travel umbrella what problem did the innovation solve

Inventing the Perfect Umbrella

Will a Japanese designer’s new take on umbrellas catch on where others have failed?

Tuan C. Nguyen

Umbrellas shield people from the rain, but the current design is far from perfect. They fold down into soaked, dripping messes, crumple when hit by powerful blasts of wind and fail to safeguard us from muddy puddle splashes.

Recently, a handful of designers have put forth their best revisionist ideas for shoring up some of these deficiencies. There’s the Rain Shield , which features an enlarged canopy that extends, sort of like a tail on a tuxedo, down one side. This extra coverage guards against incoming splash while also preventing forceful gusts from catching the inside of the umbrella. The Rainshader resembles a blown-up motorcycle helmet (without the face guard). Hugging the user's head, this version is designed to not interfere with people's views at crowded events like concerts or games and to prevent poking others. The Senz umbrella , another oddly-shaped reboot that comes in the shape of a stealth fighter, is aerodynamically formulated to channel wind flow across the surface, in a way that won't cause it to flip over. The company claims the Senz can withstand winds of up to 70 mph.

None of these improvements, however, has the makings of a true evolutionary leap for the old school rain cover—at least not yet. Each concept, while mitigating one flaw, propagates others. For example, the Rain Shield's unorthodox shape requires that the user skillfully twists it down to size, similar to folding down those mesh pop-up hampers. Using a Rainshader can feel a bit confining while appearing to others as if you're wearing a " nylon mullet ." And if you're thinking of sharing the Senz umbrella with someone else, forget about it. Coverage is entirely lopsided.

The latest to try his hand at a 2.0 version is Japanese designer Hiroshi Kajimoto. With the collapsing frame on the outside, his new creation, the inside out folding UnBRELLA, is not only better at resisting wind, but also folds upward to keep the wet surface inside and away from yourself and others. The ability to quickly funnel and drain the excess water also means you'll have more space in the living room, without an array of open wet umbrellas left out to dry. It even stands up to drip dry.

The most obvious drawback, however, is that, when folded, it nearly doubles the length of a conventional umbrella. Again, there's something about these efforts to revolutionize a tool that's been around and has remained, at its core, mostly unchanged for a millennium that comes off like trying to reinvent the wheel. It's understandably tempting for designers to try their hand at something that's intuitively simple enough, yet has befuddled numerous imaginative minds before them. The Telegraph has even called the challenge to improve the umbrella the holy grail of amateur inventors .

"The rewards for whoever improves the umbrella are substantial," writes Susan Orlean in the New Yorker . "The annual retail market in the United States alone is now $348 million—about 33 million umbrellas. The rest of the world, including many cultures where umbrellas are used both as rain protection and as sun shade, consumes many millions more."

But perhaps, when it comes down to it, people have grown too accustomed to the distinguished aesthetic of a perfectly circular hat on a stick that simply opens and folds when we need it. They'd like it to stay cheaply disposable enough to forget in taxi cabs, parties and other public nooks. Maybe, it's fine the way it is.

"It’s hard to improve on the umbrella," writes designer Charles Lim at Crooked Pixels . "A better umbrella would have to be easier to recycle or repair, or would be constructed from carbon fibre to make it both durable and light. But why even bother? Umbrellas are perfect because of their price and size. It’s a satisfied and dry market."

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Tuan C. Nguyen | READ MORE

Tuan C. Nguyen is a Silicon Valley-based journalist specializing in technology, health, design and innovation. His work has appeared in ABCNews.com, NBCNews.com, FoxNews.com, CBS' SmartPlanet and LiveScience.

clock This article was published more than  6 years ago

The physics behind this odd-looking, ‘stormproof umbrella’ from the Netherlands

There are few places in the world more hazardous for umbrellas than the Netherlands, a country under constant assault by stiff winds and pelting rain.

Like many Dutch natives, Gerwin Hoogendoorn had grown accustomed to replacing broken umbrellas after storms. But after losing three umbrellas in a week, Hoogendoorn — a master’s student studying industrial design and engineering at the time — decided he’d had enough.

“After doing some research I discovered 1.1 billion umbrellas are thrown away each year — the equivalent weight of 70,000 elephants,” the 38-year-old said. “I was fed up and I decided I had to solve this problem.”

After analyzing dozens of broken umbrellas he’d collected from trash bins after rain storms, Hoogendoorn had an epiphany: The key to designing a better umbrella wasn’t blocking the wind, but using it to his advantage. A year-round windsurfer since the age of eight, Hoogendoorn realized he understood this concept instinctively.

With little more than some glue and his grandmother’s sewing machine, an early prototype of the Senz umbrella was born. Capable of withstanding gusts up to 70 mph — according to the company — the aerodynamic umbrella looks like some combination of a Stealth bomber and a Batman cape and is designed to stabilize in high winds instead of crumpling.

Nine days after going on sale in October 2006, Hoogendoorn and two partners who brought the device to market had already sold 10,000 umbrellas, running out of stock completely. And now Hoogendoorn’s “stormproof” umbrella has become a regular sight on Dutch streets and has recently appeared on a top umbrella list in the United States in part because of its unique design.

Umbrellas range from pocket-size to contraptions large enough to cover your deck and have changed little in several thousand years. References to “parasols” date to ancient Egypt, Greece, India and Rome.

The best umbrellas, according to style and travel experts

“Since the appearance of first silk umbrellas in China, they represented true works of art and were because of that limited only to wealthy merchants, noble families, and royals,” according to Umbrellahistory.net. “Created from frames of mulberry bark and bamboo that is at least five years old, Chinese workers painted the silk top with various designs of dragons, nature, landscapes, animals, figures, flowers, scenes from their mythology, and writings.”

The problem with most umbrellas, as any storm survivor will attest, is that an umbrella’s hinges — which give it retractability — are also the devices’ weakest point, making the umbrella vulnerable to strong winds that fill the canopy. If a powerful gust of wind doesn’t flip an umbrella over entirely, it’s likely to break the hinges and turn the umbrella inside-out.

While the Senz has a unique design, there has been criticism. Some users have complained that its odd shape makes it difficult to store and unable to shield more than one person at a time from rain.

Hoogendoorn designed the Senz to redirect the wind, allowing the umbrella to float on the strong gust like a kite. He also removed hinges from his design and replaced them with sturdy ribbing that’s nearly impossible to turn inside-out.

When wind rushes beneath the Senz, the umbrella stabilizes instead of flipping. The company has demonstrated the umbrella’s strength by placing employees in wind tunnels and turning them on full blast.

The front of the umbrella angles upward so the user’s view isn’t obstructed and the Senz lacks the pointed tips that put pedestrian’s eyes at risk of being poked. The handle allows the umbrella to turn on its own when it encounters wind.

Hoogendoorn claims he can hold the umbrella with only two fingers without trouble in winds up to 40 mph.

“Our umbrella is different,” Hoogendoorn said. “If the wind gets underneath, then its catches the backside of the umbrella, causing it to turn into the same direction of the wind. This is what you want because the rain is almost always coming from the direction of the wind.”

“Like a windsurfer,” Hoogendoorn added, “the idea is to use the wind to your advantage.”

MORE READING: 

‘Looks lame anyway’: Elon Musk just deleted Facebook pages of Tesla, SpaceX — on a dare.

What autonomous vehicle companies are doing in the wake of Sunday’s fatal Uber crash

The unexpected thing that happens inside Waymo’s self-driving minivans

11 Interesting Things About the Umbrella

• No less than 11 patents have been filed for umbrellas that are incorporated into a backpack of some kind. (Some of these are seen in the image at the top of the page.)
• The annual market for umbrellas, in the United States alone, is around $350 million
• Most Chinese umbrellas are manufactured in the town of Songxia, population 110,000. The city produces 350 million umbrellas a year . Each worker is expected to sew  40 umbrellas an hour
• You know when you almost get your eye poked out by an umbrella and you think, "Jesus! You are going to take out somebody's eye with that thing, you golf-umbrella loving a-hole!" Well, you're right to be afraid. Sometimes people do get seriously injured by umbrella spokes. The authors of one 1990 Japanese paper on umbrella injuries conclude, "We hope the fact that umbrella tips can easily become life-threatening objects will come to the attention of the general public so that similar cases may be avoided."
• There is an Umbrella Cover Museum on an island off the coast of Maine. It's run by a woman named Nancy 3. Hoffman, who changed her middle name from Arlene to the integer in 1992. Hoffman plays the accordion and wrote a Barack Obama Polka (video).
• The first boom in umbrella innovation occurred in the early 19th century. According to an early historian of the umbrella, Louis Octave Uzanne, "From 1808 to 1851 alone, we can reckon more than 103 patents for inventions and improvements relating to Umbrellas and Sunshades." Those improvements including an umbrella that was also a telescope and an umbrella that contained a pen. Uzanne found these inventions "genially grotesque," but he missed that one of them -- a method for manufacturing an umbrella that "opened itself" by "means of a mechanism placed inside the handle" -- would come to dominate umbrella technology.
• Though umbrellas (and their sunny cousins parasols) are believed to have thousands of years of history, the folding umbrella was only created in 1928 .
• In 1991, the artist Christo installed giant yellow umbrellas in a California mountain pass. On October 26, wind blew over one of the 485-pound umbrellas, killing a woman .
• One John Wilkes (not John Wilkes Booth) sent Abraham Lincoln a letter in 1864 requesting "a few dollars to buy a new [umbrella]" after Wilkes had broken his at a political meeting at the "Mozart Hall." The Ohio citizen wanted the money because even though he was "a hard working man" he couldn't afford one -- and he'd voted for Lincoln. Nothing in the historical record suggests that Lincoln was of the habit of buying random people umbrellas, nor is it clear why Wilkes would think that he would.
• Those little cocktail umbrellas that come in tiki drinks? They date to the first half of the 20th century, very roughly.
• Bulgarian defector Georgi Markov was murdered by an assassin wielding a poison-tipped umbrella while standing on Waterloo Bridge in London in 1978.

The Umbrella Problem: Time for Business Model Innovation?

In an article for the Wall Street Journal , Anjali Athavaley recently described why it is so hard to design an umbrella that won’t collapse or flip inside out . It’s not that companies aren’t trying – they are experimenting with space-age materials, testing umbrellas in high-tech wind tunnels and even consulting experts in aerodynamics to find a "perfect" umbrella that doesn’t flip inside out on a particularly gusty day. Any incremental improvements, of course, come with costs.

Once you get to the $20 price point for an umbrella, there does appear to be some improvement in umbrella performance, and at the $100 price point, you can build a superior canopy-style umbrella. However, the problem (from the perspective of umbrella manufacturers) is that consumers are only willing to plunk down $6 for a cheap throwaway umbrella. Once you get to the $100 price point, the size of the umbrella becomes so enormous that it’s completely impractical for anyone other than golfers.

Let’s call it the Umbrella Problem . Manufacturers say that "they have had a tough time innovating because most people aren’t willing to pay much for an umbrella." As a result, they are locked into a design mindset that "hasn’t changed in centuries." Even the director of product development at umbrella-maker Totes admits that "[the umbrella] is an archaic thing… it’s fundamentally a stick with spokes with a piece of cloth on it."

Putting all of this together, I’ve been thinking of a radically new business model for umbrella manufacturers that borrows heavily from the world of (yes) disposable razor blades and disposable ink cartridges. Companies like HP are brilliant at getting consumers to plunk over hundreds of dollars for a new printer, and then buy new ink cartridges on a fairly regular basis (but not so regular that they get too annoyed). In fact, HP makes more money from selling print cartridges than it does from selling printers. Everybody benefits — HP makes lots o’ cash, while consumers feel that they have a state-of-the-art machine that does exactly what they want.

How could this model be applied to the world of umbrellas? I’m thinking that companies like Totes Isotoner could develop expensive, state-of-the-art "sticks and spokes" (for $100+) and then sell consumers cheap, disposable "pieces of cloth" that fit onto these "stick-and-spokes" (for less than $6). Of course, they wouldn’t be able to call them "pieces of cloth" — they’d have to call them something like "Mach II Rain Canopies." People wouldn’t lose these "sticks and spokes" like they do umbrellas because they would be able to carry them in their bags and briefcases without getting everything wet.

Another idea might be to partner with a company like London Fog to offer a "total rain protection system." A consumer buys a pair of rubber boots, a rain jacket and maybe a rain hat, all for a very expensive price. Then, the manufacturer kicks in the umbrella as a "freebie." Anytime, a consumer loses his or her umbrella, they contact the company with a special code and receive a new one free (up to, say, a maximum of 6). The key is that the expensive "rain protection system" subsidizes the cost of the umbrella. Consumers feel like the umbrella is free, but they are instead paying for the coat, boots and jackets. When consumers have already committed hundreds of dollars to a particular brand of "rain protection system," they have a vested interest in getting the umbrella from the same company and not wandering off to another competitor.

In short, the solution might just be business model innovation , not product innovation .

Any other ideas for how innovative companies can solve the Umbrella Problem using business model innovation?

[image: Wall Street Journal ]

Original Post:  http://endlessinnovation.typepad.com/endless_innovation/2010/05/how-can-innovators-solve-the-umbrella-problem.html

• business model innovation , Dominic Basulto , product innovation
• May 30, 2010

Dominic Basulto

• Occupation: Digital Strategist
• Organisation: Electric Artists
• Digital thinker at Electric Artists, a leading independent digital brand management and strategy agency, specializing in creative ideas and strategic web 2.0 direction
• Prior to Electric Artists, Editor of FORTUNE magazine’s Business Innovation Insider
• Director of Editorial Strategy at Corante.com, one of the first blog content companies in the USA ; consulting and editorial engagements with various online publishing companies
• He shares his thoughts on innovation on the Big Think Endless Innovation blog and is working on a new book on innovation called “Endless Innovation, Most Beautifuland Most Wonderful.”
• He is also a contributor to The Washington Post’s Ideas@Innovations blog .

Personal credo: Re-mix. Re-invent. Re-think.

• Endless Innovation
• http://www.dominicbasulto.com/

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All Tech Considered

Weekly innovation: an umbrella for the modern age.

Samantha Raphelson

Justin Nagelberg uses the Sa umbrella in New York City. By replacing the metal skeleton with two canopies, the design is lighter and has more headroom. Courtesy of Justin Nagelberg hide caption

Justin Nagelberg uses the Sa umbrella in New York City. By replacing the metal skeleton with two canopies, the design is lighter and has more headroom.

Everyone hates the sheer agony of an umbrella flipping inside out in a windy rainstorm. Even with the best umbrellas, this happens all too often.

Justin Nagelberg feels your pain. His new umbrella, the Sa , totally shakes up the umbrella's tired design. To put the project in motion, Nagelberg teamed up with Matthew Waldman, founder of the New York design lab Nooka , whom he met at a design conference in Tokyo a few years ago. Pledges to help fund the project have reached nearly $60,000 on Kickstarter, almost twice the original goal.

"I kind of felt like the normal umbrella structure was so complicated and so ugly," Nagelberg says. "I wanted to update that for the modern era."

It's just like "sewing machines or devices that were built like a hundred years ago and we haven't really modernized them yet," he adds.

The Sa completely shakes up the umbrella's centuries-old design. Based on origami, the Sa has inner and outer canopies that expand and retract in unison. The inner canopy replaces the inner metal skeleton, making the umbrella lighter and allowing for more headroom.

The umbrella is made out of waterproof plastic and is flexible enough that it will bounce back in high winds.

The Sa's inner and outer canopies expand and retract in unison. Courtesy of Justin Nagelberg hide caption

The Sa's inner and outer canopies expand and retract in unison.

"It's really durable because of the truncated hexagon shape," Nagelberg says. "It works somewhat like a pyramid. The planes also stop the structure from expanding beyond its fully open size. This is exceptionally strong when wind comes from underneath the umbrella, making it really hard, if not impossible, to blow inside out."

Six guide panels along the outer edges of the canopy protect the umbrella in strong storms.

"Also, the controlling arms, those six long, narrow rectangular planes, can be reinforced to really ensure a strong structure," he says.

For anyone who has ever struggled getting an umbrella opened and closed, the Sa is also one of the first umbrellas to use an internalized mechanism instead of having locking points along the stem. The umbrella is opened by twisting the bottom of the handle and closed by pulling the handle outward. Magnets embedded along the panels close it tight.

Nagelberg says the Sa should last a long time because it is made out of recyclable plastic and has no exposed metal that could rust.

Because of the origami inspiration, the name "Sa" comes from three Japanese words: "kasa," which means umbrella, "same," which is a word for rain, and "sasu," which is the verb used to describe holding an umbrella.

No Rain On His Parade: Parisian Preserves Art Of Umbrella Repair

Nagelberg began designing the Sa a few years ago because he was frustrated with the problems of traditional umbrellas. Once he had the idea, it took him four months to develop the prototype.

"I had the idea a long time ago to make an umbrella that would rotate when you open and close it," Nagelberg says. "I wanted shapes that would use panels in a way that would create motion."

The Sa will be launched in March 2015 and will cost $89, Nagelberg says. [An early limited edition sold for $69.] If they reach $100,000 on Kickstarter, he would like to start work on a simpler, compact version.

"It would be ideal for unexpected rainstorms or just people who want to enjoy the design but can't afford the price of the standard version," he says.

In our " Weekly Innovation " blog series, we explore an interesting idea, design or product that you may not have heard of yet. Do you have an innovation to share? Use this quick form .

Samantha Raphelson is a digital news intern at NPR.org. You can reach out to her on Twitter , where she is often tweeting obsessively about the Foo Fighters and the Phillies.

Clarification Oct. 23, 2014

A previous version of this post said the Sa will cost $69. A limited edition version for early Kickstarter pledges was offered for $69, but the standard version will cost $89. Developer Justin Nagelberg says he also hopes to create another version for under $20.

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The 10 Best Travel Umbrellas of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Trust us: getting stuck in a downpour will not have you singing in the rain.

In This Article

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Travel + Leisure/Elena Garcia

Today’s forecast calls for never getting caught in the rain. Whether you’re exploring bustling city streets, trekking through scenic landscapes, or simply commuting to work, having the right travel umbrella can make all the difference in staying dry and comfortable. From lightweight and compact options ideal for keeping in a bag at all times to larger umbrellas that can cover both you and your travel partner, we've rounded up the best umbrellas to suit every traveler's needs. 

Our Travel + Leisure team tested 18 travel umbrellas to assess ease of use, protection, durability, portability, and value. We evaluated and compared each option based on overall construction, packability, performance in wet weather and windy conditions, coverage, drying time, and sturdiness. (Read more about our comprehensive testing process below). We will continue testing our picks for six more months to ensure each option’s reliability and durability, and we will update this article if anything should change. Scroll down below to find your next travel umbrella guaranteed to make sure you never get caught in the rain.

Best Overallf

Weatherman travel umbrella.

We were impressed by this umbrella’s performance and sturdiness.

The price tag is worth it — but not if you’re prone to losing umbrellas.

There’s nothing quite as humbling as an umbrella that flips inside out at the slight whisper of wind, leaving you awkwardly trying to flip it back as you stand in the rain, but this Weatherman umbrella proved its worth during testing. Our team member took this product out during an intense storm in San Francisco akin to a hurricane complete with “purple winds,” and this umbrella stepped up to the challenge like a true hero. It made it through strong winds and rough handling like a champ without popping inside out. Our tester reported back, “It felt like the wind was going to pick me off the ground and the umbrella survived that!”

It also dried quickly and showed no signs of wear. The grip was comfortable, and the umbrella provided ample protection from the rain. Weighing under a pound and just shy of a foot long when unopened, it’s the perfect size to throw into a bag or backpack without feeling like it’s even there. The color options are impressive with 11 styles to choose from, ranging from classic black to fluorescent pink. When it comes to weathering storms with style and reliability, this umbrella takes the cake, leaving flimsy alternatives in the dust. It’s a worthwhile investment, but if you’re notorious for misplacing umbrellas, then you may want to think twice — or at least be extra careful.

The Details: 11.8 inches (closed) | 38-inch diameter (open) | 14 ounces | Fiberglass frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Elena Garcia

Best Compact

Davek mini umbrella.

This is the smallest, most lightweight option on our list.

This umbrella is not suitable for more than one person.

Compact and lightweight, the Davek Mini Umbrella is the perfect choice to bring anywhere with you as an “emergency” umbrella, slipping effortlessly into coat pockets or fanny packs without weighing you down. We were impressed that this option is only seven inches long when not in use (for reference, that’s as tall as an iPhone 13 Pro Max). Despite its smaller size, its robust mechanics, sturdiness, quality, and forecasted longevity make it a worthy investment at $60.  Plus, with a range of 10 vibrant colors to choose from, it adds a touch of fun to rainy days. This umbrella is perfect for solo strolls but not ideal for sharing with a friend — unless you're comfortable with a little cozy closeness.

The Details: 7 inches (closed) | 34-inch diameter (open) | 8 ounces | Fiberglass frame | Manual

Travel + Leisure / Maddy Baker

Best for Two People

Shedrain jumbo compact umbrella.

This umbrella provides more than ample coverage for two people.

We wish the handle was longer, although that’s not a deal breaker.

Bigger isn’t always better, but in this case, it might very well be. Despite its jumbo size, this umbrella is easy to handle and comfortably fits two individuals. With a spacious canopy and sturdy construction, it's a reliable shield against the elements, even boasting windproof capabilities up to 75 mph. It is on the longer side at 15 inches when closed, but it’s still compact enough to fit in a small carry-on suitcase . We love that it comes with a rubber wristlet so you can easily throw it on your wrist or hook it onto the outside of your bag when not in use. Bonus points: it only takes this umbrella about 10 minutes to fully air dry. 

The Details: 15 inches (closed) | 54-inch diameter (open) | 1.35 pounds | Steel frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Alicia Dolieslager

Best Quick-Dry

Totes titan umbrella.

Overall, we recommend this umbrella for its portability, durability, and ease of use, in addition to standing out as a top choice for water repellency and fast drying.

We would suggest improving the closing mechanics for a smoother operation.

Say goodbye to leaving your soaking wet umbrella out to dry overnight. The standout feature of this umbrella is how quick it dries after use, only needing minutes to fully dry. Despite facing moderate rain and strong winds of 25-28 mph, this umbrella held its ground admirably. Its one-handed, button-operated opening proved to be smooth, though closing required a bit more force. With a generous 43-inch canopy, it provided ample coverage for one person. The sturdy frame and solid mechanics withstood the wind during testing, offering a secure grip with its textured handle. Compact and lightweight at just 11 inches when folded, it's easily portable for on-the-go use. 

The Details: 11 inches (closed) | 43-inch diameter (open) | Aluminum frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Gemma Scott

Most Affordable

Sy compact travel umbrella.

For how compact it is, we were impressed at how wide the canopy was when open, providing great coverage from getting wet.

Minor improvements could include enlarging the closure loop for easier fastening.

If you’re searching for affordability, durability, and style, then look no further. As the most budget-friendly option on this list, this umbrella impressed with its user-friendly design and effectiveness in repelling water. Its easy one-button opening and closing mechanism, though requiring a bit of muscle to fully close, was easy to operate. The comfortable handle added to its appeal, enhancing grip and comfort. Portable and lightweight, it easily fits into various bags without adding bulk. There are multiple colors and prints to choose from, providing an option for every taste. 

The Details: 10.8 inches (closed) | 37.5-inch diameter (open) | 12.2 ounces | Aluminum frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Cara Milhaven

Best Inverted Design

Siepasa inverted reverse upside down umbrella.

This umbrella is lightweight, sturdy, and reliable when it’s windy.

Given the inverted design, it is too large to fit into an average backpack, tote, or carry-on suitcase.

There are a whopping 44 design options to choose from with this stylish umbrella, featuring a solid color, print, or pattern on the inside of the canopy. We thought it was too large to carry in most day-to-day bags, but it would make a great option to keep in a car. In fact, its inverted design makes it especially easy to close when entering a car, while the button-operated opening mechanism provides smooth and hassle-free operation.

It does also offer hands-free carrying options, such as an oval handle for convenient wrist or bag strap attachment. Some users may find the smooth plastic handle difficult to grip for extended periods. However, the umbrella's ability to stand on its own was a standout feature, adding convenience when setting it down. Despite its lightweight and slim profile, it offered ample coverage for one or even two people, with sturdy construction that held up well against gusts of wind during testing. For what you pay, you get a lightweight, incredibly sturdy umbrella that is easy to use and reliable in the wind.

The Details: 31 inches (closed) | 49-inch diameter (open) | Fiberglass frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Elise Wang

Most Stylish

Gustbuster automatic umbrella.

You can add a custom metal engraving on The Metro’s hardwood handle for a stylish detail.

This umbrella is better suited to fit in a backpack or tote than a smaller purse or pocket.

Have you ever considered adding a personal touch to your umbrella? Well, now you can with the option to engrave on this Gustbuster option. While it is considered a splurge, the ability to customize your umbrella adds a unique flair to an everyday item and also makes a great gift option. We love this umbrella for its ease of use and impressive water repellency. With a simple button operation and secure Velcro closure, it offers convenience and security, although its slightly larger size may make it bulkier to carry compared to smaller travel-size umbrellas. Despite its larger dimensions, it provides ample coverage for one person and possibly two, thanks to its durable construction and sturdy materials.

The Details: 16 inches (closed) | 43-inch diameter (open) | 1.1 pounds | Alloy steel frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Sophie Mendel

Best Prints

Shedrain compact umbrella.

Lightweight and compact, it fits easily into various bags, making it a versatile choice.

This umbrella is best for one person.

Pick up this ShedRain umbrella if you want to brighten up a sad, rainy day. This travel umbrella comes in a variety of punchy prints, from colorful florals to bold patterns. In terms of performance, the umbrella excelled in repelling rainwater, offering sufficient coverage for one adult and possibly two, although they would need to be close together. While not tested in extremely windy conditions, it still proved sturdy and durable, drying off quickly after we used it, with no signs of wear. Lightweight and compact, it fits easily into various bags, making it versatile for different situations. Priced at under $20, we’d say it’s an affordable option to add to your inventory of travel accessories.

The Details: 12 inches (closed) | 42-inch diameter (open) | 13.6 ounces | Fiberglass frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Anna Mejorada

EEZ-Y Compact Travel Umbrella

This umbrella offers excellent value for its quality and design, outperforming some more expensive brands.

While the umbrella's compact size is convenient for portability, it does not provide sufficient coverage for multiple people during heavy rainfall.

Four words: ballin’ on a budget. With its simple yet functional build and impressive performance compared to pricier alternatives, this travel umbrella earned our praise and recommendation as a budget-friendly, reliable choice for rainy days. Its automatic push-button opening mechanism, ergonomic handle, and compact size made it easy and comfortable to use during testing. Despite its small size when closed, it provides surprisingly ample coverage when open, suitable for one person. The umbrella's quality surpasses typical travel-size umbrellas, with sturdy construction and wind-resistant design. We found that it effectively repelled water and dried quickly after use, maintaining its functionality and appearance after we used it during light rainstorms. Highly portable and lightweight, it fits easily into various bags without taking up much space.

The Details: 11 inches (closed) | 42-inch diameter (open) | 14.4 ounces | Fiberglass frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Henry Yung

Best for Sun Protection

Sport-brella versa-brella.

This umbrella’s best feature is its versatility, making it a highly adaptable option for providing shade in various outdoor settings.

It's a clamp-on model, so it's not intended to be used as a handheld umbrella.

Did somebody say beach day? This umbrella is best to take on the go to the beach, pool, park, or anywhere you think you’ll need some extra shade. This umbrella has a 1.5-inch clamp that will hold onto anything, making it versatile for any outdoor situation. While primarily designed for sun protection, it proved durable and provided satisfactory rain coverage for one person, although the lopsided design (one half of the umbrella is longer than the other) required adjustments in windy conditions. The material is durable, but we found that the frame can be flimsy depending on what it's attached to.

