Avoid overcrowded trails with digitized route suggestions
The search for routes and activities in a region nowadays mainly takes place online. This is also confirmed by a study by Bergzeit, which shows that 65% of hikers from the DACH region inform themselves about possible destinations for their excursions on online portals. Here, the best-known routes are usually presented in detail. One of the reasons for this is that tourism regions have so far focused their marketing efforts mainly on highlighting top routes. This now creates the problem that these routes are communicated, commented on and recommended via a wide variety of channels. The logical consequence is that visitors are drawn to already overcrowded routes. Thus, all visitors continue to gather on the same paths and the expected recreational effect is gone. And yet this loop can be solved so easily.
Potential visitors only need to be made aware of other routes in the region. This can be achieved if even unknown routes are adequately described and thus automatically suggested during the online search.
With the Outdooractive Business Account, destinations can create these routes in an uncomplicated and almost self-explanatory way. The more detailed the routes are described and the more information they contain, the higher they will be displayed in the search. Destinations can also integrate these digitized route descriptions on their own websites. Landing pages on the Outdooractive platform for specific activities present the diversity of the region even more clearly to the more than 11 million users (e.g. biking or hiking).
With these digital solutions, destinations can actively guide visitors along new paths and proactively avoid streams of visitors gathering in one place. It is important that DMOs become active and digitally present their regions and the offers available. This is the only way to create qualitative content that reaches potential visitors and provides sufficient information.