Digital visitor guidance from Outdooractive: Answers to the biggest challenges in visitor management
In 2021, we all look forward to the season of travel again. With this anticipation, it is no secret that we will once again be faced with crowded hotspots once travel restrictions are lifted.
However, Outdooractive has the strategy how to counteract over-tourism challenges.
Looking forward to the time after the pandemic, the focus on digital visitor guidance will become key. The goal will be to distribute the flow of visitors in a way that’s compatible for all sides. Guests have a better experience when it’s not too crowded, and citizens don’t feel orverwhelmed. By encouraging destinations to enter closures in Outdooractive’s digital maps, they can prevent disappointment before it arises. Alternatively, travelers can make better informed desicions when planning their trips.
Responsive digital systems from Outdooractive show users the right information according to live events and context of popularity. Furthermore, users can see content that matches their interests and the increased relevance leads to better steerability through context-sensitive predictions: “If the weather is nice, all parking spaces are occupied from 8:30 a.m. and the waiting time at the mountain railroad is more than 40 minutes.” In the era of corona excursions, static information and content applications will become an outdated and counterproductive form of digital travel planning.
Outdooractive offers trip planning evaluation by analyzing click behavior on the customer’s website as well as with on-site traffic through GPS-based devices and WiFi infrastructure. Heatmaps and reporting can be used to measure success in detail, identify problems in time, and defuse conflicts.
Once the guest has left en route to their travel destination, collected real-time data will be implemented for on-site steering concepts: traffic on roads, parking lot capacities, as well as access control. Additionaly, WiFi tracking and GPS-based position tracking can be used to steer the guest within the destination once they’ve arrived.
The shift to travel locally offers new possibilites to attract new guests permanently. With the right strategies and measures, digital and real experiences can be created for everyone, which will leave longstanding positive impacts in a post-pandemic tourism industry.