitability. Central Reservation is a crucial booking agency for Breck's smaller lodging companies.

The reservation system, which generated revenue for the resort chamber up until a few years ago, is a key business driver for smaller lodging companies and is the only booking agency with loyalty to Breckenridge and a well-rounded system to show first-time guests all the town's amenities.

But the recession and the growing popularity of online booking agencies such as Travelocity and Expedia have hit Central Reservations hard, and the system is now heavily subsidized by the Town of Breckenridge with marketing dollars.

“You need to have some viability in Central Reservations to help the small lodging companies because they get lost in the clutter on the Internet,” said Breck Town Councilman Mike Dudick, who sits on the new marketing advisory committee. “We need to, as a group, figure out ways to return (Central Reservations) to profitability so all the money we have for marketing is going out in the market place.”

The town currently allocates $200,000 in marketing funds to help keep Central Reservations going, but the system will likely only need approximately $150,000 this year, according to BRC president John McMahon. McMahon said the goal for the reservations system is not necessarily to turn a profit, but just to break even.