The Internet Edition- Vol. 2 Issue 13

Visitor’s Bureau Launches Two-Phase Program

Phase One Encourages Website Visitors to Register to Win GPS Unit

The Charlotte County Visitor’s Bureau is “caching” in on the latest sports craze - by giving enthusiasts an opportunity to win one of six GPS units.

It’s called “geocaching” — a hi-tech version of “hide and seek,” where participants obtain exact coordinates from a Web site or other means, which will lead them to a “cache,” usually a container with a “treasure” inside. “Treasures” vary from personal effects to novelty items to collectible coins to value-added point-of-purchase coupons.

A cursory visit to the top Web site for geocachers — www.geocaching.com  — turns up nearly 300 caches hidden within a 30-mile radius of Port Charlotte. Spread out to 50 miles, and you’ll find more that 550 caches. And the Web site’s list is by no means exhaustive — some teams maintain several sites.

In Phase One of the program, the Visitor’s Bureau hopes to attract prospective geocaching visitors to the Bureau’s official website at www.pureflorida.com  through an online contest from April 3 through May 12. Online visitors who provide specific contact information will have the chance to win one of six GPS units manufactured by Garmin International Inc., a world leader in navigation and avionics equipment. One GPS unit with a retail value of $100 will be randomly selected each week. The contact information will be added to the Bureau’s database for future communication with prospective geocaching visitors.

Phase Two of the program which will offer specific travel incentives, will be debuted at the Visitor’s Bureau’s Annual Tourism Unity Luncheon for tourism industry partners scheduled for May 17 in Punta Gorda.

GPS stand s for Global Positioning System, a satellite navigation system once confined to military use that enables users to pinpoint an exact location anywhere around the globe.

Participants in the contest for the GPS units must be 21 years of age or older, and must register online at www.pureflorida.com.

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