Capturing New Data Points: Connecting with your next-generation travelers
Data is one of every Marketing Organization’s concerns. In fact, this has always been at the top of the list and explained as a challenge for most organizations. During this post-Covid era, data has now overtaken ‘awareness’ as the top priority among marketers. It’s either they don’t have enough data or they don’t have it in a manageable state or both. In contrast to this statement, commercial attractions, retailers etc. are collecting a huge amount of visitor information, however, they may struggle with management and profiling. If we look back into the visitor journey, we can see the areas most organizations can track, OTA’s, etc provide key information on how travelers get inspired and explore and book. From Initial booking (pre-travel online reviews & ticket purchasing) to arrival, activities purchased, retail data through the point of sale, accommodation reservations up to travelers connected to your wifi network, and such – the truth is there’s so much data gathered all throughout this process most organizations base they metrics from these data sources. However, what happens when travelers drive, or once they arrive at their destination that is where it becomes more complicated. Visitor centers and stopping points are great places for data but most are unable to get even 20% of travelers info. Not only is it hard in some cases to know where they come from, but where they are going and this inlies the biggest opportunity to connect the journey dots. As a quick side note local travelers, driving to locations is to increase by 37%, are you ready to capture more data? Acknowledging the Visitor Journey It is important that we first recognize the visitor journey to help destinations gather the most information. The three main stages on a visitor journey as perceived are the following: Discovery – this stage includes visitor interest and awareness; searching for destination information and former traveler’s reviews, getting recommendations from friends, or through advertisements. This stage is essential as it leads to concluding whether they would push through or just consider a different location. Engagement – this stage is when your visitors are actually on-site and enjoying the activities that were previously considered. Data is prominent during this stage as this is where you can define where travelers would spend most of their time if they have considered any attraction/experience over the other and know which interactions lead to actual retail purchases. Post-travel – most commonly the part where travelers leave their feedback (this can also be done on-site) or own personal review via social media, or other travel-reviewing sites. And then the cycle repeats itself for other travelers. The question is, how do local destinations gather data during these stages with the careful consideration of the new traveler’s demand for safety and less human-to-human interactions? It’s based on digital and taking notes from some of the biggest brands in the world. First, the Top Devices that can produce key data: Mobile- We all know how much data we share with Facebook and Amazon, now it’s your turn. Remember you have to give to get so build a good strategy and useful product. Key data: Location, Origination, Navigation, Name, Age and much other information is available if travelers find it valuable enough to share Special note try not to build an app when possible, look at alternatives like the Omni PWA, providing app features without going to the app store. Interactive Screens: Location, Location, Location is still alive but if properly placed in high traffic areas you can increase data in most cases by 30% in key locations Key Data: Email, Phone numbers from sharing, Navigation, and listings selected, see key modules for engagement below Digital Signage: Digital Billboards are worth their weight in gold, revenue is the key feature but data is a close second Provide impression rates to your advertisers and members Get better people count and utilize demographic recognition Connect your location data with digital for more revenue options Top Module or Options to capture Better visitor data Guestbook – not paper, but digital and not an iPad but look at more creative ways to empower your staff or provide interactive experiences through larger screens Photobooth- Get them engaged with your brand, provide Instagram and selfie moments with your own graphical connection, images, emojis, and more Itinerary builder- Typically this isn’t your website itinerary builder, this is a useful navigation tools that lets people find information by preferences and suggestions Interactive Trails- Educate visitors on the unique options from ale, wine, hiking and historic connect great content to check in and reward options to learn more Scavenger hunts- Get your groups engaging and provide fun for families and friends, connect locatl businesses and track coupon or other redemptions options Visitor Counters – Measure the number of individual visitors, peak times, visitor flow, density, with tools from mobile to door counters and demographic recognition Surveys/Feedback – gather essential customer information and their unbiased feedback through surveys provided at the right time and through the right device Geofencing and Beacon – Know the number of travelers who pass specific areas and gather accurate foot traffic, while providing strategic messaging for engagement Chatbots and Text – 55% of businesses that use chatbots generate more high-quality data. Ensure convenient and new ways for information and connection points Real-time Analytics – connect Kiosks, Mobile, Digital Signage and people counters to drive new points of data and combine your marketing and destination efforts Growing Tech tools, Drive Convenience and Better Data Since travelers now prefer touchless and seamless technology, travel organizations have a great opportunity to drive convenience, safety and learn more about their customers. QR codes -. QR scanning can easily connect offers/deals/listings that are posted on both printed and digital materials to their mobile. RFID Devices and Wearables – Wearable devices are becoming prevalent for travelers and can be used for commerce, check-in and property management tools Kiosks and Digital displays – Upon arrival, allow
Visitor Experience Takeaways – Longwoods Silver Linings 2020 and MMGY Futures Study
