16 Aug 2013
Words Tim Admin

Tourism Apps - Changing the Way We Holiday

Up until a few years ago, the array of paraphernalia crammed into your average holiday maker’s backpack could be quite awe-inspiring. Invariably, there would be several badly folded maps, some dog-eared guide books, a misleading phrase book (destined to be more of a hindrance than a help), an out-of date currency converter, a note book crammed with people and places to visit, some reading material, a couple of cameras, flight and accommodation bookings and perhaps a mobile phone, to name but a few. Nowadays, all of the holiday essentials listed above can be easily accessed via one small hand-held device (or tablet, if you prefer a bigger screen). You can download the latest book by your favourite author, take great quality photos with the built-in camera or browse through any map you need via Google Maps. As such, the way in which people access information whilst travelling or on holiday is changing….and changing fast. Many of these elements are increasingly being accessed through specific purpose built applications, known as ‘apps’. Many tourism apps are quite generic and are aimed at assisting travellers in whatever far flung destination they might find themselves. The Lonely Planet has produced a series of phrasebooks apps, spanning 17 languages such as Spanish, Swahili, Japanese and Vietnamese. Each is armed with 600 common phrases for everyday situations. Although spelt phonetically, you can hit an audio button to hear the phrase read in the local dialect. Priced at $9.99 each, these are some of the most popular tourism apps on the market. Other popular apps include ‘XE’, the mobile versions of xe.com, the world’s most frequently accessed currency convertor web-site. Wherever the user can find an internet connection, they will have access to up-to-date currency conversion rates. ‘FlightTrack Pro’ is a clever app that imports real-time data directly from airlines, allowing the organized traveller to track the progress of a flight itinerary wherever they may be. There is even an app called ‘Packing’ that aims to take the stress out of holiday preparation by providing lists of essentials to ensure you don’t leave anything important behind. Major hotel chains, including Hilton, Marriott, Holiday Inn and Mandarin Oriental, were amongst the first the get involved in producing tourism apps on a corporate level. Almost all international brands now have mobile apps, aimed primarily at maximising a user’s interaction and usage with that particular brand. These apps allow you to browse through a group’s various locations, find out information on individual hotels, check availability and book rooms. At a more advanced level, users can share stories of their stay, look up information on surrounding attractions, log-in to incentive programmes, check out the latest deals and contact front desks directly. These apps are increasingly regarded by these chains as an essential way of maintaining customer loyalty. So what are we doing in Australia to keep up with this increasing trend? Tourism Australia has an in-house digital marketing team that is embracing mobile technology to assist would be travellers in planning an amazing trip to Australia, and also to help them when they get here. To date, they have produced 2 interactive, fun and highly usable apps. Travellers using the ‘OzPlanner’ app to plan their trip can access 16 suggested Australian journeys and either navigate through the journeys to see highlights, images and suggested activities, or search a range of destinations and experiences and get suggestions for their trip. The app also uses mapping technology to give users direct access to tourism product listings like tour providers, accommodation and car hire. The ‘Nothing Like Australia’ app is similar in purpose and design, but uses 3,500 annotated photos created by Australians in every corner of the country to give users a more ‘localised’ experience. Andrew McEvoy, the managing director of Tourism Australia, stated, “Mobile platforms are a great opportunity for Tourism Australia to extend its presence beyond traditional advertising and marketing to showcase the country’s diverse tourism experiences. Users of our new iPhone app will also be able to easily keep detailed holiday plans in their phone, making travel so much easier once they are here plus they will also have access to more than 20,000 tourism products and services throughout Australia.” Tourism Australia will also use the app technology to gain new insights into mobile user behaviour to tailor its marketing to this audience. Whatever your opinion, the use of mobile apps by holiday makers and travellers is on the increase and will play an increasingly important role in the success of holiday based organisations. Although most accommodation booking sites have ‘mobile enhanced’ web-sites, these are set to become even more usable and accessible through the development of purpose built mobile apps. ‘Wotif’ have stated that there first mobile app will be released soon. As holiday makers convert to these instant and mobile mediums of booking accommodation, surely the nature of booking accommodation will also change. Rather than booking well in advance, holiday makers might simply check their favourite mobile apps when they arrive at their destination to see what the best deals are and where the best spots are. Owners of holiday accommodation will have to work even harder to keep prices competitive and provide incentives. However, for those that grasp this new technology well, there is a great opportunity to get ahead of the competition.