The Details: 36 inches (closed) | 42-inch diameter (open) | 1.8 pounds | Aluminum frame | Auto-open

Travel + Leisure / Kimberly Souza

Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp

Other Travel Umbrellas We Liked

Three additional travel umbrellas we tested couldn’t quite earn a spot on our list due to minor issues but still had notable features that may meet the needs of some travelers.

Blunt Metro Umbrella : It’s clear that this umbrella’s structure provides durability, but despite its quality build, we found it to be too large for daily commuting and travel. However, this could be an excellent option to keep at home.

Samsonite Windguard Auto Umbrella : The umbrella's durability and quality materials make it feel sturdy and capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions, providing reliable protection. However, it requires significant force to close, which could be challenging for individuals with limited hand or arm strength. It also only comes in one color option: black.

EuroSchirm Swing Liteflex Ultra-light Weight Trekking Umbrella : This umbrella has a lightweight design and spacious canopy that accommodates two people comfortably, but the high price point and elongated size of the collapsed umbrella limits its portability and affordability compared to other travel umbrellas on the market.

Our T+L team tested 18 travel umbrellas in everyday scenarios to assess ease of use, protection, durability, portability, and value. We followed a comprehensive examination to evaluate each option, including overall construction, packability, performance in wet weather and windy conditions, coverage, drying time, and sturdiness. We used the umbrellas in a variety of practical scenarios, including rainy and windy days, and tested them while commuting to and from work to determine functionality, versatility, and durability. 

We took notes on how easy it was to open and close the umbrellas and their portability in different sized bags. Special attention was paid to the durability and quality of the umbrellas’ materials, including the fabric, wire structure, handle, and pole, to assess long-term resilience. In wet weather conditions, the umbrellas’ performance was evaluated in terms of its coverage, sturdiness, and comfort. Assessments include whether the umbrella adequately protects from rain, its size when fully open, the comfort of the handle, and stability in windy conditions. If exposed to rain, we also took notes on the time it took for the umbrella to dry completely and any signs of wear and tear. Some options did not make this list due to low-quality materials that blew inside out too easily and didn’t offer adequate coverage in the rain.

Our long-term plan includes testing these umbrellas for an additional six months to monitor each umbrella’s performance and durability in different travel scenarios and weather conditions. As we continue to test the umbrellas in various real-world settings, we will take notes on portability, practicality, and durability, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of each travel umbrella’s reliability. We will update these results if our findings should change and as we test new umbrellas.

Tips for Buying Travel Umbrellas

Think about how compact you need it to be.

Before purchasing the travel umbrella that is best for you, take a moment and think about your intended use. Determine whether you need the umbrella for occasional travel or everyday use, as this will influence factors like durability and portability. Assess whether the dimensions — especially the length of it when not in use — and weight of the umbrella suit your preferred method of carrying it, whether in a pocket, purse, backpack, or by its strap/handle.

We recommend opting for umbrellas that are specifically designed for travel since they are often more compact and lightweight compared to regular umbrellas. Additionally, pay attention to the dimensions of the umbrella when it’s fully open. Some travel umbrellas are designed for one person, while others are larger and suitable for two. Choose the size that best fits your needs, whether you prefer individual coverage or sharing with a travel companion.

Prioritize durable materials

When you're on the hunt for a travel umbrella, don't forget about durability. Look out for ones that have durable materials to ensure longevity and reliable performance, including fiberglass, aluminum, or sturdy steel for the frame and ribs. (Pro tip: all of our recommendations on this list are made from one of these three materials.) A strong canopy fabric, preferably with water-repellent coatings, adds to the umbrella's durability and weather resistance.

And, don’t overlook the quality of the handle and grip, as this will make or break your rainy day travels. Choose options with handles made from comfortable, non-slip materials like rubber or foam, ensuring a secure hold even in wet conditions. Ergonomic designs further enhance comfort during prolonged use.

Look for useful features

When purchasing a travel umbrella, look for useful features that enhance convenience and functionality. Consider umbrellas with a carrying strap that allows you to loop it around your wrist while walking, keeping your hands free for other tasks. A rubberized handle provides a secure grip, especially in rainy conditions, reducing the risk of slippage.

Opt for umbrellas with alternate designs such as inverted umbrellas or those made from Teflon-coated materials. Inverted umbrellas fold inward, trapping water inside and preventing drips when closed, while Teflon-coated fabrics repel water and facilitate quicker drying, ideal for on-the-go use.

Additionally, consider other features like automatic open and close mechanisms for effortless operation, windproof designs with reinforced frames and vents to withstand strong winds, and UV protection for added sun safety during outdoor activities.

The ideal diameter for a travel umbrella depends on personal preference and intended use, but a common diameter range for travel umbrellas is between 36 to 42 inches when fully opened. This size provides a balance between compactness for portability and sufficient coverage to protect against rain. 

If you plan on using the umbrella for two people, a diameter closer to 48 inches or more would provide sufficient coverage for both individuals. Ultimately, the best diameter for a travel umbrella is one that suits your specific needs and preferences while offering adequate protection from the elements.

An umbrella is considered windproof when it's designed and constructed to withstand strong wind gusts without flipping inside out or breaking. Several key features contribute to making an umbrella windproof, including a sturdy frame and a flexible and durable canopy material that can withstand wind pressure without tearing or collapsing. Even automatic open and close mechanisms ensure quick deployment and retraction, enabling the umbrella to be easily deployed even in sudden gusts of wind.

Yes, you can bring an umbrella on a plane. According to the TSA , umbrellas are allowed for both carry-on and checked baggage, as long as you adhere to size and weight restrictions. In this case, we recommend packing a portable, compact umbrella to avoid any potential hold ups during a security screening.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

An expert on shopping trends and a frequent traveler, Maddie Michalik has been professionally reviewing products since 2014. For this story, she combed through T+L’s detailed testing insights for various travel umbrellas, reading through testing feedback for each umbrella, then referenced product descriptions and additional research to create a comprehensive roundup of the best travel umbrellas today.

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Related Travel Research

Travel innovation and technology trends 2021.

Free for Open Access Subscribers

Each year, Phocuswright publishes a content series that identifies some of the most significant trends in travel technology and distribution for the upcoming year and beyond. Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the travel industry and forced suppliers and intermediaries alike to rethink their focus. Innovation in travel is more important than ever, and technology will play a pivotal role in market recovery and transformation. This report features introductions to the following topics that will be explored throughout the year:

• End-to-End Touchless Journeys
• For Real Recovery, Digitization Is a Must
• Health and Immunity Passports: Can Travel Get it Right?
• Traveler Health and Safety: Tech to the Rescue
• AI in Travel: Separating Reality From Rhetoric
• The Decentralized Computing Future

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The Umbrella Revolution: How a Simple Invention Impacted Society

Introduction:

The Umbrella Revolution is not a historical event, but rather a metaphorical representation of how a seemingly simple invention has made a significant impact on society. The umbrella, originally created to shield people from rain and sun, has evolved into an iconic symbol with a wide range of cultural, social, and political implications. This article explores how the umbrella's journey from a basic tool to a multifaceted symbol reflects its transformative role in shaping various aspects of society.

The Evolution of the Umbrella:

The history of the umbrella can be traced back thousands of years to ancient civilizations in Egypt, Greece, and China. Originally made from natural materials like palm leaves and silk, the umbrella has evolved through innovations in design, materials, and functionality. Its progression from a simple rain and sun protection tool to a versatile accessory represents the adaptability and ingenuity of human creativity.

Cultural Symbolism:

In different cultures, the umbrella holds unique symbolism and meaning. In some societies, it represents protection and security, while in others, it signifies royalty and authority. The umbrella's presence in religious rituals, traditional ceremonies, and folklore showcases its integration into the fabric of society, transcending mere practicality.

Societal Impact:

Beyond its physical functionality, the umbrella has played a crucial role in shaping various societal movements. For example, during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, umbrellas became a symbol of resistance against racial segregation, as activists used them to shield themselves from hostility and violence. In other instances, umbrellas have been used in protests around the world as a tool to safeguard protesters from tear gas and police aggression, becoming a powerful emblem of defiance and unity.

• Azerbaijani
• Scots Gaelic
• Kinyarwanda

Innovations in travel and tourism industry

What is innovation in travel and tourism?

Innovation in the travel and tourism industry can take many different forms. It essentially refers to the many ways in which businesses and corporations update the experience that customers and tourists have when traveling. 

Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, travel has been virtually non-existent. Although in some cases, individuals had the opportunity to travel within their own countries, international travel was impossible for most in order to prevent the spread of the virus.  However, as travel plans are slowly starting to pick back up and we are beginning to make our way into a post-pandemic world, those working in the travel sector and tourism sector are trying to come up with new innovations to improve future travel. 

But how exactly can travel companies build on and improve the existing experience? Many of the new innovations in the travel sector reside in the technological field as the travel and tourism industry is firmly placing itself in the 21st century digital age. Travel companies are therefore integrating technology into hotel rooms, room service, and booking platforms amongst many other aspects. 

Why is innovation important in tourism?

The tourism industry is one of the main engines of the world economy. It is constantly changing to respond to the fluctuating needs of customers so technology innovation is present in all the scopes of tourism. 

The travel and tourism industry needs to continuously adopt innovative strategies in order to make tourism businesses more efficient, keep costs down and maintain a competitive edge. Leveraging technology makes it possible to personalize the customer experience and improve customer satisfaction as issues can be dealt with in real time. Plus, technology makes it possible to streamline operations and cut costs down in many departments. 

How is technology changing the travel and tourism industry?

Technology is giving customers a lot more power and independence on their trips. If you think about how many different aspects of a vacation can be managed from a mobile app in the palm of your hand, it becomes clear just how influential technological innovation has become. 

You can book a flight or a hotel, download your boarding passes on your phone, buy tickets for a museum, browse a restaurant menu on a QR code , etc. Of course, in-person communication and interactions are still available to supplement the digital experience. However, if visitors want more independence,  travel technology and innovation make this possible. 

Since customers can do things for themselves, it frees up time for employees who can redirect their time to other issues and processes. This makes it possible for tourism businesses to improve efficiency which increases customer satisfaction. 

NFC technology and tourism 

Near Frequency Communication technology , often referred to as NFC technology is a form of wireless technology which allows two devices to essentially talk to each other and exchange data. NFC technology is widely used by individuals in everyday life for contactless payment but it is also leveraged by businesses to improve operations and the services provided.  

Just like with most other forms of technology in the travel and tourism sector, NFC technology improves efficiency and makes it possible to personalize the customer experience. For example, one of the leading ways in which NFC technology is used in hotels is as a door key. Instead of needing a physical door key or swipe card, visitors just download their virtual key onto their phone and hold it up to a digital pad on their door to get into their room. This improves both security and efficiency.

Examples of NFC use cases in the tourism industry

3 innovations and technology trends in the travel and tourism industry

NFC technology 

As highlighted, NFC technology is the leading form of technological innovation in the tourism sector. It can be used to provide visitors with key information and to personalize their customer journey. Traditionally, if a guest needed to know about local attractions or good places to eat nearby, they would have to wait to talk to the hotel concierge. However, many hotels now use NFC technology to their advantage to make it easier for visitors to get the information they need instantly. 

If you’re interested in learning more about the possibilities that are available to you, MySmartJourney helps businesses implement NFC technology in innovative ways to create fun and unique experiences. With our platform, companies can broadcast text, visual, video and 3D content. They can create self-guided tours for museums, art galleries, historical sites, parks, resorts and much more. 

Tour builder for hotel establishments and traveler services

Artificial Intelligence 

Artificial intelligence (AI) is another form of technology that is leveraged by the travel and tourism industry. AI is the main way in which tourism businesses accurately and efficiently create personalized experiences for their guests. 

AI can take in and process huge data loads. Once this data is collected and recorded, AI systems can run reports that easily show you what is going well and what people like and what people aren’t enjoying or gravitating towards. With these insights, you can alter and customize your visitors' experiences.

It can also be used before customers are even physically with you as you can set up AI operated live chats which will ensure the customers’ questions are answered without having to spend money and labor. 

Virtual Reality 

Virtual reality may not sound like it belongs in the tourism industry, but it is actually the perfect place for it. Establishments such as hotels, cruises, vacation tours and more often use virtual reality or augmented reality in order to elevate the booking experience. 

Including a virtual reality or augmented reality options when viewing rooms, destinations or tours gives guests a preview of the experience they are about to book. During the Covid-19 pandemic, some companies even used virtual reality to give travelers a taste of abroad. Many places offered guided tours around beautiful islands and locations during the pandemic for people to enjoy at home. Although this was a solution to a very specific problem, VR will continue to be used to give those who don’t have the capabilities to fly and explore new places the chance to still experience them from home. 

Creating physical digital experiences

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How to develop a phygital marketing strategy

If you want your business to thrive in the new digital marketplace, then it's essential for you to understand how phygital marketing works. In this article, we discuss how you can develop a successful phygital strategy to help your business reach its goals.

What is phygital marketing?

Phygital marketing is a term that refers to experiences that bring physical and digital marketing together. Phygital marketing tactics take advantage of recent advances in communication technology to create novel and exciting customer experiences.

In today's world, phygital experiences can be found all around us. For example, voice assistants such as Amazon's Alexa are used by thousands of people to activate their alarms and have access to the weather forecast. Additionally, virtually scannable menus and digital kiosks have become commonplace in many restaurants.

What is MySmartJourney?

What does phygital marketing aim for?

The main goal of phygital marketing is to implement physical marketing strategies that are complemented by digital technology. By using solutions such as NFC tags, digital kiosks, and QR codes, one can create seamless experiences that break the line between the physical and digital worlds.

The world is going through an unprecedented digital transformation and we are more dependent on technology than ever before. However, our interest in having close and personalized physical experiences has not dwindled. Digital marketing strategies offered through a phygital medium allow us to have the best of both worlds.

Phygital marketing combines the best aspects of the digital customer experience with the most appealing characteristics of offline, real-world interactions. When appropriately implemented, this marriage between physical and digital marketing efforts results in very fluid customer journeys . 

Why should businesses adopt a phygital marketing strategy?

Phygitial strategies allow businesses to spice up marketing campaigns and shopping experiences with digital content. A phygital solution can bring customer interactions to a whole new level.

Nowadays, customer satisfaction relies heavily on immersive experiences. Companies can use phygital tactics to keep customers engaged without any physical interaction. Since customers can engage with phygital content at their own leisure, businesses can use them to offer personalized experiences.

Another major benefit of phygital marketing experiences is their capacity to provide an easy avenue for communication with the customer. For instance, retail stores can use NFC technology to bring perks of the online shopping experience, such as product recommendations, to their physical locations.

A phygital marketing strategy offers the following benefits:

• Using technology to your advantage: Smartphones, NFC tags, QR codes, and other technologies can improve engagement, streamline customer journeys , and offer many other advantages.
• Creating unforgettable moments: Well-executed phygital strategies can create experiences that stay with people for years on end. Customers will associate the feelings of joy and awe experienced via phygital moments with the brand.
• Learning more about your target audience: A phygital strategy combines several communication channels, allowing a company to gather a vast amount of data about its customer base. By asking customers to provide feedback and write reviews, you can discover the strengths and weaknesses of your business and learn what your audience wants.

What are the benefits of phygical marketing for cities?

7 steps to develop a phygital marketing strategy

1. Do the appropriate research

The best phygital approach for a business depends on the way it normally addresses its audience. A brick-and-mortar shop's phygital tactics will be very different from those of a primarily online business.

For instance, if a company functions mainly as an e-commerce, physical experiences can be provided via pop-up stores. These short-term rental solutions can help bring an online brand experience to physical retail spaces and reach potential customers in the process. Customers can develop stronger brand loyalty with a digital business after meeting them in the real world.

On the other hand, businesses that base their operations around a physical location can use a digital strategy to enhance their real-life experiences. The right digital component may depend on the nature of a business. For example, restaurants and coffee shops can use phygital technology to display their menus, offer discounts, and handle payments.

2. Invest in NFC technology

NFC technology makes it incredibly easy to create seamless customer experiences. Near Field Communication (NFC) is a type of digital communication that uses devices capable of quickly sharing information. NFC is used in electronic identity documents, contactless payment systems, identity access tokens, and even for social networking. The majority of smartphones are manufactured with some kind of NFC functionality in mind.

Retail businesses and pop-up shops can take advantage of NFC technology to bring their phygital strategies to fruition. An NFC tag can play the role of a marketing channel, a digital payment kiosk, a source of information, and much more. The digital experience offered by NFC is only limited by the imagination of the individual who implements it.

Because many modern mobile devices have built-in NFC technology, phygital retail can make use of a device's functionality to deliver text, images, audio, and video directly to a customer. Users can use NFC to learn more about specific products, gain access to discounts and special offers, and enhance their shopping experience, all directly from their smartphones.

3. Don’t neglect your social media platforms

Your social media sites should be an integral component of your phygital strategy. Having a solid social media presence has many advantages, including being closer to your customers and their opinions. Social media also offers a wealth of information about your customer base and the things that make them tick. By reviewing and analyzing this info, you can gain a clearer view of your business's strengths and weaknesses. This way, you can keep doing the things that work and iron out the ones that don't.

4. Develop an omnichannel strategy

An omnichannel strategy combines brick-and-mortar locations, social media platforms, websites, email, and mobile to create a cohesive customer experience. When all communication channels are working efficiently and together, customers gain access to a complete phygital content marketing experience.

5. Map the customer journey

The purpose of a phygital experience is to create seamless transitions between the physical and the digital worlds throughout the customer journey . To make the best out of it, you should put yourself in the shoes of the customer and navigate through the multiple steps of a successful purchase. Identify the roadblocks that keep customers from going further along their journey and devise phygital strategies to circumvent them.

What is a digital customer journey?

6. Prepare your staff to handle phygital experiences

As retail and marketing change with the times, so do the required skills of your workforce. If you implement phygital tactics into your business, you must make sure that your in-store staff is well versed in how your newly appointed digital services work.

Understanding the capabilities of the phygital features in place will allow workers to use them to complement their assignments. For instance, if a customer asks a staff member for a specific product, they can use a phygital solution to provide more in-depth info with images and video. Likewise, staff should be ready to provide assistance to any customer who is facing technical difficulties with digital products.

7. Consider implementing wearable tech

Depending on the nature of your business, you may use NFC-powered wearable technology to create engaging experiences. When implemented by hospitality services or during events, the technology can be used to easily exchange contact information and perform other activities.

NFC wearable devices are able to:

• Help attendees navigate an event
• Bookmark places or sessions
• Allow or deny guests and personnel access to restricted areas
• Enable contactless signups
• Provide staff with a clear communication channel
• Manage the flow of traffic, thus preventing bottlenecks
• Handle secure transactions
• Provide companies with metrics and analytics

Phygital marketing in museums

Create personalized phygital experiences with MySmartJourney

MySmartJourney offers you the best tools to implement your phygital strategies. Our contactless technology is an easy, quick, and fun way of creating innovative experiences.  The MySmartJourney platform is 100% web-based. This means that users can use it from any sort of device without the need to install an app. 

With MySmartJourney, you are empowered to create unique phygital experiences without needing to learn any programming or wait long development times. The technology is read-to-deploy and can seamlessly integrate into your plans and strategies.

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What are the travel trends in tourism?

As the travel industry continues to evolve, keeping up with changing trends becomes essential for both travelers and tourism businesses. In this article, we explore the key travel trends in 2023, from budget-friendly stays to immersive experiences and technological advances.

10 Best tourism and travel trends of 2023

1. Bleisure travelers

One of the most exciting new trends in business travel and tourism is the rise of the bleisure traveler. The word "bleisure" (a portmanteau of business and leisure) represents a growing number of global travelers who willingly extend their business trips to leave time for leisure travel activities. As globalization paves the way for a new generation of digital nomads, we can expect more bleisure travelers in 2023. 

Travel companies can take advantage of the attitudes of bleisure travelers to offer services which are ideal for them. While many bleisure trips are pre-planned and scheduled, other people travel to meetings, conferences, or other work engagements and only start planning their leisure time afterward. Tour operators can offer packages designed for these individuals, giving them tourist experiences tailor-made for their extended stays.

2. Automation in the travel and tourism industry

Digitalization has changed the face of the travel industry. Back in the day, one had to make a phone call or speak face-to-face with a service provider in order to plan their vacation. In 2023, it is possible to make all your bookings online, allowing travelers to plan their escapades from the comfort of their preferred devices. In fact, mobile booking can change the way the tourist industry operates.

Specialized, mobile booking systems offer many benefits to tourism and hospitality companies. Not only is it easier to sell services to customers, but implementing technology also eliminates the need for spreadsheets and pen and paper reservations. Because mobile booking systems can handle organizational tasks automatically, companies can save time, and money.

3. Personalized travel experiences

Many modern travelers are interested in unique experiences tailored to their personal sensibilities. From the moment they see an advert on the Internet, they set a particular set of expectations of what their trip should be like. While some individuals want to travel somewhere to relax, others want to find the best places for a night out.

According to Thinking with Google, more than half of U.S. travelers consider that brands should tailor their information to their personal preferences. Over 30% of U.S. travelers would be likely to pay more to have their personal preferences or past behavior considered by travel companies ( source ).

Businesses can keep up-to-date with current trends in travel and tourism by offering flexible experiences that are tailored to a traveler's needs. Using platforms like Google and Facebook, travel companies can listen to customers to learn more about what they are looking for in their next trip.

4. Emerging technologies influence travel

Using new technologies is one of the most exciting ways to create immersive experiences for travelers. NFC technology, QR codes, virtual reality, and many other marvels of digital origin can be used in real-life environments to give visitors an unforgettable escapade.

Thanks to Near Field Communications (NFC) technology, it is possible to provide digital journeys to visitors. Using this type of technology, users can instantly receive text, images, audio, and video directly to their mobile devices. This way, travelers can interact with the places they visit and engage in a myriad of activities.

5. Sustainable tourism

In 2023, there is a considerable incentive for tourists to make sustainable travel decisions. Taking care of the environment ensures the beautiful vistas and exotic locales that attract visitors are still available for future generations. 

Sustainable travel choices can go beyond taking care of the environment. Through sustainable travel practices, visitors can positively influence cultures, economies, and the lives of the people they visit. Responsibly planned and managed tourism supports job creation, conserves biodiversity, and improves human well-being.

6. Active ecotourism

Active ecotourism is another growing sustainable travel trend. This type of tourism combines a love for travel with taking action to preserve local cultures and environments. Eco-travel is very advantageous to local economies. It promotes conscious land development while protecting biodiversity. Active ecotourists understand the importance of preservation and wish their favorite tourist destinations to stay alive and beautiful.

People who practice ecotourism are concerned with their environmental impact and the effect their activities have on local communities. While interested in exploring the outdoors and performing activities such as hiking, biking, and kayaking, eco-travel enthusiasts also want to value local traditions, interact with the local language, and learn more about different cultures and beliefs.

7. Transformative travel

Transformative travel combines leisure time, introspection, and volunteer work to create a new, authentic experience. The purpose of transformative travel is to create a positive impact in the lives of others and one's own.

While travelers on a transformative journey still enjoy a vacation, they set some time aside to volunteer at their destinations. During their free time, they may join a retreat, join a yoga class, visit nature-filled locales, or learn a new skill. A person's diet is also meant to be transformative as travelers are to avoid unhealthy meals and opt for nutritious and organic foods.

How museums benefit from QR and NFC technologies

8. Wellness travel

Wellness travel is one of the fastest-growing tourism trends. A considerable number of hotels and resorts are taking the initiative and offering customers daily cognitive health scans, nutritious food options, and relaxing amenities. More often than not, the wellness travel market is associated with providing healthy experiences. However, travel companies can also reach out to wellness-inclined clients with the promise of invigorating physical activity. Physical wellness activities can include hiking trails, pickleball courts, and skiing trips. 

9. The return of extended, long-distance trips

The coronavirus pandemic had an overwhelmingly negative impact on the tourist industry. Not only were international travel restrictions very dire for the industry, but a considerable portion of the population was averse to even leave the house. Many people have opted for staycations instead of traveling in recent years. Nonetheless, in 2023, tourists are yearning to go on adventures once again.

According to Evolve's travel forecasts, the vast majority of respondents are eager to travel regardless of the pandemic's aftermath. Over 85% of respondents are looking forward to booking vacation rentals, and the average trip length is estimated to be around 5 to 7 nights ( source ). A factor that contributes greatly to this increase is the appearance of hybrid and mobile work models. As these give employees more flexibility to get their work done, they have more time to stretch their legs and see the world.

10. Experience tourism

In the past, the job of a tourism agency was to help people reach far-off destinations. However, international travel in 2023 should provide more than that. To keep up with the times, travel companies must provide their customers with life-changing, authentic experiences.

According to research, 72% of millennials are more interested in spending money on experiences than on materialistic things. Rather than going to the Bahamas to impress their in-laws, millennial customers would rather tour Vietnam on a scooter, rock out at a music festival, or hike Machu Picchu ( source ).

Experiential travel goes beyond the mere purchase of plane tickets and hotel bookings. Modern travelers wish to develop an emotional connection with the places and cultures they visit. Instead of looking for traditional, cookie-cutter vacations in tourist hot spots, more and more people are looking to travel as a means to learn more about the world and themselves.

Travel companies can cater to this new breed of tourists by offering locally sourced, unique experiences. For example, businesses can help tourists interact with local customs by providing food sampling experiences and teaching customers how to prepare some of the local dishes.

Create unique experiences with MySmartJourney

Design and deploy engaging digital journeys for tourist destinations and cultural sites with MySmartJourney . Powered by NFC technology and QR codes, MySmartJourney is a 100% web-based application that can work on any mobile device without the need to install an app.

By using the MySMartJourney NFC functionality, tour builders can broadcast text, images, audio, video, and 3D content directly to users. The platform's flexibility allows it to be implemented in local attractions and remote locations alike.

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Guide to digital cultural mediation

In the era of the digital revolution, museums and cultural sites are facing important challenges. The question is how to take advantage of technological innovation to bring the visitor into close contact with heritage. Digital cultural mediation projects are part of this approach and offer avenues for proposing interactive and attractive content to a new audience that is familiar with digital tools.

What is digital cultural mediation?

Cultural mediation consists of establishing spaces for dialogue between the participants in a cultural experience, the artists and the cultural organization. It aims to stimulate public participation in cultural life in order to encourage forms of personal and collective appropriation.

Digital cultural mediation is defined as a set of digital technologies and computer supports implemented in physical or virtual places to meet the objectives of cultural mediation. It is important to distinguish between the use of digital technology to create traditional presentation objects such as digitized guidebooks in PDF format or audio guides and forms that exploit digital technology to create an interactive interface between the user and the cultural content. 

In this second case, it is an aid to the visit. These digital mediation devices are developed through computer programming using networks and software applications such as websites, mobile applications and social networks, and different media forms (image, video, text and audio).

What are the challenges of digital cultural mediation?

The development of information and communication technology (ICT) is a major challenge for cultural institutions. Digital mediation is increasingly appreciated and used by a wide category of the public, including single people, elderly couples, young people and teenagers. Multimedia tools complement the traditional text-based narrative. This leads us to ask some fundamental questions:

• How to enhance cultural content through digital devices?
• How can digital technology be used to serve the visitor and the educational discourse?
• What impact will digital mediation have on the visitor's experience of a museum or other cultural site?

The difference between teaching and cultural mediation

Museums and cultural sites are ideal places for learning and discovering historical and artistic heritage. Teaching through cultural visits provides useful information for learners to better understand museum collections or works of art. This is in addition to transmissions based on static documents or the intervention of a guide-lecturer to create a friendly atmosphere between the visitor and the cultural environment.

Cultural mediation aims to make the educational experience more dynamic and active by acting on emotions and feelings. Cultural mediation activities should:

• Accompany the visitor throughout the learning process;
• Reinforce the visitor's motivation to learn by himself;
• Stimulate critical thinking;
• Create a pleasure of learning;
• Adapt to the various expectations of visitors.

How to implement cultural mediation in museums?

From cultural mediation to digital mediation

In order to strengthen the links between the public and the cultural space, it is important to make the visitor's journey more attractive and immersive. Static observation of a work of art or cultural heritage can lead to a form of passivity despite the presence of content written on a label or the distribution of audio guides.

