Traveling is intrinsically a mobile activity, in which location does matter. As a traveler, I like wandering around, getting a bit lost to explore a city and stepping away from my comfort zone. I am often too excited about the trip, that I don’t want to bother dropping by the tourism information centre. But how frustrating it is to be deprived of information when you are on the spot! Have you ever experienced that feeling of being hungry (literally), in a unknown place, looking for the perfect restaurant, but without any cue of where to go?
In these critical situations, the answer could be GEOLOCATION. 54.6% of mobile phone users in Western Europe have a Smartphone (comScore, 2012). These powerful devices are becoming an extension of ourselves. A remote memory, so to speak. GEOLOCATION. It is not a brand-new concept but it is increasingly being used. The technology emerged with GPS, at a somber time of our modern history when countries were developing cutting-the-edge technologies to defend their territories. Today, this technology is serving consumers in their everyday lives, with the difference that marketers have made this technology meaningful to consumers. It is not only about providing geographical coordinates. It is about making sense of these data by giving a physical address, characterizing this place, linking it with other places and to people. This makes me think about SoLoMo trend in new technology, which is all about being Social, Local and Mobile (Gupta, 2012).
Here we go. Travel industry has precisely picked up on these trends, to launch mobile travel guide applications. My friend, who is so keen on spotting innovations related to tourism industry, introduced me to mTrip. So far that it the most handy app I’ve seen. Users have access to offline maps and GPS tracking, automated and customized itineraries, information about museums, monuments, restaurants, hotels, bars, events… They can even make booking directly through this app! It is also possible to share and postcards via Facebook & Email. What else to be asked? And for those who would be afraid about the cost of Internet connection, nothing to be worried about, it is 100% offline, except for updates and sharing (mTrip, 2011).
Another app deserves our attention: iComunitat. It offers geographical positioning for each kind of leisure activities, such as beaches, golf, monuments, event calendar. It also includes information about accommodation in the Region of Valencia (hotels, campsites, holiday apartments) as well as tools like online translator, currency converter, weather forecast, and access to public transport networks. A way for traveling easily without wasting time! Last but not least, this app enables to geo-localize points of interest through augmented reality, offering information about what you see through the device camera (Comunitat Valenciana, 2012).
This is all really cool stuff, if I may say so.
This is all really cool stuff, if I may say so.
As far as business is concerned, developers sell their apps to DMOs. These ones can fund the mobile service through sponsoring from tourism service providers in the destination. Users also contribute in creating and fleshing out the content. In a way it engages users even more. The drawback, which could make these apps less successful business-wise, is retention rate (Comas, 2012). Mobile app users are not regular users and less loyal compared to other online travel services users. And, let’s face it, travelers themselves are mobile. If they can only benefit from a mobile app service within a specific destination, the retention rate is obviously low. To mitigate this effect and engage users even more, the “perfect” app would cover several destinations and develop the social aspect of it. Some apps like mTrip have already integrated direct link to users’ Facebook or Twitter account, but how about using geolocation to make new friends or even launch a dating service? If I could find Love by spotting travelers around me, whose profile matches mine, I wouldn’t mind spending a little bit more time using the app!
Resources :
Comas B. (2012) Geolocation and Growth Opportunities in Tourism, Tourism Revolution Blog. 3 September 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.blogtrw.com/en/2012/09/geolocation-and-growth-opportunities-in-tourism/
comScore (2012). EU5 Smartphone Penetration Reaches 55 Percent in October 2012. Retrieved from:
Fabry, P. (2009). Géolocalisation dans le tourisme et création de valeur. Tourisme Tic. 14 Septembre 2009. Retrieved from :
Gupta, R. (2012). Why 2012 is going to be “The Year of SoLoMo”. Eye for Travel. 4 January 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.eyefortravel.com/social-media-and-marketing/why-2012-going-be-%E2%80%9C-year-solomo%E2%80%9D
iTunes (n.c.). iComunitat by Mobext Spain. Retrieved from:
Comunitat Valenciana (2012). Information about the Region of Valencia available on your mobile. Retrieved from: http://en.comunitatvalenciana.com/aplicaciones-para-moviles/2?k=7
May K. (2010). Gen-Y Collective: Geo-location opportunities in travel. Tnooz. 31 August 2010. Retrieved from: http://www.tnooz.com/2010/08/31/geny/gen-y-collective-geo-location-opportunities-in-travel/
mTrip (2011). Mobile applications for Tourism Boards and DMO. Retrieved from: http://www.mtrip.com/white-label-travel-app/dmo-tourism-boards/
SWITCH Consulting (2011) The contributions of social geolocation in tourism. Presentation from International Tourism Symposium 2011, Switzerland. Retrieved from:
Warren R. (2012). Geolocation Apps Giving Way to Social Travel Guides. Betakit. 05 May 2012. Retrieved from: http://betakit.com/2012/05/05/geolocation-apps-giving-way-to-social-travel-guides
No comments:
Post a Comment