Reservations for local activities are moving online as Axiom Services Ltd. introduces its new reservation engine.

The Internet-based system, Experience Bermuda, will allow hotel concierge desks, overseas travel agents, visitors and locals to book activities such as cruises, scuba dives and taxi tours online and in real-time.

The system will revolutionise the way companies like Fantasea Cruises and Blue Water Divers take reservations. Outsiders will be able to make reservations without calling the company and vendors will also enter their own reservations online to ensure that availability information is current.

"The hotels are going to drive a lot of business," said Simon Watkinson, president of Axiom Services.

Bermuda's two Fairmont Princess Hotels are the only hotels currently involved in the scheme, although Mr. Watkinson expects more hotels to join.

Guests at the Princesses can make reservations for activities before they arrive through the Fairmont reservations centre in North America. After Axiom works out kinks with its vendors, concierge desks in Bermuda will use the system as well. Until then, they will continue to make reservations the old way - by phone.

Once the system is fully operational, an accounting package will allow the concierge to charge guest rooms for activities, even if they are with an outside company.

Belterrie Swan, night supervisor at the Southampton Princess' concierge desk, said the system is very easy to use. She added: "I think it will be very handy for us and it saves time because we won't have to write out confirmations for the guests by hand. The confirmation comes through on the computer system."

In Bermuda, high-volume vendors and hotels can connect to the system via a leased line from the Bermuda Telephone Company. Businesses with smaller volumes and travel agents will connect to the network as needed via the Internet.

Axiom will earn 15 percent commission for reservations made via its website. The company will share commissions with hotels and the 3,200 travel agents (introduced to the system by the Department of Tourism) who will make bookings through its system.

The system will be used to ticket the Patti LaBelle concert in August. Axiom has also worked with the Bermuda Festival and the Bermuda International Film Festival to sell tickets online.

Eventually, the system could be expanded to take restaurant reservations or even sell cinema tickets, services which have already appeared in the highly-developed US market.

"We might pre-book seats at a certain time and then offer them on the site," he said. "But (real-time reservations) would be a large step for a restaurant."

Mr. Watkinson said Axiom was also doing good business through its vacation website, BermudaEscapes.com. Although the site does not allow real-time reservations, potential visitors can peruse 40 air and hotel packages and hotel-only options and request a booking via the site. Once details are finalised through contact with an Axiom travel agent, the company makes the booking. The site provides customer service through text-based chat on its website and will eventually offer telephone support.

"We are about to break even right now," Mr. Watkinson said, although he first expected the company to be profitable in February. BermudaEscapes.com earns money from the 10 to 14 percent commission charged to suppliers.