Digital mediation is at the service of cultural mediation. It fully engages the visitor through interactive screens, QR codes, NFC technology and applications that engage users to explore, search, compare, feel, act and express themselves. Digital mediation practices offer an excellent opportunity to activate perceptual memory.

Digital mediation in museums

Cultural mediation devices are evolving to take advantage of technological development. They can be classified into two types:

• Mobile tools that accompany visitors throughout their visit ( web applications , NFC technology, etc.);
• Fixed tools installed such as tactile tables, lighting devices, video projections, etc.);

Digital mediation also includes fun activities such as games to animate the visit of children or virtual logbooks to keep n unforgettable memory of the visit. There are many ways to create a new experience in a museum. The common interest is to help the public to appropriate the work, the place and to explore its history. Augmented reality (AR) is one of the most popular modern digital devices. However, there are many other effective techniques for achieving these goals.

Discover the historical context of heritage in augmented reality

AR makes it possible to restore missing elements of historical heritage and make them visible in 3D. This facilitates the understanding of the significance of physical monuments (buildings, collections of objects, works of art, archives, etc.) as well as aspects of intangible heritage (languages, ways of life, skills, beliefs, customs, etc.).

Revealing the secrets of a work of art with augmented reality

Through applications designed for digital arts, AR allows the visitor to discover a work of art in depth by focusing on its size, the identity of its characters, its artistic complexity and its symbol. It is a unique audiovisual experience that immerses the visitor in the universe of the artwork.

What kind of organizations benefit from digital cultural mediation?

Digital cultural mediation is integrated in different places and sectors of activity. It serves as a tool for social inclusion and for integrating the arts into public environments to make them more enjoyable. 

As an example, here is a list of organizations that benefit from digital cultural mediation:

• Cultural institutions: libraries, cultural centres, art galleries, etc;
• Museums and heritage institutions: museums, historic castles, cathedrals , archaeological sites, etc;
• Parks and public places ;
• Circuits and tourist routes ;

Examples of innovative digital cultural mediation tools

Many cultural venues around the world have invested in innovative digital cultural mediation tools to make their visit memorable and unique:

• QR codes and NFC chips to access the content of the city of Le Mans and learn more about its historical heritage;
• The " Our Territory, Our Identities" digital platform " digital platform digital platform, co-created with five school boards to showcase cultural objects and collections from the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). The platform is mainly intended for teachers;
• Mobile applications like the American Museum of Natural History in New York;
• A 3D video game designed to make young people discover the Egyptian collections in the Royal Museum of Mariemont in Belgium;
• The interactive holograms of the Museum of Illusion in Madrid;
• The Escapes games of the Henri Dupuis Museum in Saint-Omer, the Mucem in Marseille or the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam;
• The Histopad used to visit the Palace of the Popes in Avignon, the Chambord castle and the Conciergerie in Paris. The tool is wonderful to project yourself into medieval life by moving the tablet in the majestic rooms of the castles;
• Virtual visits of the Louvre Lens thanks to the Uby robot;
• The immersive sound trail at the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte in Maincy, Paris
• The visit of the Hôtel de la Marine through the Confident connected headset with binaural sound technology, Paris;
• The immersive 4D films of the Cité du Volcan on Reunion Island, a French department in the Indian Ocean;
• The rediscovery of Vermeer's artistic painting The Girl with the Pearl (1665) using X-rays to reveal details of the original design of the work;
• An entirely digital exhibition created by the Arab World Institute to resurrect the thousand-year-old sites of Palmyra, Aleppo (Syria) and Mosul (Iraq) and explore the history of the Middle East.

Other digital cultural mediation devices

NFC technology

Proximity communication technology allows data to be exchanged between two devices, such as an interactive kiosk and a mobile phone, using a small chip. NFC technology offers access to contactless content via an Internet connection and in complete security.

The QR code is a type of two-dimensional barcode. It can be read on a mobile device to quickly trigger an action such as visiting a website, displaying a phone number or making a payment, among others. 

Video mapping

Video mapping is a technique that consists of projecting light onto static objects to create an optical illusion. Video projection on monuments is the best known form of video mapping.

Virtual reality 

Virtual reality is a technology that uses a dedicated headset to immerse oneself in audiovisual content in 3D and with a 360° perspective that simulates reality.

Do you have a digital cultural mediation project in mind?

MySmartJourney is a digital platform specialized in the creation of digital cultural mediation projects. We use simple and interactive technological devices to make your visitors' journey enjoyable, entertaining and useful. Our goal is to provide visitors with a memorable experience and to encourage them to revisit and share your cultural site.

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Native app vs. web app: which is right for your mobile guide?

A guide app provides visitors with access to information and content on their personal mobile devices without any need to hire or purchase audio equipment or search for physical exhibits. Museums and historical sites , parks, universities, cities, and numerous other types of sites all have mobile guide apps to inform and guide visitors. You can customize your tour with images, text, and audio, as well as set up notifications based on directions and location.

However, if you decide to design an app for your business or organization, you'll have to choose between a native mobile application or a web-based app. In this article, we explain the differences between these applications and give you tips to pick the option that best adapts to your needs. 

Native apps vs. web apps: what’s the difference?

A native mobile app is built for a specific platform, such as iPhone or Android, using their code libraries and accessing their hardware features (such as GPS, camera, etc.). A web-based app can also access the hardware feature, but no download is required since the app is accessed from a browser on a mobile device.

Fortunately, both are straightforward to create with the guidance of a software developer . Here’s a more elaborate definition:

• Native mobile app : A native mobile app is an app that is downloaded from an app store, such as the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store, and does not require the use of a web browser to function. Depending on the app, it may or may not require Internet access to function.
• Web-based app optimized for mobile devices : A web-based app, often known as a progressive web app (PWA), runs in a browser. These apps are ultimately limited to the coding behind them, and not all web-based apps can use hardware features. Unlike native mobile apps, they are unable to function without Internet access.

Many businesses provide both types of apps. You've probably already used eBay or Amazon. If you browse these sites on your phone with Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Chrome, you're utilizing their web-based application, which has been designed for mobile phones as well as desktops and laptops. However, if you download eBay or Amazon from the Apple or Android app stores, you'll be using the native mobile app, which will likely have some additional capabilities that you won't see in the browser and vice versa.

Why use microsites for your events?

5 reasons to choose a native app

Here are 5 reasons to choose a native app:

• You want to include geo triggers

Your visitors might not have Internet

You want to do augmented reality with complex polygons

Visitors are motivated to download this app 

You can install it on devices that you lend to users 

You want to include geotriggers

You'll need to create a native app if you want to make a mobile guide that will prompt users to engage with material according to their physical location. That function cannot be provided by a web app.

Is there no Wi-Fi at your location? Is your mobile data connection unreliable? If that's the case, you can urge visitors to download your native app ahead of time. They'll be able to obtain all the information they require without having to use the Internet.

Augmented reality allows visitors to rotate 3D shapes, and even walk around it or view it from the inside. It's expensive to carry out these experiments so you have to have the budget for it. In fact,  it can cost over 100K!

Visitors are excited to download native apps. However, sometimes visitors don't have access to download the app. They either lost the access, it's on their work phone, or they don't have enough space on their phone to browse the content. It’s important to adapt the app for different types of phones and devices. 

If we lend the device to visitors, you can really control the experience and you are not subject to OS changes. However, you must have staff to lend them, wash, store, recharge, repair, find, buy back....

5 reasons to choose a web app

Here are 5 reasons to choose a web-based app:

You want easy accessibility

You have limited time

• Your visitors have Internet access during the whole experience 

No need for maintenance, it’s included with MySmartJourney 

• Easier modification of content without the need for IT

It's as simple as opening a browser to use a web app . Users don't need to download anything. Many people prefer to view a website rather than download new apps to their phones, so think about who you're targeting and how long they'll be using your service . For instance, many restaurants now use QR codes to direct their clients toward their web-based apps to facilitate user experience.

Are you on the verge of launching? Perhaps you want to create user interfaces for an upcoming event or you just don’t want to waste precious months following up a native app project. If this is the case, you can launch a web application in as little as 48 hours. Content sourcing requires the most time. If you wish to submit your app to the app stores, it will take another two weeks (yes!) so a web app is your best option.

Your visitors like to choose which part of the experience they like

Many museums , art galleries , and other indoor attractions have Wi-Fi or are located in cities where visitors may use their data to access the Internet. This allows visitors to easily access a web app or download a native application. Nowadays, visitors prefer not to feel the urge to download a new application on their phone. 

A web application allows them to access only the content that interests them, wherever they are. This is a simpler process for the visitor, but also for the establishment, which no longer has to distribute equipment such as audio guides, or have to develop an application.

Businesses that opt for native apps need to take into account the recurring costs associated with maintenance. This includes corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, adaptive maintenance and evolutionary maintenance. On the other hand, customers that choose MySmartJourney for their web app, can rest easy knowing that our team handles everything. 

Easier modification of content without the need for an IT expert

A web content management system (WCM) is an application that allows users to create, edit, manage and publish their own website using a unified interface. Users require no prior knowledge in markup languages or web programming so they can customize the content and make changes on the go. 

Why you should use microsites

Microsites are used as marketing tools as they are often centered around specific branded content or transient events. Microsites come in different forms, such as blogs, infographics, or interactive experiences . Their ultimate goal is to elevate the user experience of a company’s product or event. MySmartJourney allows you to creates a unique experience at every touch point with your visitor.

• Your visitors will no longer need to download an application. Offering a simple alternative, which is not an inconvenience, will increase the number of people who will access information.
• As each microsite is essentially its own website, it has its own unique URL. This is unquestionably very beneficial in terms of search engine optimization. 
• Creating and maintaining a mobile application is not a simple process. Developing an app requires an important investment of both time and money, whereas microsites offer excellent results quickly, in addition to being easier to modify.
• Using the MySmartJourney platform eliminates the learning curve for visitors of parks, trails, and resorts! They access one simple website to another from their smart device, making information extremely easy to access.

Maybe you can have both? How a webapp can complement your web-based app

You wish you could have the best of both worlds? MySmartJourney gives you access to a native version of your application. Without having to download it, your visitors will be able to retrieve the content that interests them when they have access to the Internet, before enjoying your experience.

An example of this type of project is that of the Parc des Chutes. To offer informative content to hikers while they are on the trails, the Park allows them to download the information via the MySmartJourney web application when they are at the reception. Thereafter, they don’t need cellular data or Internet access. All the content is accessible directly on the phone.

Regardless of which type of app you choose, the good news is that setting up a mobile tour guide does not have to take months. MySmartJourney creates user interfaces for mobile devices in no time with great ease. With our simple builder, you can create a mobile guide app in no time. Find out more about MySmartJourney !

Nowadays, the digital customer journey has become complex and difficult to trace. However, it is important to be able to trace the path taken by your prospects in order to offer them a positive visitor experience.

The digital customer journey refers to an individual's journey through multiple touchpoints within your organization (e.g., website, mobile app, social media) that will ultimately result in a conversion event. 

Every company can use a customer's browsing history, transactions and contacts with the brand to understand their behavior. This allows them to create personalized offers, to better accompany the Internet user, but also to improve his buying experience and to set up a more adapted after-sales service.

The influence of digital on the customer journey

The advent of the digital world has changed the customer journey by adding new features, creating new steps and greatly altering customer behavior. The emergence of television commercials and websites have complemented the services offered by physical stores, newspapers and catalogues. 

With the rise of social media, instant messaging and apps , the digitization of the customer journey has completely changed the game. The digital journey has become more complex, bringing together a multitude of digital channels that allow them to discover the products and services offered by your company.

What are the stages of the digital customer journey?

The digital customer journey goes through three fundamental stages: 

• The discovery phase
• The evaluation phase
• The selection phase

1. The discovery phase

This first phase represents the discovery of a problem or the awareness of a need for the Internet user. The needs differ from one customer to another, but invite them to do research. It is therefore essential for your brand, organization or institution to stand out from the first searches by offering the answers they are looking for.

This help can be in the form of blogs, e-books, analysis reports, tutorials, etc. These publications offer the user a clear and detailed answer and allow them to better target their research. On the other hand, it allows your brand to stand out by showing that you understand the needs of your audience and by offering them free and accessible resources.

Market your on-site experience

2. The evaluation phase 

The second phase consists of conducting several searches. This way, the Internet user has a better idea of the products and services available on the market. This allows him to compare the various offers based on the opinions of other customers, the services, etc. But also by going on site to confirm his intuitions or the information he has gathered beforehand. At this stage, the customer journey becomes phygitalized and offers new contact points through digital applications, guides or paper documents.

At the same time, any company that wants to showcase its services at this stage must create engaging and unique content as well as share customer testimonials both on the web and in the locations where the experience is offered. The content should be both educational and entertaining to show your expertise to your customers.

3. The selection phase

At this point, the Internet user has armed himself with all the necessary information and now knows exactly what he needs. The customer's choice depends on the efforts made by each brand to highlight the benefits of its product or services. 

This can be done by offering a demo of the solution, a period to test the product, or by offering a warranty period. The most important thing during this stage is to be able to meet the expectations of the target audience and to respond specifically to their concerns. It is therefore necessary to create high value-added content that stands out from competitors. 

Why analyze the digital customer journey?

Analyzing the digital customer journey allows us to better understand their needs and identify their behavior in order to provide them with content adapted to their searches. This mapping also allows us to note all the friction points experienced by the Internet user in order to improve his experience. 

On the other hand, a good analysis of the customer journey helps any company to detect its weak points as well as the levers of its marketing and to make the necessary modifications to be more effective and profitable. This analysis involves the collection of various information on Internet users, such as: 

• Sales data 
• Navigation data on the website or on the web application
• Data from social networks
• Responses to customer satisfaction surveys
• The possible loyalty of the customer to your brand

Guide to digital cultural mediation 

3 tips to optimize your digital customer journey

1. Build on teamwork

The digital customer journey is constantly changing, and to ensure that you respond to these changes effectively, it is critical to engage all members of your team. Adapting to trends, staying operational at all times and delivering the best performance while being attentive to the specific needs of your customers is necessary to optimize your customer journey.

Each department of the company receives different feedback from the customer, between the purchase process, satisfaction surveys and interactions on social networks. Gathering all this data and sharing the answers received between the different teams allows tracing a clear digital journey, to detect the points to improve and the levers to optimize. Constant teamwork allows you to unify your brand image with your customers.

2. Create a personalized interactive customer experience

When you have in-depth customer journey analysis, you can build a clear profile of your personas and ensure that you deliver a personalized experience. This gives you a clear picture of your buyers, including age, preferences, geolocation, interests, behavior, buying process and impressions of the experience. When customers feel that the journey they are offered is personalized, they identify more with your brand and tend to become more loyal.

3. Be present through the different communication channels

The digital customer journey passes through various channels and supports that serve to answer the questions and requirements of the Internet user. It is therefore important to be present in all these channels in order to make the customer's path more fluid. An omnichannel digital strategy guarantees an interactive, harmonious and attractive experience.

6 ways to make your destination stand out

3 examples of digital customer journeys

1. Customer journey for visitors to a cultural or historical site

Thanks to MySmartJourney , historical sites as well as museums and art galleries can create a fun digital journey by engaging visitors with rich and varied multimedia content. These contents are highlighted and accessible to all tourists or travelers thanks to NFC technologies and QR codes. A memorable and unique experience for each visitor guarantees their loyalty to your content as well as their active participation in your marketing strategy by sharing the memories of their visit on social networks. 

How museums benefit from QR and NFC technologies  

2. An unforgettable experience for travelers 

Travelers are often thirsty for new experiences and want to make the most of their trip. Therefore, a great digital journey requires a deep understanding of travelers. This analysis allows you to offer personalized services through your platform, direct them to the right tourist attractions and facilitate their journey.

Phygital marketing as a strategy to connect travelers

3. An exceptional journey through the city's parks

To provide visitors with a sensory experience, you can develop games and scavenger hunts that link the virtual world to the physical world. Creating a digital journey that encourages the user to connect with their environment provides an unforgettable and personalized experience for each user. It's a guarantee of quality that optimizes customer engagement and promotes loyalty.

Tool for creating digital paths

MySmartJourney is a digital journey creation tool that includes various features to personalize your customer journey. With our platform, you can develop a phygital marketing strategy to boost your visitors' engagement. 

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MySmartJourney's Selfie Booth

MySmartJourney is a digital content management platform that provides a simple and intuitive solution for creating interactive multimedia experiences in public spaces. It can be used to enhance the customer experience, provide statistics on visitor behavior, boost visibility on social networks and manage queues, among other things. Our tool is fast and easy to use, all in a low cost per visitor formula.

Our goal is to make the user's experience as memorable as possible thanks to the various tools and functionalities of our platform that are specific to the animation of a public place. Contactless technology can be deployed on all devices, allowing you to let your imagination run wild in order to invent experiences and create memorable links with your customers or visitors.

What is the Selfie Booth?

The Selfie Booth is a MySmartJourney initiative that allows the user to create souvenir photos and share them on social networks. In an innovative and dynamic way, this feature encourages the tourism and cultural manager to actively participate in the design of the visitor journey. They can personalize the memory that the visitor will keep of his experience, thanks to this photo souvenir.

The Selfie Booth offers the visitor the possibility to personalize their photo by adding a watermark of the organization's logo and stickers. They can share their photo on their personal Facebook page as a testimony of their experience or as a souvenir.

With the rise of information and communication technology, it is important for cultural and tourism institutions to develop their customer journey in order to feed the evolving needs of their audience, seasons, political pressures. 

What is the advantage of the Selfie Booth feature for businesses?

The Selfie Booth feature allows companies to provide customers with a variety of personalization options specific to their brand. When users of a company's website or visitors to a museum or even a national park use this feature, they are helping to create the company's brand image and participate in the collective marketing effort.

Thanks to the Selfie Booth, each user has the opportunity to create a personalized and unique photo that will mark the experience with your brand or institution. This memory can then be shared through various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

This publication, accompanied by a caption and a hashtag, will link to a direct promotion of the experience, thus encouraging more people to try your experience. Thus, the user is no longer just a passive consumer, but becomes an important pillar in the marketing strategy by giving visibility to the company through its networks.

Whether it's a museum, an art gallery, a hotel or a city park, this feature maximizes visitor engagement and optimizes satisfaction. The Selfie Booth also fits perfectly into a phygital marketing approach that promotes brand loyalty while giving a real and entertaining dimension to the digital journey.

Does the Selfie Booth save pictures?

The Selfie Booth is a tool that can be used in many ways. Users can choose to save the photos, upload them to their mobile devices or share them through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. 

How do I create a memory with the Selfie Booth?

To create a memory on the Selfie Booth, simply access the appropriate link through the QR Codes and NFC tokens provided and use this tool to upload a photo or take a new one. Once the photo is taken, you can make various modifications to incorporate stickers to create a special look. These photos, once shared on social networks, include a link to the MySmartJourney platform showing a free advertisement from the client.

Test the Selfie Booth

Personalize your photos with MySmartJourney

MySmartJourney offers the ability to create interactive experiences for art galleries, historical sites, museums, hotels, etc. to enhance their customer journey. We provide our clients with several features , such as the Selfie Booth, which allows you to create personalized photos. 

It is a simple-to-use tool that allows you to take or upload photos and then make the appropriate changes to create memorable souvenirs. Merging the physical world with the digital world becomes child's play, but above all an accessible tool to entertain, educate and amuse your visitors and customers.

MySmartJourney received the first Excellence Grant from the Quebec Ministry of Tourism and the MT Lab

In January 2022, in Quebec City, MySmartJourney received $100,000, the first Excellence Grant offered by the Mt Lab's Tourism Innovation Program.

This grant, made possible by the $10 million fund granted by the Ministry of Tourism, "aims to strengthen young innovative companies with high growth potential in tourism that have shown strong signs of success and to offer additional support to help them improve their product or service," said the Mt Lab.

At the heart of the tourism revival

Heavily impacted by the COVID pandemic, the tourism industry is going through a period of crisis that requires profound transformations. How to respect sanitary measures without degrading the visitor experience? How to deal with the shortage of manpower? How do you attract visitors and get the word out when you are a destination?

These constraints that are forcing the industry to reinvent itself, MySmartJourney saw them as an opportunity. The startup born in 2018 challenged itself to understand the new constraints of its industry to evolve its service offering and provide a unique combination: a solution that addresses more economic and health constraints while providing an enhanced experience for visitors.

The MySmartJourney platform is a simple tool for delivering multimedia information in public places. It serves as an interactive signage, docking station, audio tour or relay to reservation systems. Visitors can instantly access the content with their cell phone. 

The platform is used by several clients such as the Quebec City airport, the Huron-Wendat museum or the Monville hotel to rethink and automate service processes while enriching the user experience by offering more simplicity and efficiency. 

Over 100 projects

The solution is also used in over 100 tourism projects to create compelling interactive multimedia experiences that surprise and engage visitors. At the heart of the platform is a library of features that creators can combine to design their tour scenarios: audio, video, augmented reality, quizzes, photobooths, etc. And all this with a contactless experience that respects health constraints. 

In a context of strong uncertainty, the MySmartJourney solution meets the industry's need to implement quick solutions, to experiment, to test things, to be able to easily improve or abandon them and this, at a lower cost. To adapt to a crisis, flexibility is a must. 

"We observe that the easier, more adaptable and flexible our technology is to use, the more our clients take it to innovate", says Isabelle Lopez, founder and president. 

What is MySmartJourney's next objective?

Develop the French market

"We have the ambition to become a global reference in interactive communication in public spaces," she says. The company proved to the jury its potential for growth and innovation, as well as its desire to grow further.

MySmartJourney began investing this major sum to develop the French market, which remains the world's leading tourist destination. "Since the beginning, we wanted to establish ourselves in France, especially since we already have two clients there, the Écomusée de Saint-Nazaire and the city of Le Mans. Now, we plan to open an office there and to seek a market share.

Innovate to improve

The Tourism Innovation Program is made possible by a $10 million fund from the Ministry of Tourism. As announced in May 2021 , this new financial program "aims to democratize innovation for the entire tourism industry in Quebec and to accelerate the realization of structuring projects to enhance the quality of the offer of tourism businesses. 

The president of MySmartJourney, Isabelle Lopez, was delighted with this initiative, which came to support 18 other Quebec businesses at the beginning of 2022. "This fund provides a vital boost to growing companies that are agents of positive change; with this program, the Quebec government is sending a clear message about the importance it places on innovation at the heart of our industry," she concluded. 

What are the benefits of the excellence grant?

Thanks to the grant, MySmartJourney was able to conduct several commercial missions in France and Europe. Among the events in which the company was able to participate are the Hacking de l'Hôtel de Ville, IFTM Top Résa, PiXii in France and the Kikk festival in Belgium. 

The exchange also gave the company the opportunity to meet with players from tourist offices, museums and cultural organizations who are now familiar with MySmartJourney's value proposition. 

At the 24h of Le Mans, the technology was used to enhance the mythical race, offer more information on the program and popularize the technical terms. In La Rochelle, during the PiXii Festival in the spring, the solution was deployed to accompany visitors during their waiting time before participating in the experiences. 

And since July 2022, Destination Rennes has become a client of the company.

Thanks to this grant, Isabelle Lopez was able to validate the relevance and usefulness of the solution on the French market.

So much progress accomplished

Improving the customer experience in the food industry

We offer a recap of Sophie Ginoux's article, released on November 16, 2021 on the Panier bleu ’s blog.

In recent years, consumers and food retailers have been looking for more transparency from producers. New issues are being put forward in the food chain sector, around product quality, the environment and production ethics.

New concerns about transparency

What are the existing controls in the food sector?

There are currently two controls on imported and made in Canada products.

Regulatory control

Regulatory control is in the form of a license, issued by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. It applies to all importers, producers and processors in Canada. It not only ensures food safety, but also tracks harmful products and recalls them if necessary.

The normative control

The normative control is implemented in some large food banners: Costco, Metro, Loblaw. It is a certification given by an external auditor before the arrival in the big stores.

Two certifications are present in Canada:

• Good Manufacturing Practice which is accessible to small food companies;
• Global Food Initiative , which allows complete traceability of the product, its ingredients and its packaging, and thus helps reduce fraud.

Why do you want more transparency for food products?

There are currently no regulations that guarantee zero risk in food. The scandals of recent years prove this. In 2019, European frozen products were sold as being made with beef, when in fact it was horse meat. Similarly, beef has been sold as veal. Finally, in Quebec itself, the Buttergate scandal uncovered the use of palmitic acid in cow feed on 22% of Quebec dairy farms.

What is the current state of this transparency and traceability in the food sector?

In the current state, transparency and traceability in the food sector are minimal. The label and the packaging of the majority of the products give only succinct information, such as

• the name of the product,
• the name and address of the company that produced, processed or distributed it,
• its net weight,
• a list of ingredients,
• a table of nutritional values,
• the mention of allergens,
• a production and expiration date,
• sometimes a label - Product of Quebec or Ocean Wise

But this information does not allow us to know the country of origin of the product nor its different ingredients. It also does not provide information on how it was manufactured, where it was moved or if it was cut off from the cold chain during its transformation process.

The need for a new mode of communication

An opening towards transparency in the food industry

In response to this growing consumer demand, companies are beginning to open up to greater transparency; giving buyers more information about their products through websites or QR codes.

Information made available to consumers

In Canada, several producers have chosen to develop a website on which various information is provided.

• The Fédération des producteurs d'œufs du Québec uses a coding system for eggs directly on the shell. This code, once entered on their website, allows to know the origin of the product. A similar system exists in France. A code, written directly on the shell, allows to know the origin of the egg and its farming method (organic, free-range, battery). undefined
• The Regroupement des pêcheurs professionnels du sud de la Gaspésie attaches a medallion with a code to the lobsters, which makes it possible to find out who fished it, where, and even to have access to a video of the fisherman. undefined

A platform has also been developed to share information. Participating manufacturers can thus transmit more information on their products to Canadian consumers. Currently, nearly 4,000 products are listed on the platform, mainly health and beauty products. However, this is still a small number compared to the nearly 90,000 products listed in the United States.

• For more information

Accessing product information with a QR code or NFC chip

Increasingly present in our daily lives, QR codes are emerging as a viable solution to the need for transparency. Unlike websites that require a search to find all the information you want, QR codes bring the consumer directly to the product page, without having to do any additional research.

. “Their uses] are multiple!" confirms Isabelle Lopez of MySmartJourney . They can build customer loyalty by directing them to ideas for uses or recipes that will encourage them to repurchase the product. They also lend themselves to cross-selling; for example, we will propose a pairing of cheese purchased with a beer. Finally, the content accessed can vary according to the season or the time of day, or the meals that are consumed. They can even be integrated into an advertising campaign conducted by the company on several media. These are great tools to enhance a brand, its practices and its values."

The use of the QR code in the food sector

Some producers and manufacturers have already started using QR codes to increase contact with their consumers.

La Courgerie case study

In Lanaudière, La Courgerie and its Jardiniers gourmands have chosen to use QR codes for several reasons: mediation, information on products in the store, promotion and accompaniment to the home, and training for employees.

Les Virées Gourmandes Case Study

Another organization, Les Virées Gourmandes de la Montérégie, offers year-round limited edition boxes that allow people to discover the region's producers. QR codes are added to a magazine inside the box, and allow to refer to the different products and producers. But the organization has chosen to go further by integrating QR codes directly on the products, as this offers an exceptional penetration rate compared to other means of communication.

Connected packaging to improve the customer experience in the food industry

QR codes can also inform the buyer about the packaging used and the concept of sustainability. Published on May 4, 2022 on the Ministry of Economy and Innovation website, the article introduces the notion of sustainable packaging for consumer goods. In an intention of sustainable development, the packaging should be thought in the idea of being recyclable, preferably without plastic and low producers of greenhouse gases. A QR code would explain to the consumer the company's choices on packaging, but also how to recycle them.