The trends are clear across research and reports industry wide – the travel industry in the US for the next two to three years will be heavily dependent on domestic tourism. As regions are moving towards varying degrees of visitor-readiness and availability of experiences, how information is shared with visitors to your destination is rapidly shifting. We know that the march towards sharing information digitally continues across all age brackets, and comfort with tap to pay and other technologies is increasing. What learnings from the present can the travel industry take action upon now to build ongoing positive growth – we’ll walk you through key takeaways from the Longwoods 2020 Silver Linings Study, and the MMGY Futures Study. LONGWOODS 2020 Silver Linings Study There were five key lessons from 2020, when considering where your opportunities lie for your in-market visitor experience the quick takeaway is: TAKEAWAY: Younger travelers are visiting new states at increasing rates, which is great news for future visitation and an opportunity to cultivate loyal return travelers. More spur of the moment car travel is happening, which means that visitors are discovering what is happening in your destination as they arrive. 1) Invest in real-time communication channels: Less research means a higher responsibility for the local hospitality community to educate visitors on current open/closed status, key popular activities and safety protocols. With the trends in outdoor activities and emerging strategies for sustainable tourism – connect your visitors with the tools to engage with the local community responsibly. Example: Historic and cultural information and video opportunities, alerts and messaging via mobile, beacons and geo-fencing ensure timely and easy interaction points. Integrate kiosks in high-traffic areas for 24×7 information, ways of scheduling and connection to brand, social UGC to inspire and educate onsite USE CASE: The state of Hawaii partnered with TrueOmni to launch digital visitor experience solutions in their visitor centers and other high-traffic areas. Connecting the dots between kiosks and a mobile app makes it easy to share real-time information and link community values to responsible sustainable travel habits for visitors – check out our Hawaii case study. 2) Visitors are on the road and dropping in to your Welcome Centers. Explore contactless technology now, visitors of all ages including this emerging younger travel group are increasingly expecting options that fit their preferences. Cash only, paper takeaways, and other mainstays of the past present your brand as dated or out of touch with current realities. As with wifi now being a standard expectation of hotel stays (Remember when it was in-room HBO?) Paper is not the past yet, but it is no longer a one-size-fits all service option. Ensure you can engage on the device and way travelers desire, look at digital sharing options and ways to utilize new touchpoints Examples to look at: mobile ticketing, reservations and payment options in-market, destination-wide host property options that connect key locations with visitor information or timely notifications. Translation technologies for in-market that support the return of international travel in coming years. Plan and think about the future of experience. USE CASE: Louisiana outfitted all Welcome Centers throughout the state with kiosks and video walls to not only connect visitors with their cultural campaigns, but provide translations to five international languages. They can connect this information from their centers to their mobile application to easily take any information with them. They are now ready to meet the needs of today’s domestic travellers and for the international rebound of the future. Check out our Louisiana case study here. MMGY FUTURES STUDY Key Takeaway: From the Disruptors Panel: “With the pending loss of third-party cookies, first-party data is key to owning your audience.” 1) It’s All About Data. Take advantage of the trend towards younger travelers and their technology preferences to use digital platforms to grow owned channels – social media, email marketing, and first-party visitor data. Data is king in the coming years as the landscape changes. The more information destinations are able to collect to understand new visitor behaviors the better they will be able to adjust their marketing strategies for long term success. Example: Tie in-market data collection to advertising spend ROI – Use kiosks for discovery, sharing, and opt-ins to digital marketing – collecting visitor emails in-market is the perfect way to understand if your online paid marketing was successful. Arriving in your destination after having viewed a digital ad certainly makes ROI clear. Example: Use the photobooth feature to promote social proof sharing, and generate new followers for your own social channels. I’m calling this feature out in particular because it’s a great example of giving your visitor a fun, customizable, shareable experience. The technology has come a long way (goodbye green screen!) – and you are truly giving your visitor something they cannot get anywhere else. 2) Content and Visitor Experience – Refining Your KPIs The number one key strategy in the Futures Study was: “ 1. Focus significant attention on content creation and dissemination strategies” A leading goal for DMO’s was identified as revisiting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) – with the aim to over the next years elevate “Visitor Satisfaction” to a top 3 goal for your destination. 3) Have a Clear Call To Action for Your In-market Channels. Drive value by delivering a unique service or experience, and visitors will be more willing to share their information and experience with you. DMO’s are still in the process of creating mechanisms to measure post-visit satisfaction. This is a new frontier for your organization to show value to your community and industry stakeholders. Visitor Profile studies are costly and time consuming, you can use digital touchpoints now to find out how your visitors are liking their visit, where they are spending their time and money, and if they intend to return. USE CASE: Salt Lake City is converting their kiosks to be purpose-dedicated. Units will have a clear call to action for either their Bandwango Passport Pass, Restaurant Reservation, Events, Visitor Info or Convention/Meeting hospitality. They have thought