New technologies are transforming the ways in which turistic information is conveyed about a city and a territory, promoting new solutions for destinations with a big amout of expenses capacity.
Multiple inputs exist for designing and developing a promotional widespread system, from digital traditional tools to specific software usage.
In Italy the IAT, which stands for Informazione e Accoglienza Turistica, is a widespread system managed by municipalities and tourism boards that lets share the information to the local points and the structures where visitors are reached directly.
From a traditional modality to dissemination displays, informational corners, and the use of modern technologies, the IAT spots can amplify exponentially the operitiveness in the territory, offering accessible service everywhere and anytime.
ADVANTAGES OF WIDESPREAD IAT
The adoption of a diffuse system brings many advantages for the destination, for tour operators and visitors, like:
- Accessibility and reliability of the information
- Efficiency
- Satisfaction
- Real time updates
It a sinergic collaboration between public and private sector, to provide information, knowledge and useful materials on the territory.
HOW TO ACTIVATE IT
First of all, a destination that wants to adopt this system has to assess the necessary budget, and thanks to the specialised consulting it has to analyse the current situation and decide the long term objectives that can bring real benefits.
With the right strategies the operators can provide an accessible service anywhere and anytime, with neutrality and quality.
It also saves time and efforts to gather and manage the data within a place, for a better cooperation between operators in the territory and it creates valuable synergies.
APPS
From the experience of the tourists there is a unique and economic opportunity to explore a territory in a personal way: using apps. Many apps are made by the public sector and the private one, which let visitors to explore the city providing an itinerary and suggesting the most important points of interest, and in general they are free to use.
These apps let you discover autonomously and visit monuments, archeological sites, museums, gardens, and they even provide the possibility to read reviews and suggestions from other travelers about hidden gems in a place, which can shape your holiday in a unique experience.
The apps made by the IAT systems contain many useful information about the city and the local services like restaurants, events, hotels.
They provide interactive maps, the possibility to call the tourist points and to see where the IAT offices are located in the city.
The experience feels like a real virtual guide throughout the territory.
These digital apps also have information about specific services like the number of the police, medical consultation contacts, emergency rooms and pharmacies.
Other funny ways to explore a city using technology and the connection to the internet are through treasure hunt games and escape rooms apps, visiting a territory in a fun and interactive way.
The escape room apps let you walk through the city while competing against other users to get points solving enigmas and completing tasks and challenges.
These use of cooperation and technology give visitors the opportunity to either have a face-to-face conversation with guides and staff at info points to ask for suggestions and receive paper materials, while instead through digital apps travelers can live a more interactive and funny experience.