A relevant advertising tool

Secure and fast

In concrete terms, QR codes and NFC chips, combined with a powerful and versatile web platform, are reliable technologies to transmit information and reassure consumers. They are also a great training tool for employees, especially in a context of manpower shortage. They allow for the automation of certain consumer services, such as payment or returns. One service already offered in Asia is the ability for consumers to do their grocery shopping remotely while at work or on the go.

Personalization for customers

Using QR codes or NFC chips can also personalize the consumer experience. It is easy to integrate recipe ideas that encourage redemption, but also the discovery of products from partner producers.

The content accessed can also vary according to the season or time of day and offer a new experience to the customer at every moment. Offer contests and promotions at a specific time. But also integrate with advertising campaigns conducted by the company on several media.

What other tools are there to make products more transparent?

There are still many other tools to make the blockchain more transparent. Artificial intelligence can radically change the customer experience in stores, and automate certain processes. While in Europe, Blockchain technology consists in the decentralized and secured management of information, where each intermediary directly records the information related to its role.

Check out Isabelle Lopez's conference at the Living Lab

Best poster practices

Whether it's attracting visitors to a historical site, guiding hikers along a walking trail or increasing sales at a commercial establishment, delivering rich and unique content is a key element in enhancing your organization's communication strategy.

To this end, the creation of an interactive poster based on technological innovation is advantageous, especially with the massive use of smart devices and the promotion of contactless communication due to Covid-19. 

The main components of a communicative and interactive poster

A communicative and interactive poster makes the experience tangible and serves as a physical point of interest. It contains the following elements:

Facilitate access to content:

• A QR code : it is a 2-dimensional code that allows to encode data. It is often used to identify a product or navigate to a web page;
• An NFC tag is an adhesive label containing a chip that allows a small amount of information to be exchanged with a wireless device. It is often used for contactless payments, but it also allows the exchange of information;
• A short URL : this is a short web address that can be typed quickly on the device to access a web page. It is especially useful for devices that cannot read QR codes and NFC tags.

Draw visitors' attention to value-added information:

• The logo : it is a key element to build the visual identity of your organization and distinguish yourself from your competitors.
• Short textual content : a title and a short sentence should concisely describe the content to be visited that leads to a call to action.
• Attractive design : colors and images should be in harmony with your organization's corporate identity. The design should be simple and personalized. Visual content is important to make users want to interact with your poster.

Triggers: What information do you need to give your designer?

The characteristics of QR codes

The codes provided are linked to your application within the MySmartJourney platform. Thanks to the data tracking system, you can collect statistics and distinguish visitors according to different triggers (NFC, QR code or short URL).

The QR codes on our platform are black and white to make them easier to read by mobile phones. It is also more reliable when the light intensity is low and when there are reflections. However, you can customize the color of the QR code as long as it is dark and without a gradient.

Opting for the classic version, without adding any visual motifs (integrated logo, foliage, flowers, etc.), is more practical, as the advanced versions may not be recognized by some devices.

Proper positioning of QR codes

• In a museum context

Whether for large installations or for posters, the QR code must be large enough to be decoded by the mobile device. The minimum recommended size is 3 x 3 cm.

• In a public context

When signs are scattered on a trail, in a park or in the city where there is more traffic, they should be larger. For example, the minimum recommended size of the QR code is 7 x 7 cm. Remember that the size of the code depends on the distance from which the visitor will scan it.

• In a signaling context 

If you are displaying QR codes for signage or way finding, make sure your codes are at least a foot by a foot size so that users can scan them from a distance and access the information. 

How do museums attract visitors?

Properly integrate NFC tags

The NFC triggers have a diameter of 30 mm and are stuck on the front side, over the poster, with the design facing up. This position is more practical and aesthetic, as the signal is transmitted through the magnetic strip at the top of the pad. This allows the content to appear more quickly. The technological aspect of the tablet is attractive to visitors.

It is also recommended that NFC triggers be placed to the right of the posters, as low as possible. This is the most ergonomic location, since most users are right-handed. The size of the QR code is proportional to the size of the poster, while the size of the NFC chip is fixed. To draw attention to your tags in a large poster, it is important to add graphic elements that surround it, such as arrows.

Short URLs are mainly intended for users whose mobile phones cannot decode QR codes or NFC tags, such as some BlackBerry phones. The visitor can quickly note the short URL to access your content. Hence, the importance of including short URLs on your posters. With the MySmartJourney platform, there is a default link associated with the project's web page. It is also possible to get a custom link

This is the common form of a short URL: 

• Here it is the default link: msj.world/enseigne/1
• Here, it is a personalized link: enseigne.com/10

How does our digital route for tourist and cultural sites work?

Contents of a good poster: What information should you give to your project manager and designer?

Instruction phrases

Notice on your posters are essential to direct the user to your content. They must be adapted according to your audience (age category, interest, lifestyle, etc.).

Here are three versions that you can use as a basis for writing reliable instructions. You must carefully choose the sentences according to the theme and purpose of your poster. They should be reassuring and make it easy for your customers to use the technology.

Short version

The instructions can be simple and very short.

• NFC : Activate NFC and bring the top of the phone close to the phone;
• QR code : Point the phone camera at the QR code.

Intermediate version

Instructions can be simple and short.

• NFC : Open the NFC, approach the top of the phone and open the link that appears.
• QR code : Point the phone camera at the QR code and open the link that appears.

Long version

Some clients prefer to use a more detailed version to explain to their visitors how to use the technology, especially when no one is available to accompany them.

• Open your camera.
• Look at the QR code.
• Open the link at the top or bottom of the screen.
• Activate the NFC (contactless payment) function in your settings.
• Move your phone towards the NFC tag without touching it and wait 2-3 seconds.

Short URL: 

• Enter the URL into the browser.

Writing the text

Textual content should be focused, concise and include a call to action. It should also be relevant to your project, your audience and your brand image to engage the reader in your content.

Posters: What information do you need to give your printer?

You must provide your printer with certain information to ensure that the materials used are suitable for the triggers (QR code or NFC tag). It is not advisable to use metallic materials for posters if you place NFC triggers. This is because the NFC tag works by magnetic fields. Although it has a built-in anti-metal, metals can interfere with its operation and readability by mobile devices.

If you feel that an aluminum sign is essential or there is a metal structure near the sign, keep in mind that NFC detection will be slower. To reduce the effect of the metal structure, you can add material under the poster to cut the magnetic field or add rubber under the triggers to isolate them.

The choice of material covering the poster should be as matte as possible to minimize the effect of reflections that can interfere with the reading of QR codes. The less matte it is, the bigger the QR code should be. You can customize the colors of the NFC chip to match your organization's corporate identity by covering it with a self-adhesive vinyl film, for example. Make sure that the NFC chip remains clearly identifiable by the visitor.

Printing your posters: What information do you need to give to your project manager?

Here are some important guidelines for printing your posters.

• You prepare the design with your graphic designer;
• We provide you with QR codes and a recommendation document;
• You choose your printer and have your posters printed;
• We send you the NFC tags and the sticker by mail;  
• You stick the tags on your posters yourself, making sure to assign the NFC tags to the corresponding posters;
• You set up your posters.

It is recommended to use Scotch brand adhesive, extra strong double-sided, cross-shaped to stick your NFC pads.

Physical specifications and options

Poster printers advocate the use of certain materials, formats and other key characteristics of physical media.

• The most popular choice : PVC foam (e.g. Cintra) in ⅛, 1/4 or 3/16 inch thickness.  This is the same material used for bus advertisement signs. It is lightweight, sturdy and not too expensive and can be put up indoors and outdoors;
• Laminated paper/cardboard;
• Aluminium/alupanel;

Support strips

To have completely ready-to-use posters, you can add a 3M strip service. They are available for indoor and outdoor use.

The most purchased are:

• 11 x 17 in.

Setting up your posters: What information do you need to give to your project manager?

Be ergonomic

If you are using NFC triggers, remember to place the posters at arm's length from visitors. Consider all possible conditions and put yourself in your visitor's shoes. The recommended optimal height for placing the reading elements is between 3.5 feet and 5.5 feet. This height is suitable for visitors with reduced mobility and for children.

In order to present a good poster for your visitors, you should check these points before installation:

• The height of the posters (not too high, not too low);
• The operation of the links and the updating of the content;
• The readability of the text;    
• How media works (photos, videos and audio files).

Need to offer your visitors a digital experience?

Delivering informative, varied and up-to-date content to your customers is an important pillar in stimulating their engagement. MySmartJourney puts its technology to work for the development of your organization. 

Thanks to the ease of use of triggers, you can attract your visitors and direct them to your content in a fun and enjoyable way. A digital signage system also allows you to collect real-time statistics about your visitors' behaviour towards the products or services you offer.

Create a custom poster

How much does it cost to create a professional tour guide web app?

Tour guide applications are valuable digital resources that help visitors enjoy themselves at various venues, including museums, art galleries, cultural or historical sites, hotels, municipal parks, and public spaces. Many companies aren't sure where to begin when planning their own web application development project. Depending on the scope of the project, pricing for this type of service can vary from a modest monthly fee to upwards of $10,000 for a custom-built application. In this article, we break down the costs of creating a professional tour web app. 

What is a tour guide app?

A tour guide app is an application or web app that businesses and organizations leverage to create unique and engaging tourism experiences. It can be customized according to a company's specific needs. 

Tour guide apps can be used for different purposes:

• To share information in different formats (text, audio, video, etc.) 
• To create quizzes and games
• To personalize digital routes for tourist and cultural sites
• To schedule content 
• To gather data on customer behavior 

Top use cases for mobile guides 

There are many different reasons why you might want to create a tour guide app for your business or organization. Here are examples of use cases for mobile guides: 

• Tour builder for museums, art galleries, and historical sites: Businesses can broadcast text, visual, audio, vidéo and 3D content by using MySmartJourney . They can say bye to physical audio guides and printed programs. Thanks to the use of QR codes and NFC chips, visitors benefit from an incomparable experience through engaging content.
• Tour builder for associations, circuits, and tourist routes: Our contactless and digital solution serves as a 24/7 signage system to provide tourists with useful information. MySmartJourney can be implemented in remote locations or rest stops to showcase local attractions without the need for staff. It is especially helpful for regional tourism associations (RTAs), sectoral tourism associations (STAs), regional county municipalities (RCMs), and business development corporations (BDCs).
• Tour builder for municipal parks, walking trails, and resorts: Whether you want to digitize a treasure hunt or an escape game, MySmartJourney allows you to provide visitors and citizens with fun and interactive experiences. You can create a self-guided outdoor play route over short or long distances to revitalize your public spaces.
• Tour builder for hotel establishments and traveler services: MySmartJourney is a great way to provide customers with informative content about your establishment's services and nearby tourist attractions. You can also use the platform to promote your services and products as well as deliver them directly to their rooms during their stay.
• Tour builder for artisanal producers and agri-food products: Businesses leverage MySmartJourney to create interpretive activities and automate the reception of visitors to family attractions. Our clients use it to tell the unique story of their family business,  create direct communication with the buyer by deploying it at a market checkout or explain the manufacturing process and give recipe ideas.

Breakdown of the costs to create a web tour guide app

Content Creation

Your content is the most important part because it's the primary thing that people visiting your site will interact with. Content refers to any audio, video, or visual file that explains your site, event, or experience. Ensuring that your content is easy to access and interact with is essential to create an immersive digital tour guide experience. 

As such, it can also be one of the most expensive initial costs of your web application development project. You can decide to outsource content creation or do it internally. The costs to create content will vary depending on the type of content you need (text, video, audio, etc.). It's important to provide app users with a positive user experience through engaging content. 

Multilingualism

Once your content is created, you can choose to translate it to include multiple language options. Don't forget to choose the languages according to your customers. Think wisely: What percentage of visitors who speak a language other than your native language or English do you receive year round? This will guide you in choosing which languages to offer to your visitors.

If you want to translate your content in multiple languages, outsourcing content creation is :

• Texts: Industry averages price out translation services between 0,19 and 0.23 cents per word depending on the languages involved. 
• Audios: if you want to add an additional translation to your audio tours, you can expect to spend between $1,000 and $5,000 for recording new tracks with narrators. This adds up to the translation of the narration texts.

Setup and content loading

Once you've prepared the text of your digital tour, you can leverage the MySmartJourney platform to personalize your web app from scratch. It's a tool used by companies in different industries to create informative, useful, and entertaining multimedia digital journeys to impress customers, visitors, and users.

Our interactive web application creator makes sure you meet the needs of users and generates new features while offering businesses affordable prices. Here is a breakdown of our three current pricing packages in 2022:

• Minimalist package: This package starts at $350. It's an autonomous plan without brand personalization. Users of this plan can access the web creation platform, create QR codes and short URLs as well as access all the basic functionalities, all the multimedia functionalities, and some gamification functionalities. It comes with a guided initial setup of 2 hours. 
• Classic package: This is our most popular package which starts at $5,500. It includes the great majority of the functionalities of the app and the app is customized to your company's colors. Users of this plan are accompanied until the deployment of their project.  
• Complete package: This plan has an initial cost of $8,500. It includes all of the app's basic and advanced functionalities. In addition, it includes a support plan.

The prices mentioned above are a one-time initial acquisition cost. You don't need any technical or coding skills to start using MySmartJoutney. Many different options are available for people who want to create their own content.

You always own everything on your site and you can change anything anytime. We give our clients complete creative freedom when building web apps for them. It works particularly well for museums, cultural organizations, and government agencies because they need to own and have full copyright over their content.

A common mistake people make is forgetting to let their potential clients know about their products before they start marketing them. Although marketing can be an unexpected expense, with some creative thinking, you might not need to invest thousands of dollars.

In addition to having an existing network of contacts, it's also possible to reach out to potential customers through various online channels. A good starting point is to create a Facebook group or Twitter account dedicated to promoting your business. You can then share information about upcoming events, discounts, sales, and promotions.

Yearly license 

Over time, your tour guide app will probably require some changes. For example, you might decide to add new content or you might want to implement new features. With MySmartJourney, the annual license starts currently at $ 1,800 and includes updates, support, future new features. You can also choose to switch from the annual license to the Advantage license. In addition to the classic license, it offers 10 hours of support at a fixed price, as well as premium technical support.

Features of MySmartJourney

Basic features

• Texts, subtitles, and separators
• Action button (link to other pages or external websites, call to action, etc.)
• Action button with image
• Redirection to a webpage
• Button format customization options
• Labels, internal notes, classification by projects, etc.

Multimedia features

• Youtube and Viméo videos
• Zoom in pictures
• Animated GIFS
• Facebook sharing
• Google forms for interactive polls
• Back to quest (link to external pages)
• Native audio content (listen with the phone closed)

Gamification features

• Quiz creation
• SketchFab: Integration with 3D
• Random: to send your client on a page of your choosing randomly
• Riddles: content hidden behind a correct answer
• Unity button to create augmented reality

Marketing and operations features

• Selfie booth
• Paid experience in the city: content accessible only when the visitor has paid
• Timer: display content at specific times
• Product list
• Remote ordering

How to create your own tour guide app 

MySmartJourney is your best ally when it comes to creating a personalized tour guide app for your business. Our team can get you online in a matter of days while helping you choose a plan that respects your budget. You don’t need coding skills to use our solution, which saves you a lot of time and allows you to focus on generating value for your customers. 

Tell us about your project

How to make a good digital consumer journey?

The accelerating digital transition in the tourism and cultural sector has opened the door to a whole new way of informing visitors in public places. Technology can offer a multitude of opportunities for you to reinvent the traditional guided tour to discover a city.

What is a digital tour?

A digital tour is a way to convey information about a site to visitors in a simple and effective way. With the help of videos and documents, a visitor can discover information about a site, the activities offered nearby and much more! This digital tool facilitates communication with different visitors and promotes your activities in an interactive way.

How to make a good digital tour for the general public?

If you intend to use a technological means to make your visitors discover a place in an interactive way, many possibilities are available to you. But attracting attention outside of a facility can be difficult! The question that arises is: How do you engage visitors online in an urban environment?

Focus on an accessible web application

A good web application can allow visitors to obtain information quickly and easily. For example, QR codes or NFC chips located in strategic places can help engage the user, who will have access to informative content instantly through his phone, without downloading an application.

Leave the choice to the user

Capturing the attention of visitors in a noisy, hectic and distracting environment like a city takes some work. Offering interactive content experiences that vary in length and allowing them to "skip parts" of the experience are a good way to keep participants engaged. Also, by imposing a pre-determined path, the visitor's interest in the content may fade. To stay in the mindset, freedom of movement is key. Here, the best thing is to disorganize the visit in order to better organize it.

Giving back control to the visitor during the digital journey

The Weasels of the Plateau

This is what MySmartJourney has done in the context of the project Les Fouines du Plateau, in collaboration with the Borough of Plateau Mont-Royal, an interactive walking tour for families.

The idea of this "disorganized" digital tour is to make visitors want to come back to the site and relive the experience from a different angle.

Aki project with the Sherbrooke History Museum

In the same vein, the Aki project, deployed by the Sherbrooke History Museum, offers Sherbrooke citizens and tourists the means to discover the history of the city's heritage buildings at their own pace. QR codes are installed on storefronts. They provide information, archival photos and quizzes along the streets.

Port of Québec Rally Project

Finally, the Port of Quebec invites walkers to participate in a historical rally. In the form of a stroll through the port, posters enriched with QR codes and NFC chips invite you to observe the places around you. A discovery without order, but a map has been integrated to the route for those who wish to do it all.

Offer light content

Here, the 90-second rule is the key! Grabbing the attention of passers-by and keeping it depends on the content offered. Starting with light, fun and dynamic information and then proposing more serious, but still interactive information can work in your favor. A technology that is heavy can quickly lose the user, and therefore, cause the abandonment of the experience. Given the traffic and urban distractions, a short, intense experience is better than a longer, less dynamic one.

Provide a concrete experience

According to Isabelle Lopez, CEO of MySmartJourney, "the screen should serve as a bounce-back point and an anchor to take one's gaze outside." With the Fouines du Plateau, the goal is to bring visitors to discover places and businesses in real time. The bounce-back effect is achieved through fairly direct content that appeals to the senses of visitors, in this case, families.

Thinking of creating a unique interactive tour in the city?

Using existing technology can be advantageous! In addition to saving time, using a proven tool will help you quickly identify your own needs. Among other things, this keeps the user active and engaged in the proposed experience. Also, bugs are rarer with existing platform models.

Creating an interactive walking tour in the city has never been easier!

The importance of both online and offline activities cannot be overstated. Many businesses struggle more than they should because they concentrate almost entirely on one or the other when they would benefit much more from an integrated approach. This is where ‘’ phygital " marketing enters the picture. 

Phygital marketing is a concept which blends online and offline marketing methods. It leverages technology to bridge the physical and digital world in order to provide users with unique and interactive experiences. 

This strategy emerged from multichannel marketing, which refers to the practice of running marketing campaigns across numerous platforms. The concept of providing an individualized user experience across all channels and devices is known as omnichannel personalization.

From omnichannel marketing, phygital marketing emerged as a new strategy in different industries. 

Why is phygital marketing becoming increasingly important?

Phygital marketing is becoming increasingly important for the following reasons:

• Better user experience
• Greater sales and revenue

1. Better User Experience

Consumers in today's world are fickle. Some of them like shopping in stores. Others choose to shop online and have their purchases delivered to their homes. Nonetheless, there are occasions when in-store customers visit e-commerce sites and online customers visit physical stores.

This is supported by evidence. Take a look at the following figures:

• 63 % of people begin their purchasing journey on the Internet. However, 49 % of shoppers prefer to purchase at traditional retailers.
• Before speaking with a sales assistant, 82 % of customers use their mobile devices to read product reviews and find better offers once inside a physical store.

With phygital marketing, you can give each of your customers the buying experience they want, when they want it. By implementing a phygital marketing experience for your customers, you facilitate the purchasing process and increase your overall sales.

2. Greater Sales and Revenue

More sales and income are generated as a result of improved customer experiences, given that customer loyalty can be achieved. People will buy from you more frequently if they enjoy the customer experience.

This was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Retailers who offered simplified in-store purchasing processes, contactless payment options or curbside pickup options achieved better results than businesses that remained rigid in their approach. Companies that deliver purchase experiences that combine physical and digital features drive greater income.

How can phygital marketing help museums improve the customer experience?

Phygital marketing can help museums improve the customer experience by adapting their cultural environment to the digital era. Some museums are creating digital libraries of the exhibits in their collections and giving visitors access to mobile applications, QR codes, audio guides , touch screens as well as other digital tools. 

Example of phygital marketing in museums

Here are some examples of phygital marketing in museums :

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)

• Museum app 
• NFC technology and QR codes

Virtual reality can be employed to display artworks during VR exhibitions. They're made by scanning or photographing physical art objects in high resolution, then curating them in a virtual space. You can rearrange artworks and modify the lighting and color of the walls as needed with the ability to edit your displays.

An AR exhibition is a mobile-friendly virtual space that mimics a physical display. Through the window of your mobile phone or tablet, customers can visit virtual exhibitions and things in your real space using augmented reality technology. You can showcase information and products related to your exhibition, or animation that brings a painting alive!

Web application

A museum web application is an inclusive tool that visitors can use to discover a museum and the places in the surrounding area that are rich in history and beauty. Apps are a user-friendly way to attract customers which have plenty of customizable options. They can provide visitors with maps, self-guided tours and key information. 

Many museums collaborate with MySmartJourney to create interactive experiences for users. By using our platform, museums can broadcast text, visual, video as well as 3D content. This is a great way to take advantage of the variety of your content to amaze visitors, enrich their visits and highlight the works presented. 

Tell us about your project 

A live tour can give people a taste of a museum while sitting at home behind their computer. An online experience of a museum is an alternative that counters health regulations that may restrict physical access to the museum. By using remote-controlled human guides, the visitor chooses a guide and floor and starts a personal session. 

Visitors can navigate through the museum, using the arrow keys on their keyboard. Other museums have opted for an experience that resembles Google street view; meaning that a high-resolution 360° camera has already toured the museum so that visitors can experience it as they would in person. 

Virtual tours of Canadian museums 

NFC Technology and QR codes

NFC and QR codes are great in public settings such as museums. Visitors can access virtual content by tapping their smart device close to the NRC tag or chip or use their phone’s camera to scan the QR code and access insightful and interactive information. 

In galleries and museums, NFC and QR codes provide extra information about the work of art a visitor is looking at. It can be used to provide an artist biography or more context related to different art works, such as historical knowledge. You can also use these technologies to show visitors where additional paintings by the same artist are located in your collection. Mysmartjourney is an easy platform to use, which allows museums to take advantage of QR codes, NCF technology as well as short URLs. 

Best 6 Museum Tours in Canada

Tips to develop a phygital marketing strategy in museums

Here are tips to develop a phygital marketing strategy in museums :

• Know your customers
• Identify your goals
• Get phygital

Know Your Customers

You must get to know your customers to create a phygital experience that is adapted to your target audience. Conduct market research, examine your website and social media data and send polls and surveys to your customers. Make every effort to learn more about them. You'll want to check for demographic facts such as your target audience's gender, age, physical location, and income level, as well as psychographic details such as their ambitions, goals, and daily struggles.

Identify Your Goals

Next, consider what you hope to accomplish with a phygital marketing plan. Improved brand recognition? More sales, perhaps? Higher levels of engagement? You'll be able to choose the correct methods and strategies to attain your goals once you've defined them clearly. You'll also be able to identify measures to track your progress!

Get Phygital!

Exclusively digital experiences are receiving a lot of attention these days. While the digital realm is here to stay and should be a key component of both your marketing and sales efforts, that doesn't mean you should ignore physical interactions. What your museum should aim for is a symbiosis between the two mediums.

Begin your Smart Journey

7 best marketing tools for tourism organizations

Over the past century, tourism has changed drastically. You would be astonished at how many things have genuinely changed over time if you looked back in time to see how far we have come. Not to mention how much Internet marketing has evolved.

Tourism organizations pay close attention to their marketing strategies and devote a lot of effort to growing their clientele. If you wanna boost your revenues, improve your customer experience and optimize your operations, keep reading to discover the best digital marketing tools for the hospitality and tourism industries.

Why is digital marketing important for the tourism industry?

In today’s digital landscape, tourism organizations risk falling behind if they don’t have an online presence. Travelers like to browse for traveling services online as it’s more convenient and allows them to book activities or accommodation last-minute in real-time.

The development of digital marketing has simplified communication and reduced numerous barriers for tourists and the hospitality sector. One of the most prevalent problems in the tourist and hospitality industries has been resolved through communication technologies and contemporary digital marketing methods.

Best tourism and travel trends 

How can digital marketing help the tourism industry?

Digital tourism marketing offers more precise user data and activity tracking than traditional marketing, allowing for the optimization of real-time marketing programs. As a result, businesses such as travel firms are no longer restricted to local markets and they can personalize the customer experience.

City marketing strategies to attract more travelers

The 7 best marketing tools for tourist and cultural sites

1. MySmartJourney

In today’s digital age, it’s important for organizations to personalize tourism experiences and incorporate phygital marketing to attract visitors and improve customer satisfaction. MySmartJourney is an innovative tool that allows tourist, cultural sites and other types of businesses to create digital routes and experiences. 

Thanks to our platform, tourism organizations can build contactless, informative, useful and entertaining multimedia digital journeys to impress customers and visitors. Our interactive web application creator allows you to broadcast content in real-time and make use of: 

• QR codes: Users just have to use the camera of their mobile phone to decode the information and quickly access your content. 
• NFC chips: Near field communication technology allows wireless communication between electronic devices. The NFC chip allows the exchange of information. 
• Short URLs: If visitors can’t scan a QR code or NFC chip, they can quickly access the content nonetheless thanks to short URLs. 

With our web app, businesses can design self-guided tours , broadcast text, visual, video and 3D content, create outdoor play routes and much more. With their mobile phones, visitors can instantly access your multimedia content without having to download an application, without logging in, and above all, without physical contact.

2. Google Drive or Microsoft 365

Tourism marketing is a collaborative process. Numerous locations and resources frequently collaborate on both large-scale and small-scale projects. Collaboration in real-time across distances doesn't have to be challenging. There are various tools you may be familiar with hosted on Google Drive . 

These technologies make it simple to collaborate in real time and share information. You can use Google Docs to create content collaboratively and Google Sheets to organize your information. Anyone can open an account, and up to 15G of storage is free (even with a non-Gmail email address).

Alternatively, Microsoft Office 365 can be used by your team to collaborate. Tools like Sharepoint and OneDrive provide live editing and efficient file sharing for remote work. Many of these cloud-based sharing options might already be available to you if you already use Outlook for email. Even creating shared folders for documents with other organizations is possible with Sharepoint. 

3. Semrush 

Devising effective SEO strategies that increase traffic to your website is a crucial component of managing a successful online travel business. It’s important to optimize your website for search engines if you want to attract visitors and increase conversions. Search engines like Google and Bing regularly modify their algorithms in order to display travel websites with pertinent content on their results pages. 

Semrush is an innovative tool that businesses across different industries leverage to improve their online visibility and discover marketing insights. It allows you to perform keyword research, analyze your competitors, keep track of your position in search engines, update your backlink strategy and much more. Tourism organizations can use Semrush for content marketing, advertising, social media management, etc. It’s a paying tool so you can either decide to pay a fee or outsource your SEO efforts. 

4. Paid advertising platforms 

The travel and tourism sectors have become extremely popular during the last few decades. Thanks to SEO and paid ads, you can maximize your marketing strategies and set yourself apart from the competition. When it comes to ads, there are different tools available for you such as Google Ads , Facebook ads , Instagram ads , TripAdvisor ads , etc. The key is to identify your target audience and choose the tool that will be more effective to reach it.

If you’re new to the world of online advertising, here are useful tips for travel and tourism ads: 

• Define your target audience;
• Define the campaign objective; 
• Tailor your marketing efforts according to traveler type;
• Choose the right advertising platform for your audience;
• Personalize tourism advertising messages;
• Make your website mobile-friendly.

Innovations in the travel and tourism industry

5. Influencer platforms

Collaborating with influencers is a marketing strategy that is growing in popularity and for good reason. Influencers are people who have built an online community around their own personal brand. Consider Instagrammers, YouTube vloggers, and bloggers.

