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New features on Discover Camping reservation system
People booking campsites in BC Parks now have access to additional services and user-friendly features through the new Discover Camping online reservation system.
Additional features to the new reservation system include:
* notifications if previously booked sites become available at a certain park during a specific time;
* advanced search and display features that show campsites available in nearby parks if the first choice is full; and
* an option to sign up for additional BC Parks information, such as newsletters and event notices.
More features will be added in stages, including:
* an option for customers to pre-purchase items such as firewood, ice and park-related merchandise; and
* an option to purchase and send e-gift cards to family and friends for use on the Discover Camping system.
“More and more people are exploring B.C.’s incredible wilderness and recreational opportunities, which is why our government continues to enhance our systems to improve visitor experience,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “British Columbians and visitors from around the world will now benefit from a new reservation system that meets all their needs, no matter where their journey takes them.”
Earlier in 2019, BC Parks launched a competitive process for a vendor that could provide an enhanced Discover Camping reservation system. US eDirect was selected as the vendor and comes with more than 20 years of experience providing reservation platforms for government park agencies, such as California State Parks, Missouri State Parks and the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Reservation fees for the new system will not increase and remain at 1996 pricing levels.
Last year, BC Parks had another record-breaking year, with nearly 231,000 reservations made through Discover Camping – a 9% growth from the 212,000 reservations made in 2017. So far in 2019, more than 253,000 reservations have been made through the service. The majority of reservations originate from within B.C.
B.C. has one of largest park systems in the world, with 1,033 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas covering more than 14-million hectares.
Of the approximate 10,700 campsites BC Parks manages, approximately 55% are reservable and 45% remain on a first-come, first-served basis.
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