Since its creation,
television is always improving its capacities from black and white images
towards colors or from a very big size to small flat screen. Today, the
television is doing one more revolution. Revealed in September 2012 by the blog
elixnet, smart TV applications are presented as a real “hybrid” tool enabling tourism
companies to reach people in their living-room.
What is exactly this new tool?
Elixnet blog defined it as “the integration of the Internet into modern
television sets that can support third-party applications”. The website Veille
Tourism go further explaining that smart television is combining television,
internet and mobile apps offering access to these several functions. Internet
connected TV are more and more famous in the United States and by 2016, 2/3 of
North American people are expected to own this kind of TV (Veille Tourism). This
tool enables a direct interaction with tourism companies such as travel
agencies, hotels, tourism offices, car rentals and plane companies. People just
have to click on the screen when they see an interesting advertising and they
directly get access to the corresponding internet page. Bookings are expected to be more
important because of this direct access avoiding people to put on their computer
and search a page on the Internet that can definitely demotivate them to act.
In September 2012, Belgrade
Tourism Office has launched a touristic guide of the city through Samsung smart
TV presenting all the best hotels, restaurants, bars and shops of Belgrade. One
more example is the SNCF e-tourism app launched last October presenting France
and Europe through videos of the destinations. Moreover, destinations such as
Serbia took the opportunity to create an application called “Serbia from the
heart” developed with the known photographer Ivan Strahinjić. This tool enables
customers to access pictures and videos of the country made to promote
the potential of Serbia and attract tourists. The app is also useful to organize a
trip because ideas night out are listed as well as hotels location
(itespresso). Smart televisions are also increasing their presence in hotels enabling people to listen to the music, go on the internet, read newspapers,
stay connected through social media and play online games.
On the side of travel
agencies, the creation of Smart TV applications can bring several
advantages. Indeed, travel agencies can create funny commercial video clips,
customers can therefore be aware of the destination without leaving their house.
The agency can also involve the customers into the destination by doing videos
about cuisines or hotels but also by creating play-by-play broadcasts which can
reveal the beauty of a country and of the resting places. A funnier thing to do
will be to create games around the destination which will sensitize the
customer while having fun (Elinext).
Smart television is creating
a new relationship between companies and customers as well as a direct access
to tourism offers. The increasing demand of internet connected televisions is
about to change the way we book a trip. Tourism companies, if they want to
remain competitive, will have to be present on these smart televisions to have
a chance to be more visible as well as increase their marketing and web
marketing efforts to attract people on their pages. Video clips, online games
and animations need to be adapted to the channel, and the website also has to
be optimized for television.
As seen with the example of
Serbia, Smart televisions can help a country to promote a destination with
pictures or videos. The main difference between the television and the Smart TV
is that the viewer will have the choice to look at the pictures anytime and
would not be constrained to look at all the advertisings while waiting for his
favorite movie. Moreover, with this new technology, destinations have the
opportunity to put a lot of content on their applications without paying a lot
of money contrary to the advertisings on TV. Customers can leave some comments
and advices for future travelers which enable the company to understand their customers' needs and propose adapted products/services. Thanks to those
Smart TVs, consumers have now the entire control of their televisions.
(Source : Elinext, 2012)
Key words : smart television, samsung, tv app development, customer smart tv application, smart tv apps for travel agency, connected tv apps, tv app developer, tv app development, tourism apps, hotel, car rental, destination marketing.
Aline Hartog & Lisa
Viano.
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