A lot of influencers have sizable fan bases and very engaged audiences. Their audience is usually niche. Finding someone whose audience would be interested in a particular tourist destination, or what you have to offer is the objective. Working with influencers can significantly boost your online visibility and sales. You can find influencers on your own or you can use influencer platforms like Brand Ambassador to make things easier. 

6. Mailchimp 

MailChimp is a software that allows companies and brands to stay in touch with their customers or users by email. It makes it easy to manage, automate and track newsletters and mailing campaigns.

MailChimp has a totally free version which allows you to send automatic emails to 2,000 email addresses or subscribers of your newsletter, with a maximum of 12,000 emails per month. If your activity requires a higher volume of messages, you can always access the Premium version.

MailChimp can help you personalize campaigns and evaluate the impact they have on your subscribers. Indeed, you can analyze the response of users to your emails and find ways to make the content more engaging. In addition, it is compatible with web platforms such as WordPress, Joomla or Drupal.

7. Social media platforms

Social networks have become a fundamental tool in the tourism industry for both small businesses and international organizations. After all, they allow businesses to optimize the consumer experience during the purchase process and strengthen their position in the market.

People use social media platforms to plan their trips independently and almost instantly. Through Facebook or Instagram, for example, users can buy tickets, book accommodations and track their experience throughout their stay.

In addition, millions of people share their experiences every day on their social media profiles, which becomes an indirect promotion mechanism for tourism companies. This helps them attract new customers and expand their business without physical or geographical limits.

The best social media marketing platforms for tourism and cultural businesses are:

These platforms are visual mediums so they are great for the tourism industry.

Create personalized physical digital experiences

If you want to take your marketing strategy to the next level, MySmartJourney is your best ally. Whether you wanna design unique phygital experiences for a museum, an art gallery, a historical site, an association, a municipal park, a hotel establishment or an artisanal producer, we’ve got the tools you need. 

Our digital tool can be quickly deployed and you don’t need any coding knowledge. It serves as interactive signage, a docking station, a guided tour, a table order, or a relay to reservation systems. Visitors can instantly access your multimedia content with their mobile phones. Whatever you have in mind, our team can help you bring it to life. 

Boost your marketing efforts

6 ideas to reduce queues

Queues are a common problem in different sectors. People are waiting everywhere...at restaurants, airports, tourist offices, hotels, etc. Waiting times have increased since the advent of COVID-19 due to social distancing measures and health concerns. 

6 tips for optimizing indoor and outdoor queues

Most tourists and visitors feel trapped in a queue. It's usually a boring time that can affect the customer experience. However, it is the perfect time to keep consumers busy, prepare them for what's to come or share original content. 

1. Use the waiting time to book and plan future activities

Since the advent of COVID-19, we have seen screening and exhibition halls reduce the number of spectators allowed at any given time, which has contributed to an increase in the number of people in line. In order to keep people busy and help them make up for this loss of time, it’s a good idea to introduce the possibility of booking certain activities or events in advance. For example, before going on a ride, there is usually a queue, but it is possible to keep people busy with QR codes and NFC chips, placed judiciously at different points in the queue, which allow them to book their next activity or tell the story of the ride in question.

2. Implement virtual queues

Implementing a virtual queue management system through advance appointment scheduling optimizes waiting time. Indeed, making an appointment in advance online and receiving an electronic ticket is less restrictive than going to the office and waiting in line to take advantage of a service.

This virtual queue system can be leveraged by different companies such as amusement parks, hotels, museums, etc. It is a useful solution for services or activities that are often extremely busy in order to reduce waiting time. In addition, it allows you to limit unscheduled entries to provide a better customer experience. 

What is MySmartJourney? 

3. Entertaining people with NFC and QR codes

The use of QR codes or NFC technology allows customers to participate in virtual and contactless experiences while they wait. You can choose specific locations in the queue to put stickers with QR codes or an NFC chip, allowing people waiting to access different services: 

• Buy products or services (online payment)
• Get a digital ticket for another service
• Make subsequent reservations 
• Discover the menu of a restaurant
• Enjoy online games or exhibitions
• Accessing audiovisual content
• Share information about your products or services

NFC and QR technologies are an excellent solution to surprise and occupy tourists and visitors in waiting rooms. All they have to do is scan a QR code with their phone or approach an NFC token to enjoy the benefits mentioned above. MySmartJourney 's platform allows you to customize the content, and you don't need any programming knowledge to create digital journeys. 

How museums benefit from QR and NFC technologies 

4. Fill the waiting time with games and interactions

People waiting in a queue all have the same reflex, that of pulling out their mobile phone. You can use this habit in your favor and offer your customers the opportunity to enjoy an entertaining experience. This makes the wait less boring and allows customers to discover your services or products.

Creating a fun and entertaining experience for customers waiting in line strengthens their relationship with your brand and keeps them occupied so that time passes more quickly. Some of the activities that you can offer your customers include: 

• Guessing games that encourage a bouncy web and get people talking and debating while they wait for a show, activity or exhibition to start.
• Quizzes related to the services offered or the artistic programming in a hotel or the subsequent screenings in a cinema.
• Observation games that encourage connection with the environment around them and sharpen their attention.

How to get funds to create a mobile digital journey 

5. Offer an original customer experience through varied content

It's very expensive to install hardware and audiovisual devices to entertain customers while they wait in line. Fortunately, you can offer your visitors things to do or watch during their waiting time at an economical cost with MySmartJourney : 

• Digital signage to guide them through your site
• Promotion of products or services offered by your company
• Video or projection explaining the mission of your institution
• Self-guided tours 
• Customized games and quizzes
• And so on. 

What is phygital marketing? 

6. Adapt queue management to customer needs

• Share links and details about different programs or events organized by your school. For example, you can share information about various upcoming festivals or shows for young people waiting to enter a concert.
• Give people the opportunity to order food while waiting in line. 
• Suggest nearby activities or cultural attractions for tourists visiting your area. You can also give them access to a virtual map so that they know where their next activity is located. 
• Create environmental observation games or guessing games. 

Create personalized experiences with MySmartJourney 

MySmartJourney is a versatile and interactive web application creator that allows the development of different digital journeys for tourist and cultural sites. This tool is available on all smart mobile devices and can be used by the hospitality, restaurant and operational sectors to offer multimedia, entertaining and informative content to users.

With MySmartJourney, you can : 

• Create multiple scenarios adapted to your clientele (e.g. an audio guide or an informative video for museum visitors).
• Plan dynamic visits to your historical or cultural site by offering varied experiences to users.
• Distribute contactless content, allowing customers or tourists to discover your digital routes in complete safety.
• Benefit from real-time content updates to vary and enrich the user experience.

Here are examples of how MySmartJourney customers are using the platform in queues: 

• The Parc du Bourg de Pabos highlights another product, camping , in the queue for the Nova Lumina.
• The Bioparc de la Gaspésie allows visitors to discover its animals from the queue to buy tickets through QR codes.

Whether you want to keep your visitors occupied during a queue or multiply their visits with varied content, using MySmartJourney requires no programming knowledge. You can give free rein to your imagination to create original and fun scenarios and game modules. Our team is at your disposal to accompany, guide and inspire you in the design of your first scenarios or tours.

What are the best waiting room ideas?

How many times in your life have you been sitting in a waiting room or waiting in line and got bored thinking about the time you were wasting? We all know how boring waiting in a hotel lobby or waiting for a guided tour or multimedia experience can be

Designing a fun waiting room or waiting line that offers interactive or stimulating activities is key to making sure that the time your customers have to wait is an entertaining experience. There are different options that you can consider to make this experience more interactive and stimulating. 

4 tips to make your waiting room area more engaging 

1. Get the basics right

Make sure you have all the basics in your waiting room or in your premises! Good lighting, comfortable and ergonomic seats and music are some of the essentials that you cannot miss. Wi-Fi is very important for people who want to optimize their waiting time while working or browsing the Internet. Magazines and newspapers may sound a bit old-fashioned, but they are always welcome.

2. Mural walls

Mural walls have different benefits. The color and design give your waiting room or space a special touch that leaves no one indifferent. Murals come in different sizes, and themes so you can collaborate with an artist to design a personalized one. Pick a theme that suits the average age of the people who pass through your doors. 

If they are children, you can look for a theme related to animals, nature, space, etc. These murals will keep the little ones entertained, something their parents will thank you for. Unique mural walls encourage curiosity and stimulate memory and creativity which can be boosted by creating some simple activity sheets to look for hidden items within the wall illustration.

3. Table games and books

Books and board games are a simple option, but they help to make the waiting time more enjoyable. This is a good option for all ages which won’t eat too much out of your budget. Make sure to include individual games like card games and puzzles for different ages.

4. NFC technology and QR codes to entertain

An excellent alternative to surprise your customers is to include NFC technology or QR codes in your waiting room or space . This technology allows you to share different types of content with your customers. All they have to do is scan the QR code with their mobile phones to have access to personalized content or activities. This is a perfect way for them to spend their time waiting.  

You can create games related to your business, share information about your products or services in audio and video and broadcast movies or funny videos. These are just ideas but the opportunities are unlimited. Your clients will be able to access the content using their mobile phone without registering or downloading a specific app. 

The only thing that they have to do is bring their mobile phone close to an NFC device that you can install in your waiting room area or use QR codes to access the content. This technology is 100% flexible since it allows you to change the content as many times as you need, depending on what you want to communicate. 

During specific times of the year (at Christmas, for example), you can create relevant content. If you want to learn more about our technology and how it can help your business, feel free to contact us. An expert from our team will assess your needs and offer you a customized NFC technology or QR code solution so that you can make the most of your waiting room area.

Features of our solution 

There are several options to make your waiting room fun. You just have to make sure to take into account who are the people who pass by your waiting room and why they are there.  Among the different alternatives, there are some cheaper ones such as having board games or coloring books, but you have to bear in mind that you will have to renew them regularly.

If you decide on thematic decoration, you will need a larger budget, but the experience will also be unforgettable, especially for children. Finally, if what you are looking for is to surprise the people who pass through your waiting room, and generate specific content for different profiles that entertains them during the waiting time, you should think about incorporating NFC or QR technology . With this technology you will turn waiting time into a fun experience that your customers will remember! 

Create contactless and interactive journeys 

8 ways to bring fun to your museum

As museums and art galleries have begun to re-open their doors to the public, the question arises: How to provide audiences with engaging experiences while maintaining both the safety protocols and the needs of visitors in mind?

It is better for society if museums keep showing us the past instead of becoming part of it, and as the way people communicate and interact with each other changes, new avenues to enhance the cultural enrichment of museum visitors are paved.

What is important for a museum?

The most important thing for a museum is to have its own identity. Visitors must be captivated by a unique museum visit that takes them away from their daily routines to a world of wonder and whimsy.

All museum exhibits are different. If art galleries were people, they wouldn’t dress or act the same way natural history exhibits would. In the same vein, museums should show their personality across their premises and in the way they communicate with their customers.

By having a better idea of who is visiting the exhibits and why they do it, museum curators can have a clearer picture of how best to express the uniqueness of their exhibits. If you are at a tourist destination, you might want to try to inspire a feeling of wanderlust to cater to the expectations of travelers. Museums that are more often frequented by families or schools can consider having customizable information that captures the attention of children.

Learn more about customizable museum visits

How do you make museums more fun? 

1. Add interactivity with NFC-integrated technology

Sometimes play can be the best way to learn. From quizzes to educational software, there are many ways to let customers have a hands-on approach to their museum experience. 

It is common, even expected , for museums to have items that should under no circumstances be touched by visitors. After all, museums hold invaluable relics and works of art that are meant to be preserved for further generations to behold. However, many learners develop a better understanding and stronger memories by physically interacting with the items they’re learning about.

Everyone wants to know how big they are compared to a dinosaur or see how the helmet on the display would fit on their heads. People enjoy acquiring a little empirical knowledge, especially during a museum visit, and offering instances where they can interact with replicas or full-scale models will be much more engaging to your audience than merely looking and reading.

With the help of MySmartJourney , interaction doesn’t even have to be physical. Even if the world is slowly recovering from the covid-19 pandemic, there are still several regulations taking place and physical contact is still to be avoided when possible. Through the use of NFC integrated technology visitors can access the content of your choice through their phones, thereby reducing the chance of exposure to covid-19.

Near Field Communications (NFC) lets devices communicate over short distances via NFC tags already included in devices such as phones or debit cards. If you’ve ever used contactless payment methods when making a purchase, you’re already familiar with the technology. However, NFC integration can be used in much more interesting ways than handling payments.

MySmartJourney’s customization tools not only let your users interact with your information through an interface with a playful design but will also allow you to create quizzes and other games to challenge and engage with them. You can even gamify your locations, giving a playful touch to a museum visit without the need for any physical installations to be built.

Add NFC integration to your museum

2. Make works of art speak

Museum exhibits will be more immersive experiences if visitors can access audio content relevant to what they’re looking at. Audio tours are the preferred choice of many museum patrons, and through the benefits of customizable audio integration, content can go beyond expectations.

Former audio tour solutions involve the use of messy headphone hardware and extra steps that may end up confusing the user. Thanks to NFC Integration, taking an audio tour is a thing of the past, as not only audio but also text, video, 3D content, and content embedded from the internet can be easily broadcasted via the use of NFC tags. With the help of MySmartJourney’s platform, you can add audio and video content to your exhibits..

3. Reserve spaces for your community

There may be areas in your museum that could be used for something aside from showcasing the regular exhibits. You can set some spaces aside to be used to interact with your community in fun and engaging ways, upgrading your museum to a place people wish to visit regularly. 

Perhaps there is a burgeoning local artist scene in your area. Many up-and-coming artists would appreciate a chance to show their work at an established institution and through coordination with local artists, you can put your museum in the mouths of everybody. Displaying works of art created by local artists is a great way of benefiting both your museum and your community.

Any kind of museum or art gallery with a focus on a family experience can benefit by providing areas where children can express themselves creatively while parents sit down at the café. You will put a smile on the face of many if you have a wall intended to display their creations!

4. Planning and hosting special events

You can further attract both people from your area and travelers by hosting special events from time to time. Be it the changing of the seasons or a national holiday, there is always a reason to give people a chance to have some fun at your museum.

Renaissance fairs and similar events are popular with many people, and even though you may not have the space to hold a whole fair, you can repurpose an area of your premises to offer a tiny bit of the fair experience. Musical performances and other culturally relevant activities can catch the eye of those who have yet to decide what places to visit during their travels.

If you’re at a destination of historical significance, you may like to have some performers recreate an event from the past on its calendar date. Several tourists flock to these areas when local festivities are being held and would eagerly watch the show. If your area is lacking in cultural spaces, you can go ahead and turn your museum into your town’s cultural landmark by giving local artists a place to showcase their talents.

5. Join the online conversation

Everyone in this day and age, from celebrities to fast-food chains, has a presence on the Internet. Museum curators shouldn’t ignore social media as a fundamental part of their visitor’s experience.  

Advertising on social media can help you reach those who would otherwise be unaware of what museum exhibits have to offer. By using the Internet you can also connect better with millennial and gen Z audiences, who tend to disregard traditional media when looking for cultural experiences.

Through the use of social media, you can promote conversation on topics related to your museum or upcoming events. Fun content or important information you wish to share can be easily reached by your followers. You can even plan giveaways or contests to further spread your museum’s influence.

If you’re already planning on hosting events at your museum, there is no best way to let your community and passers-by know all about them than to have information readily available online. Users not only have easy access to the date, time, and place of the event, but they can also easily share this info with their family and peers with the touch of a button.

6. Give younger audiences a connection to the past

Many millennials and gen Z may not find relevance in museums since they may not consider the past applicable to modernity. To better cater to these customers’ sensibilities, it is advisable to give them a connection between the displays and their modern lives.

Museum exhibits can help transfer the human experience from eras long gone by contrasting how the present has been shaped by the past and how modern trends are mirrored by past events. By using NFC technology to add customizable information to displays, you can give millennial visitors a glimpse of how their lives correlate to those of their predecessors.

For example, several western artists have been influenced by Asian culture. By showing a comparison of the influence Hokusai and other Japanese painters had on western artists like Vincent Van Gogh to how the modern Japanese animation boom is changing current trends in the west, art galleries can give younger visitors a bridge to connect with art history.

Customize your museum exhibits 

7. Don’t forget about souvenirs!

Every museum should consider having a selection of mementos for visitors to purchase . Not only is it a great way for a museum to have an additional revenue stream, but it will also allow customers to take a little piece of the magic they discovered during their museum visit home with them. 

A lot of visitors are there on vacation and will be eager to get a trinket to remember their trip. Offer them something unique that brings out your museum’s personality. Even small keepsakes like keychains, magnets, and buttons will infatuate many travelers, and depending on your museum and area of expertise, you can offer much more! Some items you can consider offering are: 

• T-shirts and other apparel
• Prints and posters
• Home décor items
• Accessories
• Coffee Mugs
• Local food or drinks

You can look to your local community to find suppliers of handmade crafts, art, and jewelry items to offer. Hand-crafted items will add an extra layer of authenticity to your sales stand, as many customers will be looking for items they just can’t find at any store.

8. Offer visitors access to self-guided tours

MySmartJourney lets you easily design and create fun and informative multimedia experiences. All a visitor has to do is scan a code and they will be able to access a playful interface with all the info you need them to have. From there, visitors can guide themselves through the whole visit with the help of the platform.

NFC integrated technology can be placed on any flat surface and will effectively save both your business and your audience time by providing easy access to information. By using multimedia tools, you can not only show text and images but also audio, video, and much more! Museum curators can rest easy knowing guests are getting the most out of their visit.

Learn more about self-guided tours

8 City Marketing Strategies to Attract More Travelers

Tourism is one of the best sources of revenue for cities. Inward migration and tourist activities provide an organic way of stimulating the economy of cities and play a significant role in their socio-economic development . People have always loved traveling since ancient times, and this is a habit that will probably never go out of fashion. In this article, you will find 8 amazing city marketing strategies that will help you attract more visitors to your city.

What is city marketing?

City marketing or city branding refers to the promotion of certain attractions that make a particular city unique amongst others in order to attract more travelers. It is essential to create an aura around a city.

Why is city marketing useful and important?

City marketing is useful for the following reasons:

• Landmark creation
• Stimulation of the economy
• Source of government investment

City marketing puts a location on the map and is a great source of revenue for hotels , restaurants, museums , travel agents, and retail businesses. A good city marketing strategy exponentially increases the city's demand and paves the way for growth in the tourism sector. We live in a world where traveling has become very easy thanks to the availability of airlines, travel websites, and travel agents.

This means that your city will be competing with many other cities around the world and within your country. To help your city stand out from the rest, you need to have a solid city marketing strategy in place to attract more visitors, and use all the resources available at its disposal.

What is the difference between city and destination marketing?

There can be an overlap between city and destination marketing but they are not the same thing. While city marketing refers to the promotion of a city, destination marketing refers to the promotion of a city, a country, specific region, or attraction.

What is Phygital Marketing?

8 City Marketing Strategies to Attract Travelers

Promoters use several city marketing strategies to attract travelers :

• Set your city apart
• Know your audience
• Make use of NFC technology and QR Code
• Develop your city brand
• Create an attractive city website
• Get Virtual feedback
• Use social media
• Virtual reality and video marketing strategies

1. Set your city apart from the rest of the world

If you want travelers to be attracted to your city, then you have to stand out. Find out what features make it stand out from other cities around the world. Highlight the main features that make your city worth traveling to. This can include unique cultural activities, historical landmarks, tourist attractions, unique architecture, etc. Take, for instance, Cairo, Egypt. This capital city boasts a vast Egyptian museum containing royal mummies, iconic pyramids, and the great sphinx that dates back to the 26th century BCE. What are your landmarks?

2. Know your audience

The first step before developing a marketing strategy is first to know your target audience. Your marketing strategies should cater to the interests and preferences of specific groups of audiences. If your city has a complex history that can be told through its historical landmarks, it might appeal to older demographics. Similarly, if your city promises a cozy nightlife, it will be more appealing to the younger generation.

A target audience can be as precise as bird watchers and firework enthusiasts, to broader segmentation of population determined by age and religion. You need to adopt an analytical approach when you devise an urban marketing strategy when selecting the target audience of your city.

3. Make use of NFC technology, QR codes and short URLs

We live in an era where the majority of individuals, regardless of their social class, have access to a smartphone. By leveraging the potential of NFC technology , QR codes and short URLs, you can offer travelers a convenient way of exploring the cities in a contemporary fashion.

NFC technology refers to wireless communication between two electronic devices. Germany has already integrated NFC technology into its public transport system , where bus schedules are accessible via NFC technology. Similarly, many cities around the world are now leveraging QR codes to share key information to tourists. 

With MySmartJourney ’s platform, you can broadcast text, visual, video, and 3D content through QR codes, short URLs and NFC technology to:

• Highlight content that is waiting to be presented to the public
• Take advantage of the variety of your content to amaze your visitors
• Replace your audio guides
• Enrich visits and give visitors an incomparable experience thanks to engaging content

Create Unique & Fun Experiences

4. Develop your city brand

The purpose of branding is to help make things recognizable and identifiable in the collective memory of people. This can include logos , color schemes , slogans , and consistent messaging . All of these things play a critical role in an effective marketing strategy, and will certainly attract more visitors in the long run. That's why a consistent brand image is important.

5. Create an attractive city website

You should create a website to engage tourists and travelers on the Internet. Your city marketing approach should take into consideration that many interested travelers will search information about your city on Google. This highlights the importance of incorporating a digital marketing strategy to get to your target audience. Videos, pictures, and blog posts on your website will all bring attention to your city’s attractive elements.

Best 10 Tourism & Travel Trends of 2021

6. Virtual feedback

The biggest motivation for traveling is the desire to experience something new. When there is recurrent negative feedback online regarding a certain attraction or a particular district of the city, it must be taken seriously. Unpleasant experiences aren’t new to visitors as they are part of life, and they will easily avoid this by going elsewhere. Monitoring virtual feedback will help improve the experience the city offers.

7. Use social media

Social media is one of the most powerful tools to market anything. Depending on your city's marketing goals, you can showcase the city’s unique cultural activities, festivals, landmarks, and accommodations on popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These platforms will allow you to reach your desired demographics in a convenient way.

Having a social media presence will allow you to generate a global following for your city’s brand. You will also have access to advertisements and sponsored social media posts. You can reach your target audience based on gender, race, interests, and location. This will allow you to create a laser-focused marketing strategy. Additionally, social media has given rise to influencers that can convince people. They have millions of followers online and can be a great help for your city’ marketing efforts. 

Before doing business with these social personalities, the city marketing team should review thoroughly their content for nefarious material that could backfire on the city if it engages in a partnership with these individuals. A digital marketing strategy should concentrate on local influencers just as much as foreign ones. 

8. Virtual reality and video marketing strategies

Virtual reality is an amazing technology that allows you to promote your city in a unique way. It’s a great opportunity for virtual travelers to explore the visual aspects and wonders of your city, all the while sitting in their own homes. You can provide travelers with 360-degree virtual tours of your city or attraction. This is a more modern sales pitch than conventional travel agents.

These virtual tours can include anything from unique architecture to historical landmarks in your city. You can expose features of your city to travelers through video marketing as well. Visual content is always effective to attract the attention of interested travelers.

Create contactless interactive journeys

Technology trends emerging in the tourism & travel industry

Technology and the tourism market have always gone hand-in-hand. It was the innovations in transport and travel that made tourism possible in the 21st century. Today, technology is used to guide travelers and ensure customer satisfaction at every step of their journey.

Given the current worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, contactless experiences for payment, exploring, and information have now become a must for the tourism sector to attract more visitors in a safe manner. This should be taken into account in a city’s marketing strategy and could be a major point of attraction. Many cities banalize safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus. If a city were to uniformize its approach to reduce contact, it could appear as a safer place for vacation and bring in more revenues.

Innovations in the travel and tourism Industry

8 trends that are transforming museums

Nobody would have thought that a so-called ‘epidemic’ in Wuhan, China, would take over the world and quickly acquire the shape of a pandemic. With all the global activities being affected by the Covid-19, everybody had to morph themselves and their lifestyle to ensure that the virus didn’t expand any more. 

The world of museums was also affected by the pandemic and ended up losing a lot of business because the entire essence of the museum experience revolves around on-site visits, which were prohibited due to enforced security measures.

Despite this downfall, museums continue to act as a holy place for art, architecture and history. They exhibit the creativity that artists bring to their canvas. They celebrate the victorious successes that were achieved in the past and reminisce about the influential and most devastating episodes in history. Museums have the power to impact the mindset of its visitors and alter their views. 

Covid-19 might have dented the concept of museums but definitely not the spirit it holds in its core. In this article, we discuss the top 10 museum trends that are transforming museums and their relationship with its visitors.

1. Multisensory experience: the future of museums

As the world of technology is evolving at such a rapid rate, it gets hard to keep up and people are always looking for the next best thing to stimulate their senses. Multisensory experiences are a great way to achieve this as they tap into more than one of your senses. 

Augmented reality (AR) is likely to completely change the field of museums and how the world sees them. It’s expected that starting from 2020, museums will be keener on pursuing this method of multi-experience to attract visitors.

2. Museums trends shaped by the VR culture

Virtual reality (VR) completely changes how we look at things. It feels like being in a specific place while not really being there. Virtual reality technology is something that museums have started to explore and it is likely to affect the way museums operate.

Imagine seeing a painting and being able to virtually step into its majestic world or learning about the history of your country from the comfort of your own home. With the use of virtual reality, all of this is possible. Museums could use this technology in different creative ways, as the applications are endless!

3. Museum technology: Voice command

Voice commands will allow customers and museum staff to facilitate their daily tasks. It will be easy for a visitor who has an interest in a particular topic to find all the data related to it just by expressing it. It is also a great way for museums to collect data and information. 

4. Museum attendance

Another significant trend that has recently made an appearance on the museum scene is museum attendance. This trend deals with advertising how safety precautions for the covid-19 are part of the new museum experience and how the flow of visitors is limited. It allows customers to go to the museum and enjoy their visit rather than worry about their safety.

5. Know what your customer wants

This is probably one of the most followed trends currently in the museum industry. It has opened new opportunities for museums to reshape their identity. Museums have often been regarded as monotonous or traditional in their approach, but that is changing. Now, proper research is conducted on what a specific group of people expects when they come to a museum to create more impactful experiences.

6. Museum apps

In 2021, you can forget about traditional audiobooks. Museum apps are taking the center stage by digitizing the museum experience. Apart from being safer as customers can use their own mobile devices, museum apps can be customized and include a lot of useful information, interactive maps, etc. 

Much like with retail shops, museums have to provide added value to customers and museum apps are another great way to do that. These applications give insight into the details of the exposition or museum before a visit. They can also include links and data that are relevant to different pieces of art or artists.

7. Creating a smooth experience

Museums can create a smoother experience by making sure clients don’t have to wait in line, buy tickets in-person, etc. All this can be avoided with the use of digital technology. Everything you imagine going wrong, digital optimization can solve. Simple changes like these can make a big difference in customer satisfaction!

8. Take into account every detail

This last trend is more likely to be applied to customers that come to the museum for its conventional and traditional essence. They normally come to the museum and hope to find what they are looking for, which is usually data and information on a topic or piece of art that piques their interest. The museum must have sufficient data and statistics that are well researched in order to meet the expectations of all visitors. 

Ready to digitize your museum experience? 

Our technology collects information that is essential for your museum. It offers you tailored information at the right place and at the right time for the right people!  

MySmartJourney is an App that can be customized to share contextualized, contactless and interactive information on any public site:

• It's easy to use and works on all devices .
• It works in real time , updating content depending on the context and generating reports instantaneously. 
• It monitors indicators and data that matters at any time.

Some of the trends we have mentioned concern the Covid-19 pandemic, while others are just applicable in general. In both cases, it’s pretty evident how these trends have the potential and power to fully boost the museum industry and make it a more thriving and entertaining one.

What Exactly Is Territorial Marketing?

Territorial Marketing Definition

Territorial marketing is a strategy that aims to improve local development actions in cities or regions by adding value to the area in which they are located. This added value can come from different things such as geography, climate, history, culture, etc.

A given market is therefore seen as a competitive product that needs differentiation. In this situation, the supply is the territory whereas the demand includes citizens, residents, local businesses, foreign direct investment, tourists, etc.

It essentially develops strategic plans to promote certain parts of interest, while improving overall well-being. These actions take place within a sustainable environment, which involves considering social issues and environmental concerns. A territorial marketing strategy must be dynamic and constantly evolve because the products it deals with, the territories, have a temporal dimension that requires constant adjustment.

What Is MySmartJourney?

Why Is Territorial Marketing Important?

A successful territorial marketing plan can attract tourists, increase capital and economic income in a region as well as revitalize a territory by retaining companies in places that would otherwise have little to offer. 

What Is Territorial Marketing Used For?

Territorial marketing is an interdisciplinary methodology that allows a region to position itself on a national and international scale, projecting a strong and appealing image to the world. 

Territorialization has several advantages, including tourism development, regional development, economic development and the generation and preservation of wealth for local communities. Urban marketing aims to improve the material and immaterial aspects of an environment so that its ability to attract and retain people’s attention doesn't decline while always striving toward sustainable development.

Phygital Marketing In Tourist Destinations

What Factors Influence Territorial Marketing?

It is not possible for any company or organization to develop a successful territorial marketing plan without considering the factors that affect a specific territory. These include the cultural elements that characterize a given country (its languages, ways of relating to one another, its values, and customs) and the economic conditions that shape the market.

How To Develop A Territorial Marketing Approach

A territorial marketing strategy is a strategic tool used to strengthen the position of a brand within a specific territory. Territorial strategies are based on three main axes:

• Analysis of the social and economic environment of the area you want to promote
• Identification of the target audience
• Definition of the goals to be reached

In order to define a territorial strategy, it is important to know what the market is like, and what the competitive landscape looks like. This requires a thorough knowledge of the local economy and society. You must analyze the socio-economic context of the region and determine whether there are particular factors that could affect the success of your project. Once you’ve identified the key points to consider, you can start analyzing the different aspects of the territory.

Once you’ve defined the objectives of your campaign, you can choose the best channel to reach your audience. A territorial plan is always associated with a certain tone of voice, and each one needs to be adapted to the type of communication desired. Finally, you can decide which products or services to offer. A good territorial strategy is the basis for any effective promotion campaign.

6 Ways To Make Your Destination Stand Out

Successful Examples Of Territorial Marketing Strategies

The ONLYLYON Project 

The ONLYLYON project aimed to promote the city of Lyon, a major tourist destination in France. This project consisted of developing a set of measures focused on enhancing the image of the city and promoting it as a creative hub. 

To achieve this, the city was divided into twelve different areas, each one representing a specific sector of activity. These sectors included culture, design, gastronomy, architecture, etc. Each area had a coordinator responsible for managing the activities carried out there. The objective of the project was to transform the city into a place where creativity thrives. In addition, the project intended to highlight the diversity of the city and encourage visitors to discover its many facets.

In particular, the project sought to increase awareness of the city’s assets and showcase its unique features. A key element of the project was the development of a digital toolkit designed to help people understand the city better and find information about what they want to know. 

The ONLYLYON initiative received support from numerous partners including the City Hall, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Regional Council, the Office National de Tourisme de la Région Rhône-Alpes, the Tourist Office, etc. This project is a good example of territorial branding , which is one of the many tools of territorial marketing. 

Inspired By Iceland 

The Government of Iceland, the Municipality of Reykjavik, the airline Iceland Express, and 80 other local authorities are taking part in a territorial marketing campaign called “Inspired by Iceland.” This project aims to promote Iceland as a tourist destination and encourage visitors to make it one of their favorite destinations. T his project is centered around territorial promotion , which is a territorial strategy tool. 

Due to the eruption of the volcanic ash cloud that covered much of Europe, bookings by tourists to Iceland have declined by about 20% compared to previous years. As a consequence, the parties involved have taken the opportunity to use the attention given to the country to convey positive messages, promote its potential and reassure tourists, especially those worried by the misinformation spread by international media.

In addition, the tourism industry is working hard to ensure that the image of the country does not suffer negative repercussions due to recent events. To do this, the government has launched the “Iceland hour,” an hour during which the entire nation is invited to share their experiences, culture, and history with friends and relatives around the world.

A video showcasing the beauty of Iceland and showing how much fun it is to travel there has been produced and is being distributed via social networks and YouTube. In addition, the tourism sector is launching a video contest inviting people to submit videos highlighting the best aspects of Iceland. 

How To Get Funds To Create A Mobile Digital Journey

La ville du Mans

The city of Le Mans collaborated with Mysmartjourney in order to tell stories and anecdotes of some of its emblematic places like the Parc de Tessé and the Jardin des Plantes. Together, they created posters with QR codes that can be found all over the city so that visitors can discover this Plantagenet city which has almost 2000 years of history to tell.

Visitors simply need their mobile phone to participate in this immersive experience. All they have to do is scan the QR code or approach their device to trigger the NFC tag. If these two methods don’t work, there is a third solution. Each poster has a short URL that redirects visitors to the desired web page.

Several "Did you know?" signs offer interactive winks and allow the discovery of 11 different sites. The metropolis team set up an open-air museum as a first step. Since then, the system has also been used to provide value-added information during the legendary race . More points are planned to be deployed in 2023.

Create Digital Routes For Your Destination 

Territorial marketing is an integrated approach to providing quality services for local people, government officials, visitors, and foreign companies. It aims at achieving both service improvements and community development through its operations. After being subjected to an aggressive territorial marketing campaign, a certain territory will be able to develop in a responsible and sustainable manner over time. 

These actions will take place in the long run because they involve various aspects (social, economic, etc.) which require time to change and coordinate, and to establish a harmonious development system, where all elements profit. If you're looking for help to can create an app targeted at territorial marketing , we'd be happy to help you. 

MySmartJourney collaborates with touristic destinations, tourist routes and traveler services to help them leverage the potential of phygital marketing. Our digital tool can be deployed quickly in public spaces as an interactive signage, a docking station, a guided tour, and much more. With MySmartJourney, you can create personalized content and contactless experiences thanks to QR codes, NFC technology and short URLs. 

Here are key functionalities of the platform: 

• Text, image, audio and video integration with YouTube, Vimeo and SoundCloud. 
• Possibility to create quizzes and games with playful aspects thanks to action buttons. Redirection buttons are also available and can direct users to links from various websites.
• Combination of complex scenarios and puzzles to energize the content and playfulness of the place.
• Play mp3 and mp4 files and automatically optimize multimedia.
• Integration of 3D and 360° contents with Sketchfab and YouTube 360.
• Availability of forms through Google Forms, which allows you to collect data easily.
• Add personalized souvenir photos with stickers and branded images through a Photobooth.
• Possibility to order directly on the platform while respecting sanitary measures.
• Scheduling of content according to fixed schedules. The scheduler updates the information for the user instantly and in real time.
• Integrated statistics with Google Analytics in an anonymous way for the creation of automatic reports that detail user behavior.

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Benefits of self guided tours

The world slowly reopens and we’re able to stretch our legs once again. After a long stay home, every day more and more people yearn to go outdoors in search of an authentic experience. 

Even though traditional touristic tours, where you go somewhere new and have a guide walk you through all the important places, are still popular, self-guided tours are a more relaxed and personalized alternative .

What is a self-guided tour?

A self-guided tour is a self-governing tour where you can enjoy exploring walking routes or urban areas without the need for a tour guide. Self-guided trips can be both a personal and group experience. 

Many companies or touristic sites now provide maps, directions, suggestions, information and items to see to make self-guided tours an interactive and unique experience. 

Create digital routes for tourist and cultural sites

What’s the difference between a guided and a self-guided tour? 

During a guided tour, your whole experience is curated by your tour guide, who has already planned where to go and what to do. In contrast, self-guided tours allow people to choose their own activities and the pace of the tour.

This means you can stray off the path and, for example, follow the trail alongside a river all the way to its source. It is up to your wanderlust (and your stamina) how far you choose to go. If your need to travel goes beyond hotels and fancy meals, self-guided trips may just be the thing for you.

Types of self-guided tours

There’s a myriad of destinations available to the daring adventurer who prefers self-guided authentic experiences. These vary in complexity from idyllic walking routes with the sunshine on your face to braving the winter wilderness by force of wit and preparation.

A novice traveler, or one who’s abroad, should stay away from more demanding trails until they’ve acquired some experience. There’s nothing wrong with tackling the small challenges first and then coming back to the harder ones with a couple of completed routes under your belt.

Here’s a list of ideas for people willing to choose a self-guided tour for their next getaway. We’ll start with the basic, leisurely activities one can do with friends and family, and then go a little over what the most intrepid independent travel aficionados are doing.

Walking routes

Walking routes might be closer to you than you think! In fact, a self-guided tour guide can make a walking route out of any interesting area of their own city. Those amateurs who would rather have an adventure day away from the bright city lights would do good to research trails in and around their area. One would be surprised to discover how many wonders nature hides just a couple of kilometers away from our homes.

It’s not an exaggeration to say that walking routes are perfect for everyone. A small group of people can spend the afternoon walking next to the river. Older folks can take their time and enjoy the chirping of birds. A multifamily gathering can happen on the trail itself, giving the adults the perfect place to hang out and the kids room to play and run around.

Tour builder for walking trails 

Rail trails

Decommissioned railways still connect towns and cities through hills, rivers, and valleys. Once the rolling trains are but a memory, nature will slowly begin retaking the tracks, creating beautiful walkways across the countryside .

Natural walkways are created by nature taking over old train tracks. Many of these are flat and spacious, which makes rail trails ideal for joggers, cyclists, and even horse riders. Since many abandoned train tracks lead to historical sites, many culturally-inclined explorers looking for a self-guided walking tour will find them interesting.

Urban trails

One doesn’t have to travel far away from home to have a memorable self-guided trip. Urban trails cut through the streets and parks of cities big and small all around the world. Have you been to all the major landmarks in your area? Taking a self-guided walking tour of one’s own hometown is a great way to exercise and learn more about the place you live in. 

On the other hand, an interesting experiment you may want to try at least once in your life is to travel abroad to a concrete jungle far away and discover part of it on foot. You will be amazed at how different it will be from going around in a cab, tour bus, or other kinds of guided travel. Plus, many museums, galleries and historical sites create self-guided tours for you so that you can access interactive information from your mobile device. 

Tour builder for associations, circuits and tourist routes

Bicycle trails

Who says you have to walk to have an authentic experience? The great outdoors is ready for the taking at your favorite speed, and if that speed is dashing through on a bike with the wind on your face, then so be it.

Many experienced cyclists go off-road, through the mountains, or across the countryside. Those looking for a more casual, relaxed escapade can look forward to the many trails scattered all around. Maybe the next town is not that far, and there’s a neat bike path along the highway. What better way to spend a summer afternoon than to ride around in the wind, feeling the warmth of the evening sun?

Tour builder for municipal parks 

Water trails

Rivers, lakes, and canals are often navigated for recreational purposes. Also known as blueways , these water trails dot the landscape and are popular with eco-tourists. Much of the Trans Canada Trail , the longest recreational trail network in the world, is composed of water trails.

It is not advised for amateur self-guided trip enthusiasts to try and solo a water trail. Even if you’re in a group, it is better to already be experienced with the canoe or your vessel of choice to avoid any possible accidents or complications. Once you’re sitting on a boat drifting through the middle of the river there’s no easy way out. Remember that during a self-guided tour you act as your own tour guide, and therefore must keep an eye on your safety.

Benefits of self-guided tours

Go where you wish

There’s no need to sit through unwanted stops during a self-guided tour. Choose only the destinations you wish to see and make the most of your time . There ain’t no mountain high enough or valley low enough, it is up to you which challenges you wish to overcome.

If the trail you’re walking through has NFC technology integrated along the way then there will be nothing to worry about in terms of getting lost. Near Field Communications provides travelers with all the information they need to ensure an authentic experience. All kinds of interactive content can be made available to anyone who scans a QR code with their mobile phone.

Take all the time you want

Imagine climbing a mountain to discover the perfect view of the valley below as rays of sunshine break through the clouds, only to have to turn away 5 minutes later because the tour group is going away.

Self-guided tours let individuals choose the pace at which they wander around. Nobody knows at what speed you enjoy doing things better than yourself, so be your own guide and don’t let anyone stop you from smelling the flowers.

It’s safe for your health

With the coronavirus pandemic still affecting our daily lives, it is better to search for activities to do alone or in small groups. Self-guided tours are a perfect way to go out and enjoy oneself while still practicing social distancing.

Aside from pandemic-related health concerns, it is impossible to deny the positive health effects one can enjoy by partaking in walking routes. Not only does walking through a trail count as very good exercise, but it will also boost your immune system and improve your mood.

Easier on the pockets

Forget about paying for a tour guide. Choose a self-guided trip and plan accordingly to have everything figured out before you set foot out of the house. By being your own tour guide, you can try and sidestep tourist traps. Favor mingling with the locals and find out where to experience authentic food.  

Phygital experience

Municipal parks, cultural sites, and walking trails can enhance the self-guided experience by implementing NFC technology along the route. With this revolutionary technology, anyone can easily navigate a sea of information about a trail or route.

NFC is capable of transmitting all kinds of content directly to a user’s phone via short-range wireless technology. For self-guided tours, this means having all the information on the wildlife, geography, and history of the trail. One will be able to lose themselves in the beauty of the journey, while all logistics on the route are available on-demand and information regarding their safety is always within reach.

Sense of accomplishment

While a guided tour will remind you of watching an exhibition, a self-guided tour will feel like jumping into the paintings to explore them and create your own fun memories. Each trail you conquer will add to the feeling of achievement. There’s nothing like setting out to complete your goals and seeing your plans to fruition. Self-guided tours provide you with the opportunity to go from staring at a map to climbing the top of the mountain through the force of your willpower alone.

Want to customize a self-guided tour for your business?

Companies in different industries leverage MySmartJourney’s NFC integrated technology to create a personalized, authentic experience for travelers of all ages and walks of life. Our 100% web-based platform allows you to create fun and informative content from all your devices, without having to learn to code.

Quick and easy to implement, MySmartJourney is the perfect tool to give people exactly the information they need. This state-of-the-art technology is used by all kinds of businesses and institutions, from museums to art galleries and even walking trails, to provide customers with informative and entertaining content.  

Personalize your customer experience

9 ways to modernize your hotel

What is hotel modernization? 

Hotel modernization means adapting the hotel experience to be comfortable and functional for the needs of tomorrow. Restyling the way things are run to cater to the changing demographics is key to be on the vanguard of the hotel business.

Nowadays no business or industry is safe from becoming a memory, trampled by the wheels of new technological advances just around the corner. Video rental stores and malls were huge some years back and now they have been replaced by streaming and e-commerce platforms. Airbnb has been giving the hotel industry a run for its money for quite some time now. Rather than wait and see what happens, it is better to take some steps towards modernization and win this technological arms race!

How do you modernize a hotel?

Eco-friendly innovative ideas for hotels 

With the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance estimating that the hotel industry will have to reduce its carbon emissions by 66% per room by 2030 ( source ) and more people switching to eco-friendly lifestyles, it’s only normal for hotels to consider going green .

A great way to improve the look of your hotel and save on resources is to compost food waste and use it to grow green spaces in and around your hotel. Science has proven that plants create more relaxing indoor environments and they add life to otherwise gray areas.

Unused outdoor spaces can also be repurposed into small orchards to charm customers with an interesting view and some natural treats. If dealing with fruit or vegetable-bearing plants sounds too daunting, you can also consider planting flowers.

Color-code a memorable experience

From the robe to the slippers and the sheets to the towels. Even if white is always the go-to solution for a clean and inviting mood, interior design will work wonders. Do you have a color palette? Are your decorations leaning towards a formal or a more casual style? Details like this may be easy to miss, but they will make a difference in the back of your guests’ minds. A harmonious room will lead to a cozier hotel stay.

Is there art in the room? If you’re at a tourist destination, you may want to portray your area’s cultural and natural landmarks in your decorations to entice hotel guests who come looking for a memorable experience. Adding QR codes in hotel rooms and in the different spaces of your hotel will also allow you to offer customers a wealth of information.

Integrate NFC technology

Enrich the guest experience, go paperless, and create a modern luxury hotel feel with NFC technology . Near Field Communications uses short-range wireless technology to allow pieces of equipment called “tags” to send and receive information. This may sound complicated, but if you’ve ever used a contactless payment app on your phone, you already understand how it works!

NFC allows hotel guests to receive information on demand, without delays or the need for a printed document. As soon as someone scans a code, they receive the information they need. You can also personalize fun and unique experiences as well as self-guided tours .

Provide good Wi-Fi

This one is pretty straightforward. Hotel guests want their room to be their home away from home, and in the modern age, accessible and reliable Wi-Fi is part of feeling at home.  

Wi-Fi is a really powerful tool which allows hotel guests to check in and out, get their plane tickets and look at the weather forecast. 

It allows hotel staff to stay connected and help each other. It keeps the kids entertained while mom and dad unpack and plan the activities for the day. You’re most probably using it right now to read these words. A good Wi-Fi connection keeps people closer to their loved ones and their personal projects. You want customers to take pictures in your hotel and share their Instagram stories, so that all their friends can see your hotel in all its splendor. Don’t underestimate the power of word-of-mouth!

Empower hotel staff to improve the guest experience

Imagine arriving at your hotel, opening your bag, and noticing your phone charger is four time zones away. Wouldn’t you be relieved to learn that a clever hotel manager thought to keep phone chargers at the front desk?

Small, useful gadgets such as phone chargers and adapters will allow hotel staff to immediately solve issues that may be hindering the guest experience. Many first-timers to your area may not know power outlets are different from those back home. Taking it one step further, some may not have prepared for a rainy or hot day. Items like the following will be useful to have around for guests to use or borrow:

• Phone chargers
• Power outlet adapters
• Colored pencils/crayons

Stop and smell the roses (and the breakfast buffet!)

Never underestimate the effect good smell can have on customer experience. Let hotel guests wake up and go to the common areas to discover the sweet fragrance of a feast ready for the taking. Add organic and locally grown foods as a value proposition to modern sensibilities. 

Consider that many young people take more pictures of their food during their holidays than they do of statues and landscapes. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and a nice breakfast buffet will let you conquer those hearts every morning.

Adding scented candles to your hotel will help create an inviting, relaxed mood. Just imagine someone coming in through the front door one rainy day and suddenly experiencing the sweet aroma as they approach the front desk. If you have already considered investing in flowers, they will lend their aroma alongside their beauty.

Comfortable and functional coworking spaces 

Business travelers and digital nomads will appreciate this very much. A somewhat barren area of your hotel can be upgraded to provide a comfortable guest experience for those interested in working during their hotel stay. A coworking hub may become a center to make connections not only between hotel guests but also between them and the locals they’ve come to work with. This is important because locals who bring business travelers to town are inadvertently improving your business.

Supplying some office equipment is a good way to add a functional flair to any business traveler’s temporary office. Don’t forget the usefulness of NFC technology for letting people know how to use any piece of equipment and any office ground rules.

Loyalty programs for business travelers and other frequent guests

Maybe Bob from two towns over has some business in town every month. Why not offer him a discount or perk to make him feel more welcome? Maybe a hotel room upgrade in case he wants to bring the wife and kids for the weekend. 

There are many reasons why people need to travel somewhere periodically. While business travelers have meetings to attend, other hotel guests could be there because it’s the annual gathering of their fandom, or perhaps a music festival is happening close by. Keeping these customers in mind and creating incentives to choose your hotel over any other is a great way to grow your customer base.

Take the hotel experience beyond the hotel stay

The hotel industry goes hand in hand with all kinds of industries like restaurants, cultural venues, and many others. Partnering with places in your area is a great way to give customers the most memorable experience.

Hotel guests need to go to and from the airport, that’s a given. Wouldn’t their experience be substantially improved if their hotel could help them with transportation? You can make travelers feel like real V.I.P.s if you help them deal with the trials and tribulations of moving around your area. It may be a good idea to partner up with a local mobility service provider.

Once the whole hassle of transportation has been dealt with, maybe your guests want to book restaurant reservations or find out where to experience local art and culture. If you make this easier for them, you might just win their heart! You can use NFC technology to give hotel guests a list of places to explore around town. Why keep flyers around the front desk if you can send that information directly to their phones in just a few clicks?

Ready to digitize your hotel? 

Change the way your customers think about the hotel stay by adding technological advances such as NFC. MySmartJourney provides you with the tools to create a streamlined, personalized hotel experience. Build tours of your premises and create new fun and unique experiences. 

MySmartJourney’s platform is used by museums, art galleries, historical sites, hotel establishments and other businesses in order to deliver to their customers all the information they may need or want. By adding this technology to your business, you will guarantee hotel guests access to a modern, memorable experience.

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The Covid-19 pandemic has affected pretty much every single industry throughout the world. As governments were forced to implement social distancing policies in order to keep the population safe, a number of businesses had to adapt . 

Whilst some businesses were able to remain open as people worked from home, museums had to shut their doors to the public. However, some still managed to make the best out of this situation. Indeed, some of the most famous museums in Canada leveraged technology to bring the museum experience into people's homes. In this article, we share some of the best virtual and non-virtual museum tours Canada has to offer. 

What are the best museum tours in Canada? 

Now that we can actually visit museums in person again, we thought it would be helpful to share a list of the best museum tours in Canada for you to plan your trips and excursions. Here are some of the best museums to visit in Canada :

1. Canadian Museum of Immigration

The Canadian Museum of Immigration is one of the most eye opening and inspiring museums in Canada. Located at the national historic site of Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, even the site of the architecturally impressive museum building holds significance. It is located in the very spot where close to 1 million immigrants landed between 1928 and 1971 in order to call Canada their new home. 

Inside the museum, you will find heartwarming stories about immigrants, many of whom took dangerous journeys from their home countries to start a new life in Canada. The museum shares a powerful message and recognizes the importance of immigrants in shaping the ongoing development of Canada. Inside, visitors are given access to a collection of stories, pictures and artifacts that all work together to accurately convey the immigrant experience. 

2. Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum of Human Rights is a one of a kind museum located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. It is an impressive institution that seeks to educate its visitors through engagement and reflection. It is located on ancestral land and everything from the design of the building and the water system is sustainably and ethically sourced, as the museum practices what it preaches. 

The main purpose of the museum is to teach visitors about human rights, including human rights violations and how and what we can learn from them. Although there is a focus on human rights in Canada, it is an interconnected museum that also makes references to the wider world and its relation to Canada. It exhibits stories of resilience, resistance and revolutions all in relation to human rights. The visit encourages self-reflection and education surrounding human rights.  

3. Canadian War Museum 

The Canadian War Museum is one of the many museums to explore that teach visitors about Canada’s military history . Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum is popular as it welcomes around 500,000 visitors per year. It is a well-respected museum across the world due to the accuracy in which it conveys information regarding armed conflicts. It is home to an impressive collection of vehicles, artillery, uniforms, medals and more. 

Despite the fact that the museum is home to over 3 million artifacts, it still manages to provide visitors with intimate and personal connections to the history and stories of people who have fought for Canada. They do this by including personal memoirs in their exhibits which provide visitors with an emotional connection to the past stories of wars. 

4. Art Gallery of Ontario 

The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is a vibrant and exciting museum. It is an impressive institution as it is one of the largest art museums in North America . It features works of art by famous artists from across the world, including collections from Andy Warhol, David Milne and Shuvinai Ashoona, just to name a few. 

During your visit at the museum, you can find different types of art, from different geographical regions, such as a large collection of Canadian art, European art and Indigenous art in multiple mediums, such as photography, library archives as well as prints and drawings. The collection spans from 100 A.D  to the present day, giving you a comprehensive overview of the history of art. There are always multiple exhibitions to visit which are sure to capture your attention and imagination. 

5. Museum of Anthropology 

The Museum of Anthropology is located in the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The museum was initially established in order to bring awareness to other cultures and educate visitors around the practices and customs of cultures around the world. However, since its inception, there has been an emphasis on indigenous culture . 

Its heavily indigenous influenced exhibits include things such as impressive carvings and a spiritual totem pole. The museum seeks to emphasize and advocate for indigenous rights and ensure they can maintain and develop their land, traditions and cultural heritage. 

6. Royal Ontario Museum 

The Royal Ontario Museum is one of the top ten cultural institutions in North America and is the largest museum in Canada . The exhibits and collections are vast and varied. In one corner you will find a collection of prehistoric artifacts and fossils, in the next an exhibit of  Egyptian gems, and in the next an impressive array of contemporary art. There really is something for everyone. 

Even the architecture is something to admire as the huge limestone building sits beneath an impressive shard-like formation of glass and crystal. There are also beautiful outdoor areas with ample seating and even a rooftop terrace, making the entire experience one to remember. 

8 trends that are transforming museums 

Although the above museums are impressive and worth a visit, during the Covid-19 pandemic, visiting museums was not an option and some people still prefer to avoid enclosed spaces. To cater to the public’s needs, museums designed virtual museum tours so that customers could enjoy a visit from the comfort and safety of their homes. Here is a list of some of the best virtual tours offered by Canadian Museums : 

Royal Ontario Museum 

Although a visit to the Royal Ontario Museum is a must, you can also enjoy a virtual tour for now. The museum has a strong digital footprint and has worked hard to get 47,000 exhibition objects and artifacts digitally curated in order for guests to enjoy from home. 

One of their most impressive current online virtual exhibitions is called The Blue Whale Project . The online exhibition lets you browse some impressive images of blue whales and provides valuable information to help you learn about the current condition of the blue whale. It is also accompanied by videos from professionals in the field. The result is a highly informative, interesting, and impressive exhibition that can be accessed from your phone, laptop or tablet . 

Online exhibitions 

Canadian Museum for Human Rights

The Canadian Museum for Human Rights also allows you to explore their museum from home. Their virtual tours are led by guides who will guide your visit through the galleries and architecture of the museum in Manitoba. 

Architecture is one of the biggest draws to the museum so it’s an integral part of virtual tours . One of the virtual tour options is a ten-minute video that takes you around the museum and shows you the breathtaking views from the top floors of the museum, one of the visitors’ favorite places. 

Pacific Museum of Earth

The Pacific Museum of Earth ’s virtual tours are impressive. This museum is a step ahead of other museums as it provides 3D virtual tours . You can click around the museum and choose to zoom in on the pieces that intrigue you the most and catch your attention. 

The museum also allows you to choose some collection pieces and provides you with a link so that you can access videos and descriptions to further enhance the learning experience in an interactive way . 

Create your own interactive museum experience

Want to make your museum experience more interactive? 

Interactive elements in museums are a great way to get adults and children directly involved in the exhibits and encourage engagement. To digitize the visitor experience, many museums leverage NFC technology. 

NFC technology stands for near-field communication technology, which makes it possible for two devices to essentially talk to each other in close range and exchange data. You might not have heard of this term but you’ve definitely experienced it in your day-to-day life through contactless payments, such as Apple or Google pay. 

What you probably don’t know is that it can also be used in different and creative ways . MySmartJourney leverages this technology to help businesses customize digital routes for tourist and cultural sites. Our platform allows clients to create informative, useful and entertaining multimedia digital journeys to impress their customers, visitors and users .

The options are endless when it comes to NFC technology, and the more creative you get the more exciting it will be for your target audience when visiting your museum. If you have an idea of how to integrate NFC and want to bring your museum into the 21st century digital age, feel free to contact us to personalize your customer journey. 

Deploy contactless and interactive journeys in any public space

What are the benefits of phygital marketing for cities?

The connection between the physical and digital worlds becomes inevitable as the economic, cultural and tourism landscape changes around the world. Marketing strategies must adapt to new standards and break away from traditional methods in order to ensure the engagement and involvement of users and customers.

Phygital marketing merges the physical world with the digital experience. It is an approach that combines digital technology, social media, mobile and traditional marketing techniques to create a consistent experience for customers across all channels. This strategy has seen incredible growth in the wake of the pandemic and the advancement of e-commerce. 

MySmartJourney features

What are the objectives of a phygital marketing strategy for cities?

Thanks to advances in technology, the blending of the real and digital realms has become a strategy commonly used in various industries. This phygital marketing strategy creates community solutions in cities by combining local people, businesses, local authorities and associations. 

The objective of this strategy is to develop a better region, promote culture and tourism, support the economy and improve the quality of life by: 

• Facilitating accessibility and communication through tourism applications that create a new experience for visitors while collecting a range of data on different urban tourism enthusiasts.
• Improving travel and mobility by placing strategic locations with sensors and using applications that help city residents and visitors get around safely.
• Improving access to information about job opportunities, social and cultural activities, and business offerings by promoting a useful and entertaining information flow.
• Creating a better customer experience by combining the human touch with the digital journey to engage the user and build loyalty while driving the purchase of products or services online.

Phygital marketing as a strategy to engage travelers

Phygital marketing brings several benefits to cities, including:

• Promote the culture, history and local products of the destination: Dynamic and interactive communication tools, NFC technology and QR codes facilitate the flow of information and encourage visitors of museums , parks and various local attractions to interact with the surrounding environment.
• Incentivize tourism investment in the region: The various tourist destinations in a city can use phygital marketing to develop their services and promote their places to attract more investors and promote tourism in the region.
• Develop the economic activities of the city: Phygital marketing is mainly used to improve the customer experience and promote of companies and businesses in the territory. Consumers live a unique experience and the various companies and businesses are able to showcase their products in a more original way.
• Create new jobs related to tourism, trade and mobility in the territory: When used wisely, phygital marketing tools improve the economic, cultural and tourist dynamics of cities, which can offer new employment opportunities and fight against unemployment.
• Protect the city's heritage and contribute to the well-being of the local population: By promoting physical contactless experiences and providing access to information through NFC technology, cities actively contribute to the well-being of their residents while preserving their resources.

Phygital marketing in tourist destinations

Phygital marketing, for a better customer experience

Phygital marketing is based on customer interactions and the richness of the buying journey to offer the user : 

• Immediacy of service by being available through various communication channels.
• Involvement through an immersive and engaging experience.
• Interaction through the humanization of the resident and visitor experience.

The phygital strategy creates an engaging ecosystem

Merging the real world that symbolizes human connection and customer loyalty with the digital world that allows for careful data analysis results in an engaging and effective approach. This completely changes the current digital landscape by encouraging people to connect with each other and the surrounding environment. 

Marketing your on-site experience

The implementation of sensory shopping experiences

The proliferation of shopping channels, physical stores, state and local regulations, and mobile apps and websites are leading to confusion about where to shop and the shopping experience. The phygital strategy brings together the different aspects and connects these channels to create a new, simple and interactive experience. Augmented reality, virtual reality, NFC technology and QR codes are among the tools used to allow the customer to explore the products before visiting the store while collecting user feedback.

NFC technology facilitates online services

NFC or Near Field Communication is a technology that allows for quick and easy data exchange without the need for a mobile application, just by bringing two devices together. 

It makes the customer experience easy by limiting physical contact: 

• Insert QR codes or NFC chips in signs and advertisements to allow the customer to access the website or web application directly;
• Facilitate online payment in stores, stores or kiosks;
• Gather inventory data and provide the customer with access to the necessary information regarding the various products and their availability;
• Replace public transportation cards;

Paper coupons to order online

Paper coupons can be found in the mobile apps of grocery stores, stores, manufacturers or even restaurant chains. They include barcodes or promotional codes that facilitate payment or access to online discounts. They encourage consumers to purchase a product or service.

Phygital marketing offers a personalized campaign across multiple channels to encourage new buying behavior. Between QR codes, digital coupons, virtual reality, the ease of online shopping and the speed of access to information, the customer experience becomes more enjoyable and engaging. 

MySmartJourney is a platform that allows the creation and design of various touchless digital journeys. We aim to attract and engage visitors and customers through cultural or tourist mediation scenarios that are stimulating, entertaining and useful. These phygital experiences are personalized to the users and can be used by : 

• Museums, art galleries or historical sites that will be able to share content in various formats to amaze visitors and enrich their visits.
• Tourist circuits and routes that will have the possibility of facilitating access to information for passers-by while highlighting the heritage and attractions of each region.
• City parks and various public places that want to create fun experiences and reinvent the experience for their members.
• Hotels and restaurants that want to share their tourist attractions and engage visitors while facilitating access to the services offered.
• Producers and artisans who seek to tell their story and create a direct contact with the consumer in order to encourage and foster a quick and easy shopping experience.

6 ways to make your destination stand out in the crowd as travel returns

The last years have been without a doubt complicated for travel destinations all around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic is probably the toughest challenge the tourism industry has ever faced, and we can’t expect to be done with it overnight. Nonetheless, as long as people feel the desire to see what’s over the horizon, there will be a way for tourism to reinvent itself and thrive again.

The Future of the Tourism Industry

Even though the travel industry may never go back to what it used to be, human ingenuity and technological advancements make it clear that the industry itself will not wither away but find new ways to reinvent itself. The future of the tourism industry will depend on health measures, technology and creativity.

In the current times, the industry is affected by government regulations, health concerns, travel risk perception, and many other factors of modern life. Running a business that caters to travelers has definitely become more complicated. Nevertheless, travel experts at the United Nations World Tourism Organization calculate that the interest in tourism before the pandemic was at an all-time high ( source ). The travel industry , in fact, had experienced ten years of continuous growth from 2009 to 2019, even when the last decade has been characterized by an unstable economic climate. 

The current generation has been eager to spend their money on traveling , and there is no reason to believe that, once COVID-19 is of less concern, people will not flock back to their favorite travel destinations. International travel and mass tourism have been hit hard by the pandemic, but they have also created an urge to go back and experience the world once more.

We also have science doing its part. Auspicious advances in transportation technology, like the up-and-coming Virgin Hyperloop, promise to change the face of intercity transportation forever and allow people to travel vast distances in record times. This high-speed evolution of the train is expected to be deployed by 2030 and has the potential of changing the nature of the tourism industry in ways we can currently only imagine.

It doesn’t matter at what speed they arrive, people are still going to be itching to leave home and discover new destinations, especially after experiencing long periods of time slouched on the sofa thinking of all the other places they could be. In the meantime, any travel company or entrepreneur can benefit by making their destination stand out as the best place to visit once the bags are packed and everybody is ready to leave home.

Here are 6 ways to make your destination stand out in the crowd as travel returns :

• Create friend group-oriented spaces
• Join the discussion on social media
• Adhere to all COVID-19 protocols
• Invest in ecotourism activities
• Cater to bleisure travelers
• Create digital tourism destination experiences with QR codes and NFC technology

1. Create friend group-oriented spaces

The younger among us are much more interested in traveling than their older counterparts. Not only are millennials more inclined to spend their time and money going out of town, but they are also interested in bringing their friends along for the ride. While vacations used to be more of a couple or family activity for past generations, younger travelers prefer adventuring with their friend groups.

Young people wish to go out and walk mountain trails, swim at the beach, or take some time to walk around historic destinations, but most important of all, they wish to do these things while hanging out with their friends. It is not uncommon for friend groups to, for example, chip in and rent a bungalow or an Airbnb. Catering to these customers is a great way to make sure you stay relevant to the current trends.

By adding common spaces to mingle and relax, while adapting your offers for customers looking to accommodate groups of people, you are taking steps toward being on a friend group’s top of the list. Many friend groups will also be delighted by having access to activities they can partake in together. From area-related activities like snorkeling or kayaking to yoga on the terrace, there are many ways to entertain groups of friends.

2. Join the discussion on social media

You’d be surprised at the number of people who wish to do something just because they saw it on social media and liked it. There is no doubt that the current generational desire to travel is fueled largely by the proliferation of social media sites like Instagram. Anyone with a phone and an Internet connection has a view of the many wonderful places the world has to offer, and there’s nothing like a picture to commemorate a perfect vacation.

Running a social media-friendly business should be considered within your marketing and operational strategies. Finding and pointing out the ideal selfie spots is a great way to make sure people share a travel destination’s content alongside their own.

A game-changing way in which social media benefits travel destinations is the fact that when people research places to travel to, they do the vast majority of their research online . It has never been easier to take a picture or a video of the place you’re visiting and instantly post it online for the whole world to see, and this is the way people choose where to travel nowadays.

Where to eat, what activities to partake in, where the best accommodations are, and almost all other information about any tourist destination can be easily figured out. If customers look at your media and find it enticing, you will be much closer to having them as guests than if they just have a passing glimpse at you.

9 Ways to Modernize Your Hotel

3. Adhere to all COVID-19 protocols

Let’s be honest, we don’t know how long COVID-19 is really going to last. New variants seem to appear before every holiday season and restrictions come and go. In any case, as long as travel is allowed and the proper protocols are followed, there should be nothing to fear. We’re not in March 2020 anymore, COVID-19 is nothing new, and we already know what steps to take to keep it at bay.

Taking into consideration what we’ve learned while dealing with the pandemic, we can plan ahead so there is not much trouble adapting in case it is necessary to adhere to restrictions. It is already common knowledge that the wearing of face masks is essential to stop the spread of COVID-19, but aside from doing so there are other things to consider: 

• Crowded spaces: Social distancing will be easy to adhere to if the way your premises are organized has a maximum guest capacity in mind. Remember indoor spaces must be ventilated as per COVID-19 protocol, so plan accordingly to organize your spaces.
• Hygiene recommendations: Washing your hands is very important in the fight against COVID-19, and you should provide the appropriate health products to make sure everyone can properly cleanse themselves. Remember that COVID-19 is still transmissible after vaccination, so it is still important to keep one’s cleanliness in high regard.
• Isolation measures: If you run a location that admits guests for an overnight stay, such as a hotel, you must consider that, eventually, you may run across somebody who begins showing symptoms. If that were the case, you must understand that in the name of everyone’s health and safety, that person might need to use part of the premises to isolate.

4. Invest in ecotourism activities

Ecotourism is good for the environment, your customers, your business, and the local community. Not only are sustainable travel options reshaping the world of tourism, but they also make pretty good economic sense when you consider how popular they are among the current generation.

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defines the practice of ecotourism as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of local people, and involves interpretation and education” . The purpose of ecotourism is to provide a positive experience for both the travelers and the locals, while also raising general awareness of the fragility of the ecosystems we live with.

An ecotourism outlook will help you catch the eye of large swaths of the population who are not interested in having the usual tried-and-true vacation getaway and are looking for a more genuine travel experience. The generation of income opportunities for the local population and the integration of travel destinations with the cultural diaspora are also some of the perks of taking a sustainable approach to travel.

5. Cater to bleisure travelers

The advent of remote work and the current socio-economic climate have given rise to a new kind of guest, the bleisure traveler . The word “bleisure” is a portmanteau of the words business and pleasure, and this hybrid way of travel is gaining popularity in recent times.

From freelancing in the co-working space at a café far away from home to writing engineering code from the comfort of a hammock, these travelers value being able to visit places where they can both relax and be productive. Since many people nowadays only need their laptop, a cup of coffee, and an internet connection in order to work, that means they can sit down and “go” to work wherever the wind takes them.

Bleisure travelers tend to have a burgeoning interest in local culture and cultural activities and will greatly appreciate having information on the local amenities at hand. They have also acquired quite an interest in trying new and exciting foods, so if you can point them out to the best place to eat, they will be more than delighted.

6. Create digital tourism destination experiences with QR codes and NFC technology

Millennial customers are on the lookout for authentic experiences. Younger generations look at international travel as a way to immerse themselves in the culture, try food and activities foreign to them, and have life-changing moments. One of the best ways to make them see your travel destination as an interesting one is to integrate your local culture and other relevant information with interactive technology .

An NFC tag uses NFC (Near Field Communications) to transfer specific data across a short radius. If you have ever paid contactless with a card or an app on your phone then you are already familiar with the technology and its usage. Any individual with a phone can access the information of an NFC tag by scanning a code, making it an effortless and engaging way to share any kind of information or multimedia content.

Similarly, a QR code is a scannable image which can be read by smartphone cameras. When users scan this code, it translates the series of black squares and dots into information that is easily understandable for humans. Travel destinations can greatly benefit from integrating NFC technology and QR codes to serve as virtual guides and provide digital routes. Customizing content with images, audio, and video content can surprise your customers and visitors, leaving them with a more positive opinion of your premises and their experience.

Furthermore, what is priceless with NFC technology and QR codes is that the interaction is engaging while remaining contactless. The COVID-19 pandemic has implicitly made this technology a conscientious way of reinventing the tourism industry.

Design contactless, digital routes for your travel destination

Be at the forefront of the travel industry by creating digital routes with the help of the MySmartJourney platform. An augmented reality experience can add a new world of engagement for any tourism destination by creating entertaining, informative, and useful multimedia content.

MySmartJourney’s QR codes, short URLS and NFC integrated technology is contactless and can be accessed by your customers from any mobile device. In this age of COVID-19 restrictions that come and go and distress from the general population, providing an informative and entertaining solution that requires no physical contact helps stay in line with all protocols and regulations. As this is a 100% web-based application, you can make it work on all kinds of devices and personalize the user experience without needing to learn how to write a single line of code.

Testimonials

Attracting millennials to museums is not as difficult as you may think. However, it requires more than setting up cool spots to take Instagram photos and a booth with craft beers. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many museums have had to reinvent themselves to attract their target audience to their facilities, offering interesting and creative activities for all ages. In this article, we tell you the best and most original ways that museums use to attract visitors.

Why Are Museums Important?

Museums are important because they preserve history, culture, and legacy . They are an essential part of society because they provide knowledge and allow us to study our culture's rich history. Successful museums are those that can preserve our history by holding on to artifacts, relics, artwork, etc. A museum's purpose is to collect, preserve, research, exhibit, educate, inspire and entertain. It is a place for people to learn about the world around them. The world is made up of many different cultures and civilizations. Some museums are built around one culture or society, while others house many exhibits on different cultures and periods. 

Conservation of artifacts

Conservation is the primary mission of museums. Museums preserve historic artifacts as well as objects of art history and science to delay the natural laws of deterioration and make sure future generations can understand the past through exhibitions. 

Interpretation of the past and mediation

Museums are important because they have a lot of cultural values in them (archeological, anthropological, etc. In addition, they also have historical importance that can be traced back from the past to the present. Going on a museum field trip is also an excellent way for children to learn about history. The purpose of museums is to promote education and research as well as exchange ideas about history, science, or art.

Allow the public to discover

Museums also allow you to see art that you may never get to see in person. Most museums open their collections to the public in some form or another. This may be through touring an exhibit in the museum or visiting galleries where works of art are stored. Some museums also allow for self-guided tours , allowing visitors to explore at their own pace and learn more about specific art or artifacts in detail.

How do museums increase visitor attendance? 

As you might expect, museums need to find new ways and new techniques to keep visitors captivated and to stay relevant. Many museums used to attract art fans organically but with the pandemic, they had to adapt and focus on innovation to make the audience feel part of the exhibition. 

So, what can you do to convince people to come to museums? People visit museums for many reasons; it's not just about the art. Museums do more than display classic works of art, they also tell stories about the world we live in.  Art museums have always focused on preserving knowledge for future generations through items valued by society. That being said, museums have had to adapt their marketing strategies to become relevant in an era of disposable goods. 

Although museums are built to protect and preserve art, they are also dependent on keeping people interested enough to look at their exhibits. For museums, creating an interest in the public is vital because it is the only way they can stay relevant, showcase their art and make profit. While there are many different kinds of museums today, they all seek to maintain a high level of attendance and establish themselves as leaders in the community.

Near Field Communication (NFC) Technology and QR Codes 

Near field communication (NFC) technology is used to exchange data between devices brought close together, usually no more than a few inches. NFC has many applications, including tags in posters or stickers in magazines that trigger videos when touched by a smartphone.

Personalization is key when it comes to NFC . We live in a world of mass communication, where everything is made as quickly and as cheaply as possible. However, people want to feel special. They want personalized experiences , and they want to feel like your business cares about them and their needs. Answering questions and providing additional information can go a long way in establishing goodwill and making your customers feel like they're individuals and not just another number.

NFC technology allows you to do just that. By providing relevant information, you can create a truly personalized museum experience for your customers. Our digital tool is quickly deployed in your public spaces. It can serve as an interactive signage, a docking station, a guided tour, a table order, or a relay to reservation systems. 

With their cell phone, visitors can instantly access your multimedia content without the need to download an application, log in. Plus, they avoid physical contact with equipment as all they need is their mobile phone. No more need for audio guides or paper programs!

Create a digital tour for your museum 

What can museums do to attract visitors?

Museums attract potential visitors by offering exciting exhibits and displays, acquiring masterpieces from renowned artists, providing educational programs for all ages, offering meeting spaces, catering to the needs of the physically challenged, and many more ways.

When planning how to attract potential visitors, museums conduct museum surveys to find out what people want, while also promoting their events on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They also provide special offers and discounts via email, text messaging, or their websites. 

Here is a list of the best tips to attract museum visitors :

Enhance Access for Young Visitors

Here are some ways museums can make their institutions more accessible to a younger generation:

• Make it personal

The challenge is to make institutions more relevant to attract younger audiences. That means creating a space where they can connect with what they already know.  For example, a history museum could capitalize on the popularity of video games by creating an exhibit that explores how our modern experience with virtual reality has influenced our interpretation of historical events.

To do this well requires sensitivity toward who young people are as individuals and what interests them. Museums should strive to become experts not just in art or history but also in their visitors.

• Offer Affordable Experiences

Asking young people to pay the total price isn't going to work, especially since many have limited income. A better way for museums to build loyalty is through discounted memberships and special pricing for schools and students. 

Throughout The Year, Host One-Of-A-Kind Events

The most common way to attract visitors to museums is by hosting unique events throughout the year. Museums create special exhibits with activities that are not just artistic but also educational. 

For instance, some museums offer guests the chance to enjoy a lovely afternoon of music and dance performances. You should also take into account that some people may even go to museums just for the food. These types of events attract hundreds if not thousands of visitors regularly.

Museums can also host sales to purchase artwork from the museum's collection at a discounted price. By hosting these events, museums can increase their revenue and attract more visitors.

What exactly is cultural mediation?

Build Partnerships

One of the most successful ways to enhance museum attendance is via partnerships. A big part of a museum's job is to encourage people to visit from all over the world. Partnerships with local businesses can be highly effective in doing this. Informal partnerships are a common way for museums to attract individuals who otherwise would not have visited the museum. 

For example, a museum might work with a local hotel to put out a brochure that encourages visitors to see something that they wouldn't ordinarily see while staying at that hotel. If the partnership works out well for both parties, this could turn into an ongoing promotion by which the two entities promote each other's offerings. Often, these partnerships are established between businesses in different fields but that offer something complementary to each other.  

Partnering can also help museums reach new audiences by exposing them to different types of art and culture.  For example, a museum focused on indigenous American art may partner with a museum focusing on Egyptian art to expose its patrons to something new and different. In addition, partnering can lead to broader collections that rely less on local or regional groups and more on international works.

Exhibits Should Be Brought To The Community

Museums are not only places where priceless artifacts are preserved but also sources of learning about history, culture, and science. They allow people to learn more about art and inspire them to be better individuals in the community.

Here are key ways museums can attract visitors by bringing exhibits to the community :

• Community-Based Exhibitions

Museums can conduct exhibits that are relevant to their community. For example, in the United States, the Smithsonian Institution presents events such as "Mining for Solutions," a mining exhibit brought to local communities and schools. This allowed students to learn about mining and its history while promoting interest in science. Museums can do this through various media such as traveling exhibits or online resources and activities.

• Collaboration with Other Organizations

Local organizations and businesses can help promote museum exhibits and attract visitors by collaborating on these efforts. For example, the Smithsonian Institution works closely with NASA on its traveling astronomy exhibit to present it at various locations throughout the country.

• Social Media Campaigns

Social media campaigns can help increase awareness for local or traveling exhibits that museums want to bring into their communities. Museums should start conversations on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

• Investing In Social Media Management

Social media is becoming an increasingly important part of museums’ marketing strategy. A strategic museum marketing plan is more complex than you might think. It's not enough to determine the museum's purpose and its relationship to the community and then set out on a course of action. 

For museums, in particular, social media is an ideal way to share content with potential visitors. However, there are several reasons why some museums aren't investing in social media the same way they invest in their online presence. One of these is because of misconceptions about what social media is. 

Embrace Smartphone Culture

Smartphones are quickly becoming an extension of our bodies. It's not uncommon to see someone walking down the street staring at their phone with their head down, oblivious to their surroundings. As museums increasingly embrace smartphone culture, apps are helping people become more engaged with exhibits and artworks . Visitors can take selfies with artworks, check out images of the exhibits they're visiting and share them on social media. 

To attract more visitors, museums need to think outside the museum walls and look for innovative ways to connect with their community. For example, the port of Quebec transformed its paper rally into a digital one to send visitors on an insightful adventure ( watch the video !). Museums can organize similar virtual journeys by taking visitors outside of the museum and into public places. 

In this article we described key strategies to attract visitors to museums but these are just a few of the many things that museums can do to increase museum attendance. Each museum has its unique approach to bringing in visitors. Still, many will do whatever it takes to ensure that there is always someone around to help curators do the critical work of preserving history.  The more people visit museums, the more likely history will be preserved for future generations!

Digitize your museum 

Today's technology projects tend to be complex and quite expensive. They typically require extensive expertise and incur significant costs for clients. The MySmartJourney platform offers an affordable alternative that allows organizations to build unique and dynamic experiences for their users. 

The platform

MySmartJourney is a tool that allows users to create digital routes for cultural and tourist sites. The platform is used to design mediation scenarios, without contact, through informative and entertaining multimedia to surprise and retain users. MysmartJourney can also be used for table service and product sales.  

It is a versatile and interactive web application creator. It is continuously enhanced to meet the needs of users and generate new features while offering affordable prices. MySmartJourney is the ideal solution for the development of playful and captivating experiences or cultural mediation through interactive and varied courses. It is also a beneficial tool for the restoration, hotel and operational sectors.

It is a user-friendly and innovative platform that offers content accessible on all smart mobile devices. MySmartJournet develops scenarios that adapt to the target audience for various sectors of activity such as culture, tourism, agri-food, hotels, etc. Multiple media (audio guides, videos, texts, etc.) can be used to reach your target audience and enrich your exhibitions.

The platform aims to revitalize static exhibitions and to continuously renovate and expand the proposed themes. The regulars of your site will be pleased to return regularly to the site to discover new approaches and perspectives.

Presentation of the platform 

Entrance doors

Mysmartjourney offers companies and organizations several technological alternatives for sharing personalized content: 

• QR Codes: The QR code is the evolution of the barcode. It is a two-dimensional square code that stores coded data. Users simply need to use the camera of their mobile device to decode the information and have access to the content you want to share.
• NFC technology: Near field communication technology allows short distance wireless communication between two electronic devices. It works thanks to a chip that allows the exchange of information. 
• Short URLs: A shortened link is a short URL that redirects users to the original URL. The purpose of working with shortened links is to make sharing information faster and easier.

MySmartJourney offers all three entry points mentioned to ensure that all users have access to your content. Since some mobile devices cannot scan QR codes or NFC chips, these options ensure that at least one alternative will be accessible. 

How to get funding to create a mobile digital journey

MySmartJourney is a platform that is regularly updated to create new features to ensure an intuitive and fun digital experience. 

This technological tool offers various functionalities: 

• Possibility to create quizzes and games with playful aspects thanks to the action buttons. Redirection buttons are also present and can direct users to links from various websites.
• Availability of forms through Google Forms, which allows you to distribute surveys and collect data easily.
• Add personalized souvenir photos with stickers and branded images through a Photobooth . These photos can be shared on social networks with a return to the landing page.
• Possibility to order directly on the platform while respecting the sanitary measures.
• Scheduling of content according to fixed schedules while respecting the independence of the different sections of the same page. The scheduler updates the information for the user instantly and in real time.
• Integrated statistics with Google Analytics in an anonymous way for the creation of automatic reports that detail the behavior of users.

Why use MySmartJourney?

Quick to deploy

The access points are available in various formats to guarantee speed of implementation. The implementation is autonomous, and you can make any desired changes that will be updated in real time. Changes or improvements appear immediately on the visitor's mobile device. Scenario enhancements and information adjustments take only a few minutes!

Contactless

Visitors have a barrier-free experience with the digital pathways and different content you offer on your site. The user experience is enjoyable and simply requires a mobile device with a web browser. This digital tool is quickly deployed in all public places and users can directly access the desired content without an app, without registration and without direct contact.

Easy to use

MySmartJourney's content management system requires no programming knowledge and ensures easy creation of digital journeys. The construction of the scenario is done directly in the web application, with an easy layout. The game modules are easy to integrate and the media content is added in an intuitive way.

In addition, this digital tool offers a support service to guide customers. Our team is at your disposal to develop plans and to help you in the design of the first scenarios. This support is offered to ensure total autonomy and unparalleled ease of use.

Who uses MySmartJourney and how?

MysmartJourney offers a cost-effective alternative for the production and maintenance of any historical, cultural, tourist or heritage site. This platform offers a secure experience for all users (employees and clients) from various sectors.

Museums , historical sites and art galleries can use MySmartJourney to share content in text, audiovisual, video, 3D and other formats. The platform highlights the content and aims to amaze the visitor with a rich and varied visit that puts the spotlight on the various works presented. For example, Culture Trois-Rivières has adopted our solution to replace audio guides.

Tourist offices that offer any type of service to travelers can use the MySmartJourney platform to share informational content that details the services offered. They can also share nearby tourist attractions and engage customers by offering products and services online.

Here are examples of how MySmartJourney is used in action: 

• Sign at the Tourisme Rivière-du-Loup information office
• Techno tour in Rivière-du-Loup
• The fire circuit

Agro-tourism / Sales

Artisan producers and agri-food producers can create interpretive activities and disseminate the history of the business through various contents that serve to engage and facilitate the use of the visitor. 

MySmartJourney is a platform that allows a direct contact between the buyer and the distributor. The latter can share various information on the products and even propose consumption alternatives and recipe ideas. The QR codes on the products accompany the customer once back home, and give him access to the e-commerce.

Here's how producers are using MySmartJourney: 

• La Courgerie et ses jardiniers gourmands uses MySmartJourney technology to showcase its 300 types of squash. Product displays share information and a QR code allows you to go further, and discover recipes for cooking squash.
• In Pascale Coutu and Pierre's boutique , the products sold carry QR codes in order to share recipes with customers and redirect them to their online store.

Parks and green spaces

As with cultural institutions, MySmartJourney provides municipal parks, walking trails and resorts with stand-alone technology that delivers dynamic routes to visitors. They can create fun experiences and invite users on short or long distance journeys to revitalize public places.

Operational (infrastructure)

MySmartJourney is a contactless broadcasting tool that makes it possible to share information directly 24/7. The application optimizes the operational performance of certain companies. For example, the Quartier des spectacles used our technology to document the state of the infrastructure equipment in real time. This technological solution allowed them to plan the appropriate budget to replace the infrastructure at the right time and minimize the risk of errors. 

All hotels can quickly and independently use MySmartJourney to display the various services they offer. The user experience is easy and made more dynamic and attractive thanks to the possibility of creating varied and interactive content.

For example, Hotel Monville uses MySmartJourney to eliminate paper in hotel rooms and optimize security based on health measures. The platform allows them to add custom posters and QR codes to share information about room service, hotel history, manufacturing, etc. 

Phygital marketing as a strategy to connect and engage travelers

Since the advent of the pandemic, the economic and tourism recovery has seen a new light. Contactless technology is at the heart of these new trends and offers an adapted solution to optimize the traveler's experience. In this article, we explain what phygital marketing is, its benefits and how to improve your marketing strategy to generate more bounce.

What is tourism? 

Tourism is considered a real cultural, social and economic phenomenon. It is the movement of people from their usual environment to new places or countries for personal, leisure or professional purposes. Tourism manifests itself through various activities performed by tourists during their trip.

Tourism is an experience that affects not only the travelers or visitors, but also the economy, the environment and the social and cultural life of the tourist destination. Depending on the purpose of the tourist or traveler, we distinguish different types of tourism such as business tourism, family tourism, scientific tourism, etc. Immersive tourism encourages the encounter and discovery of the unknown.

What is the main reason people travel? 

People travel for different reasons: to discover new places, to get away from it all, to disconnect or to recharge their batteries. Each person can find a thousand valid reasons to travel.

Nevertheless, as the famous Christopher McCandless discovered in the movie Into The Wild: "Happiness is only real when it is shared". This is the main reason to travel: to share moments and be together. We are always looking for the other person to share emotions, thoughts, discoveries, etc.

The destination or the external environment only offers a favourable framework and diversified experiences to fill this need that we have to be together and to live with others this pleasure that is travel. An immersive trip is a tourist experience that encourages you to get off the beaten track and discover yourself through the world around you.

How important is phygital marketing in tourism destinations? 

The tourism destination aims to immerse travelers in the outdoor environment, but they are often absorbed by their cell phones. Phygital marketing is the ideal way to combine the digital world with the outdoor environment to create engaging and entertaining experiences that meet travelers' needs. 

Indeed, phygital marketing is at the heart of an interactive strategy that aims to connect the user with his environment while highlighting the advantages of mobile technology. For example, MySmartJourney allows tourist destinations to create digital experiences for travelers through QR codes, NFC technology and short URLs. 

This solution makes users' mobile devices an efficient way to live moments of sharing and communication through personalized, entertaining and playful experiences. This web tool does not require any contact to share content that is accessible to all and meets the physiological needs of contemplation, interactivity and sharing.

Phygital marketing combines the power and efficiency of the digital experience with the human side of the physical experience. It engages customers digitally while allowing them to fully experience the physical, sensory and emotional aspects of the experience through the various interactions offered. This strategy encourages links and exchanges between friends or family members who experience and discover together.

How can we improve marketing in tourist destinations to connect travelers? 

To ensure an effective tourism marketing strategy, it is important to involve the user as much as possible. Promoting the creation of user-generated content through images, videos or even blog posts and social media posts is both a cost-effective and profitable alternative. 

Bounce web  

It's a term we coined. The rebound web , as its name suggests, goes against the immersive experience offered by the usual digital offerings. It offers a tool that creates an interactive experience without immersing a traveler to the point of disconnecting him from the rest of his group and the places he visits . 

Some examples: a selfie booth allows you to keep original memories of the experience. The experience connects us physically to each other, and we leave the phone quickly. Also, there are quizzes that can be played with several people and that create an interaction between visitors and the surrounding environment. A rally will make you discover the corners of the visited places. And so on.

The NFC technology allows a contactless data exchange at proximity. It can be found in bank cards, transport cards or even in cell phones. This technology can be used to facilitate the tourist experience through online mobile payment or to push multimedia content via signs in your public places, as MySmartJourney customers do.

Interactive forms 

The use of satisfaction forms for travelers and tourists can be very helpful in improving their tourism experience. It allows various destinations to improve their services and communicate easily and quickly with all visitors in order to create a better experience every time. In addition, this tool guarantees a quick data collection.

Personalize the customer journey

Opting for a personalized strategy allows your company or brand to stand out thanks to an optimal adaptation to the tourist's needs. Quality content that focuses on the experience tends to attract more and more tourists. Allowing the traveler to be their own guide allows them to enjoy their trip at their own pace.

Thanks to MySmartJourney's "Timer" feature, the experience creator can tailor its content according to the hours. If a tourist walks around a city and scans the QR code or NFC chip during the day, he will discover the tourist attractions open at that moment, such as museums and art galleries. However, if he scans a code after 6pm for example, he will have access to content that will allow him to discover the city's nightclubs and bars.

Varied multimedia content that adds to the visitor's understanding 

The integration of videos, images or audio files makes the user's experience more lively and entertaining. It appeals to the user's senses and makes him live an experience that is closer to reality. This content can be adapted and automated according to the client's desired use. 

Nowadays, technology is constantly evolving and becoming more and more real. Mysmartjourney integrates with Sketchfab and YouTube 360 to allow tourist destinations to share 3D or 360° content and meet the user's contemplation needs.

Creating physical digital experiences for tourism destinations

MySmartJourney is a tool for the creation and design of contactless tourist or cultural mediation scenarios. Our platform allows different organizations and companies to set up useful and captivating digital journeys that attract visitors. These scenarios can be customized according to the target audience and bring together different media to enrich the content shared.

MySmartJourney can be used by museums, historical sites or exhibition halls that wish to offer visitors a unique and above all dynamic experience. The various hotel establishments, restaurants or even municipal parks can use this technology to create an interaction with the visitor or tourist through a mobile device.

We offer a cost-effective and easy-to-use alternative that enhances your space and services. MySmartJourney can work both indoors and outdoors, and aims to generate bounce that meets the physiological needs of contemplation and connection with the environment. Our tool works on all devices, with no web application to install.

Discover the features of MySmartJourney

6 reasons why audio guides are changing in 2021

What is an audio guide? 

An audio guide device is an electronic system similar to a music player which allows personalized guided tours in museums or other establishments. 

Audio guides are integrated in the museum experience in order to help visitors understand the exhibitions without the need for a physical tour guide. Whilst some people prefer a guided tour with a museum employee, an audio guide seemingly gives you the best of both worlds as you get all the information you would get from a tour guide but can stroll around the museum at your own pace. 

Audio guides are often used in museums that frequently have foreign language visitors. Think of renowned museums, such as The Louvre or the Natural History Museum, whose visitor demographics are extremely varied. They cannot hire employees for every eventuality so they use audio guide systems, which can be formatted in different languages , in order to accommodate foreign language speakers and visitors. 

Why do audio guides have to change?  

In today’s digital age, audio guides are quickly changing and adapting , as other more innovative options are emerging as better alternatives. 

Here are some of the reasons why audio guides are becoming obsolete:

1. No visual

The most obvious drawback of the audio guide is the fact that there are no visuals attached to it. Whilst some would argue that visuals aren’t needed because you have the physical visuals available in the museum, these are temporary and at a distance. 

There are alternatives available, such as MySmartJourney that can provide you with visuals on your phone along with audio, which complement each other. These visuals are more accessible and can interact with the exhibit in a way that audio guides cannot, creating a more exciting and well rounded visitor experience.

2. Risk of contamination

The Covid-19 pandemic has worked to speed up the adapting process of audio guides as we have become more aware of germs and bacteria. Audio guides come in and out of the hands of countless museum visitors per day, making germ cross contamination a key problem, especially during peak visiting hours. Innovative solutions that leverage customizable apps remove this problem as visitors simply have to use their smartphones (no equipment is needed). 

3. Only stimulate one sense

An audio guide in itself is actually quite limiting as all it offers is an audio aid. Not only is this non-inclusive, and inaccessible to those hard of hearing, but it is also quite a boring experience. The audio guide provides a very one-dimensional user experience which does not make the most of the other senses. 

Having visual aids accompany the audio contents elevates the entire experience and allows visitors to enjoy all the museum has to offer in a more interesting and innovative way. Appealing to other senses also makes alternatives more accessible and user-friendly than audio guides. 

4. Doesn't take advantage of enhanced reality

Enhanced reality creates a more collaborative and interactive experience that elevates the exhibit exponentially. Platforms and interfaces such as MySmartJourney include things such as quizzes, augmented reality and live streams to the journey. 

5. Can't be modified rapidly

One of the biggest downfalls of audio guides is the fact that they cannot be quickly modified. This poses problems for numerous reasons. Firstly, museum exhibits rarely stay the same and are often changed on a regular basis. Audio guides cannot be changed at the same rate that exhibits do, meaning they are constantly behind. 

Moreover, knowledge is constantly evolving . Whilst your audio guide might say one thing about your exhibition, historians and archeologists might have since uncovered new information about it, and your audio guide cannot be easily updated. 

6. It requires physical equipment

Multiple aspects make museum audio guide equipment an undesirable option. Not only are they costly to produce, and transport, but they are also at risk of getting lost and broken . Although audio guide users are generally respectful and responsible with the equipment, accidents happen and these can be costly. 

Best alternative to audio guides 

MySmartJourney offers interfaces that allow museums and places of interest to integrate multimedia content to their exhibitions and the public spaces they occupy. It is the future of tourism. 

They provide a digital and innovative solution to self-guided tours , regardless of the setting. Whilst it can be utilized by museums, it can equally be used in any public space that will benefit from an exchange of information and interaction.

It is an extremely accessible alternative as it functions from the user's smartphone and has a plethora of interactive options, depending on what the situation calls for. This could mean including quizzes for children, or more informative academic content for adults. 

Moreover, the setup allows you to endlessly update information in real time , ensuring your information is always up to date and never becomes dated. The way in which you utilize the interface is up to you, but the opportunities are endless and far more interesting than anything audio guides can offer. 

Is there a better solution than using a chatbot for your touristic venue?

With mobile phones being a big part of everyone’s daily life, businesses and organizations are rethinking their marketing tactics and overall presence online to make it more accessible and engaging for users. Mobile devices offer consumers a new way of experiencing brands and consuming content and with the introduction of mobile digital journeys , customer expectations have reached new heights. Improving the user experience is becoming more and more of a priority for businesses across different industries.

Although chatbots are a great strategy to improve a company’s customer service, answers can be quite robotic and difficult to personalize in the short term. Thankfully, MySmartJourney’s platform allows companies to personalize digital routes for their customers. Find out more about why MySmartJourney is better than a chatbot in the article below. 

What is MySmartJourney ?

MySmartJourney is a platform that allows businesses to create and design digital routes online by leveraging QR codes, NFC technology and short URLs. It is an easy tool to use which makes it possible to create informative, interactive and entertaining multimedia journeys that not only attract customers but make them feel empowered.

MySmartJourney leverages technology and innovation to build quick, contactless, automated, and unique experiences in any physical space within a matter of minutes. One of the many advantages of MySmartJourney are: 24/7 assistance, access to information on-the-go, paperless pop-ups and conversion shortcuts.

By gathering precious data, this multi-purpose tool understands how people move through digital journeys and is able to support them effectively through each touch point, making their online experience as smooth as possible.

See it in action 

MySmartJourney offers a lot of key features to enhance the customers’ experience :

• Text, images, videos and audios : MySmartJourney allows businesses to use text, images, videos and audios to enrich cultural exhibitions and make them more interactive through multimedia content. The video feature includes integrations with Youtube and Vimeo, and the audio one integrates seamlessly with Soundcloud. There is also an MP3 playback option and automatic optimization and media adaptation throughout the whole platform.
• Action buttons and redirections : This tool enables tourist sites to create quizzes, interactive treasure hunts and gamified on-site quests for customers. It can also host links to other websites on the platform.
• 3D and 360° content : MySmartJourney integrates with Sketchfab and Youtube 360 so that customers can observe objects in detail and live a truly 360° immersive experience.
• Selfie booth : The mobile photo booth provides users the chance to get personalized souvenir photos that can be accompanied by integrated branding stickers. There is also an option for social sharing with a landing page.
• Keycode : For complex scenarios and puzzles or for the purpose of the gamification of locations, content can be hidden behind a password also referred to as a “keycode”.
• Google Forms : Another MySmartJourney feature is the Google form integration which allows venues to set up visitor satisfaction surveys and collect data easily.
• Orders from a distance : Orders from a distance allow the quick management of menus and product lists and give businesses the ability to send order emails to guides or supervisors.
• Scheduler : The scheduler feature allows businesses to schedule specific content according to weekly schedules and share information with users in real time.
• Statistics : The statistics feature provides integration with anonymized Google Analytics, automated reporting and visitor behavior data. This is useful for businesses that want to get insights on their customers’ needs and expectations.

What is a chatbot ?

A chatbot is an artificial intelligence (AI) software that can mimic human speech to stimulate a human conversation with a user in natural language, either through standalone applications, messaging applications, websites, web applications or even through the phone.  

Chatbots are often described as one of the most advanced and promising AI technologies based on interactions between humans and digital devices or machines. In the business sphere, these conversational agents are meant to simplify conversations between customers and businesses, thereby improving the customer experience.

A chatbot’s algorithm is programmed to mimic a human conversation by asking questions and giving relevant recommendations and solutions. This helps minimize the occurrence of human error while resolving customer queries quicker.

Why is MySmartJourney better than a chatbot ?

In an attempt to create a more efficient customer service experience, a lot of companies and businesses implemented chatbots. However, this is sometimes counterproductive. With the emphasis being on humanlike interactions, a lot of aspects of chatbots are quite unsatisfactory and need improving.

Here are five reasons of why MySmartJourney is better than a chatbot :

1. Visitors don’t need to be as active

When using a chatbot, the user has to be very active since it is a conversational interaction. In reality, visitors don’t necessarily have the time, energy or desire to ask questions. Thanks to MySmartJourney, users don’t have to take on an active role. In fact, all they have to do is scan a QR code or get their mobile phones close to an NFC tag in order to get the information they need quickly. 

2. Visitors can skip steps easily

When talking to a chatbot, it can take a lot of time or steps for users to get the algorithm to understand their query. Most of the time, visitors want to fast forward, scroll through, pause, change the subject, skip a few steps, etc. instead of having a full-on conversation. This is possible with MySmartJourney as the platform allows visitors to get the information they need in a matter of seconds. 

3. Visitors have more control

Chatbots are programmed so they follow a series of instructions in order to get users the information they need. In fact, sometimes they don’t understand users so they can’t help them. With MySmartJourney, visitors have more control over their journey by choosing the way they browse and access information. The platform allows businesses and organizations to personalize the customer journey and make it more interactive. This gives users more control over their customer journey! 

4. Chatbots only answer to keywords

Chatbots mainly respond to keywords that they have been fed through machine learning and algorithms. However, with MySmartJourney, this is not the case. Content on the platform goes beyond text as the platform allows you to display images, videos and audios. 

5. Plurality of interactions and gamification of content  

A chatbot is an innovative solution but it can be quite limited when it comes to communication as it only offers customers simple one-to-one conversations. On the other hand, MySmartJourney opens up a world of interactions and possibilities. For example, companies can create information tapes, treasure hunts, hero quests, audio guides, instruction manuals, etc.

Want to create unique physical digital experiences ?

MySmartJourney is a platform used for the creation and design of digital routes for tourist and cultural sites. It’s an easy-to-use, fun, interactive tool made to build informative, useful and entertaining digital multimedia journeys.

Our digital solution is used by companies in different industries: 

• Museums, art galleries and historical sites
• Associations, circuits and tourist routes
• Municipal parks, walking trails and resorts
• Hotel establishments and traveler services
• Artisanal producers 
• And much more! 

Personalizing your digital journey has never been easier. With MySmartJourney, the possibilities are endless. Get in touch with us today ! 

7 Secrets to creating the perfect audio tour

Exploring new towns or cities, museums or attractions is an exciting activity for many, which gives insight into a wide range of interests. From history to modern day innovations, there is always something to learn about everything. However, the traditional guided tour can get monotonous and frankly quite boring. 

Therefore, it is increasingly important for companies who are offering such tours to provide alternative options to the traditional tour that many find difficult to engage with. One of the easiest ways in which businesses can offer alternatives is to implement audio tours as a substitute to a guided tour. 

An audio tour is preferred by many due to the less rigid format of a tour that it provides. In order to help you introduce audio tours, we have created a guide on all you need to know about audio tours. 

What is an audio tour? 

An audio tour or an audio guide is a tour that is primarily led by auditory tools. The main difference between an audio tour and a guided tour is the fact that there is no tour guide per se, the audio that you are listening to is your tour guide. 

In place of a regular in-person tour guide, an audio tour consists of pre-recorded information that is loaded onto a device and given out for people to listen to individually. This allows visitors to go around at their own pace and take things in a leisurely manner, which is preferred by many. 

However, it is important to understand that audio tours do not have to be limited to spoken word. In fact, audio tours can create an immersive experience, especially if used in conjunction with other technological advancements that can be used for tours. Even without these additional aids that you can use, you can include music and dramatics within your audio tour to make it more fun and exciting for those using it and listening to the tour. 

Create the perfect audio tour

How do audio tours work?

Fully understanding how an audio tour works will help you when and if you are planning on including an audio tour as an option in replacement of a guided tour. The first step in getting the audio tour ball rolling is to record the audio. Depending on your format, this can be done by a single person or you can hire different people for different functions in your tour. 

Once the audio is recorded, you then need to upload them to the device that you have chosen to use. You then have options on how you want to implement your studio tour within your exhibits or attractions. Whilst some companies choose to simply have their customers click on the relevant button for the relevant information, others are more advanced and the device can identify the location and play the relevant information or some choose to leverage QR codes , which allows visitors to use their phone to gain access to the information. 

There are different options in how an audio tour works and functions, which gives you options as to how you would like to administer your audio tours. It is wise to assess your target audience in order to determine what mode of audio tour will be perceived best by visitors. 

7 tips to create the perfect audio tour

Now that you know exactly what an audio tour is and how it works, we are here to provide you with some top tips to ensure you can create the perfect audio tour for your audience. If you think your visitors will benefit from an audio tour, here is how you can create the perfect experience for them. 

1. Keep it short 

The first tip is actually quite a simple one, which will limit the amount of work that you have to do. We recommend keeping each clip at one minute or less. This is because if you start including morsels of information that last anything more than a minute, you will fall into the same problem you encounter with in-person tours when it becomes monotonous.

By committing to smaller bite size pieces of information, you will be able to get all the key information over to your visitors, without boring them. It will also allow them to take in the sights of the landmarks or exhibition without having a constant stream of dull information being fed into their ears. 

2. Use different voices 

Using different and unique voices is a great way to engage listeners. We have all had those experiences, maybe in a classroom, or in your weekly meeting, with people whose voices drone on and on and put you to sleep. That is exactly what you want to avoid in your audio tours. 

Therefore, when you begin the recording process, we recommend testing out a few different voice actors until you find one that you feel is interesting and engaging. On top of that, do not feel as though you have to limit yourselves to just one voice. Using multiple different people to narrate a story brings it to life and encourages people to pay attention. So, if it is in your budget, see if you can hire multiple interesting voice narrators, if not, ensure the one you use has a fun and unique voice. 

3. Create interesting content 

The content of an audio tour is the most important aspect. If you have bad content, you have a bad audio tour, it's as simple as that. It is a bad idea to simply recite names, dates and historical facts. Although these are important and integral to include in the tour, they should not make up the entirety of the tour. 

Instead, create somewhat of a story, with an interesting and inclusive narrative that will get everyone interested in the facts and history. If you are having a hard time generating content, we suggest looking elsewhere and gaining inspiration from places such as blogs and social media to see what it is that people are interested in and then incorporate those ideas and themes into your tour.  

4. Multiple languages 

It is important to remember that most of the time, when there are audio tours available, they are for significant landmarks or museums, which are prominent tourist attractions. That therefore means that the people who are going to want to be using the tours are not all going to speak the same language. 

You need to accommodate for these circumstances in order to ensure you are creating an inclusive experience and no one is left behind. So, when you are planning on recording your voice-overs and when you are looking for voice actors, you should look for actors in a range of different languages.

Of course, it is illogical and impractical to think that you can cover and translate your tour in every single language to accommodate every single person that might possibly walk through your doors. A great way to know what languages you should cover is to assess your target audience. If you know from what country people who visit are from, you can prioritize translation into those languages first. 

5. Leverage feedback 

Whilst we are on the subject of target audiences, you should take advantage of the opinions of your target audience as that is what matters most at the end of the day. If you have previously run in-person guided tours, gather feedback from them and use them to better your audio tours. 

If visitors have singled out things that they think are particularly good or highlighted parts of the tour that they find boring, use that information to adapt your audio tours. You should also gather more general feedback on the kinds of things they were expecting from your attraction and the information they were hoping you were going to provide. 

Collating all this information and feedback will put you in a better position when you begin writing the script for your audio tour as it will ensure that the content you are creating reflects what your customers want to hear and learn. 

6. Record in a quiet place 

The recording process is almost as integral as the content, because no matter how good the content is, it does not matter if you can’t hear it. You might have created the best audio tour ever, but if it does not sound good, no one will ever know. The best way to achieve a good, natural sound is to record in a quiet place. 

Although a professional recording studio might not necessarily be in your budget, you really do not need one. All you need is a quiet room with no background noise and a room with a high-quality microphone. This will allow you to create the illusion of a recording studio without the huge price tag.

7. Use mobile phones 

Getting visitors to use mobile phones to access audio tours is probably the best, easiest and safest way in which you can run your audio tour. Not only is it convenient, because in today's digital age, practically everyone has access to a smartphone, it is also cheaper and more convenient as it means that you don't have to invest in expensive high-end auditory gear for your visitors to potentially lose or break. 

Companies such as My Smart Journey can help you implement this method of audio tour throughout your city or exhibit. We use QR code technology to create immersive experiences that people love! The concept is simple: at each main attraction, or anywhere where you want customers to be able to access a certain part of your audio tour, you place a QR code. Customers then use their phone to scan the QR code and gain access to that specific part of the tour. 

You can also have more fun with it and make it more interesting with the My Smart Journey platform. Our platform includes an easy-to-install process , which means that you can experiment with the kinds of things you include in your tours. You should take advantage of this and create more specialized experiences. 

For example, if there are parts of the tour that would particularly interest kids, create a game that they can play and link it to a QR code. Alternatively, if you have the opportunity, you could also create VR experiences and immerse your visitors into a new time and place through the simple scanning of a QR code. 

Ultimately, getting visitors and customers to use mobile phones is the best way to run an audio tour, especially in the wake of the pandemic. It is a far cleaner and more hygienic practice as there is no transferral of germs through devices. It is also convenient as it means that visitors are responsible for their own device, meaning you will not lose equipment or have to deal with damaged audio devices. Moreover, and most importantly, it opens up the door to greater opportunities in the types of experiences you can offer as you will not be limited to audio only. 

My Smart Journey Demo

What does NFC technology bring to hotels?

What is NFC technology?

NFC technology stands for Near Frequency Communication. It allows two devices to talk to each other when in close proximity and is becoming increasingly popular across hospitality and retail industries. 

The use of NFC information technology is creating more seamless customer and guest experiences. The most common use of NFC technology that you might have seen in practice in your everyday life is with contactless payment. Services such as Apple and Google pay on mobile devices work as the transmitting device and the card machine is the receiving device. 

Despite the frequent use of NFC technology in the financial industry, many overlook the ways in which it can improve other customer experience and improve the efficiency of daily tasks in areas such as the hotel industry. 

What is NFC in the hotel industry?

Many underestimate the dynamic and inventive ways in which NFC technology can be used. Here are some ways in which NFC technology is leveraged in the hotel industry :

Room Access

One of the most common uses of NFC technology in the hotel industry is to allow guests to access their rooms without needing a traditional hotel room key. The technology itself can work as the locks on your door and create a more secure and reliable system for safe and easy room access. 

Hotels can place NFC tags on all of their doors and give hotel guests a unique code in a mobile app that allows them and only them instant access to their room. Placing your phone up to the access point on the door will open it instantly and will also ensure the door locks securely. 

Wifi access

The implementation of NFC technology can also be used to ensure access to wifi is easily obtained by guests throughout your hotel. By placing little QR codes in both common areas and hotel rooms, you can ensure everyone can access wifi easily as soon as they need to. 

The distribution of QR codes throughout your hotel for wifi access will improve the overall customer experience. All guests need to do is place their phone over the QR code for it to be read which will then send them to a page to register for the hotel’s wifi. A real-time solution to a 21st-century problem.  

Offering guests contactless payment is a must as they are likely used to using it outside of your hotel. You can offer contactless payment for anything within your hotel that requires payment. However, be aware that there is usually an upper limit to how much you can spend on contactless, meaning paying for the entire stay on your phone might not be possible. 

Nevertheless, you can minimize card use in all other areas of your hotel. For example, implement contactless payment in your restaurant or bar as well as for room service, or your gift shop. Regardless of where you use it, it will undoubtedly improve your guest experience and might even increase profit since customers are more likely to pay for something if they don’t have to search for a card and manually enter their pin. 

Maintenance 

An often overlooked use of NFC technology is for reporting maintenance issues. It can improve the very foundations of your hotel business and how it is run. Again, distributing small QR codes around the hotel, and especially within rooms can help so that maintenance issues are reported swiftly. 

Instead of guests having to ring the front desk or find a member of staff to fix their issue, they can use the QR code in their room. These codes will redirect guests to a maintenance form to report their problem. This can then be accessed by staff members to resolve the issue as soon as possible. 

How does NFC technology work?

You know what NFC technology can do, but it is often difficult for people to get their head around how exactly this form of innovative technology works. Given the fact that this is relatively new technology, the confusion is understandable. 

As the name suggests, near-field communication (NFC), needs two devices that are in close proximity to each other . The system itself barely uses any power so there is no pairing system necessary, just a momentary chip activation. 

Once in close proximity to one another, the NFC-enabled device is activated and data can be passed between the two devices. It is actually a simple process which makes consumer experiences more smooth, seamless and secure than ever before.

How can NFC benefit your hotel?

Efficiency 

Implementing NFC technology within your hotel will undoubtedly improve the overall efficiency of every aspect of your business. Using it to allow guests to flag up maintenance issues will ensure your staff and management are instantaneously made aware of any problems and can fix them as soon as possible. 

Using it to allow people to register their stay will ensure they are in the system immediately and can begin their stay right away. Basically, NFC technology allows you to remove the middle man which saves you money but also inevitably improves the speed and efficiency at which things get completed within your establishment. 

Often, people are wary of moving away from traditional room keys or room cards as they think digital solutions will compromise security. This could not be further from the truth. 

NFC technology means your room key is on your phone and in the 21st century digital age, phones are looked after and accounted for far more than keys. With the key on a guest's phone, there is no easy way to access the room. The perpetrator would have to figure out how to unlock the guest’s phone first. It is therefore far safer to have the key on the phone than it is to have a traditional key. 

Customer experience

Ultimately, a successful business is measured against customer experience and the use of NFC technology is guaranteed to improve customer experience. The possibilities are endless with this form of technology and you can be as creative with it as you like. Whilst you can use it simply to improve efficiency within your hotel, you can also be more innovative. 

For example, you can use it to make some experiences more interactive and fun for the children staying at your hotel. Distributing stations throughout the hotel that create a virtual game for redirecting kids towards quizzes and online or on-site games is a great way to ensure you are using NFC technology to cater to all your guests. Alternatively, you can use it as a virtual tour guide with QR codes that direct guests towards the best restaurants and attractions around the hotel or even within the hotel itself. 

If you have ideas as to how you can be inventive with your implementation of this technology, contact MySmartJourney . Our team will be happy to collaborate with you to ensure the experience you want to create is achieved.  

Our platform is easy to use and flexible which enables you to leverage NFC technology in a way that benefits your business. For inspiration on how you can best use NFC technology, click here to see some of our success stories. 

How are you missing out if you are not using NFC?

Realistically, if you are not using NFC technology, you are living in the past. This type of technology is a tangible process that is being implemented throughout different industries as you read this. In order to keep up with today’s digital age, you need to seriously consider introducing NFC into your business. Not only does it improve efficiency, but it also improves security and the overall customer experience. 

Implement NFC technology

What is Phygital Marketing? 

Phygital is a hybrid of the words physical and digital. Phygital marketing merges online and offline marketing strategies to enhance and personalize the customer experience. The rise of phygital marketing comes to no surprise with people becoming increasingly reliant on digital technology but still craving physical experiences. 

When considering digital and physical realms, most choose to see these two as distinct but this couldn't be further from the truth, as today, the digital sphere is inherently interconnected with the physical sphere. Consider the link between online shopping and physical stores. 

Did you know that 63% of shopping experiences begin online? ( source ) Even so, a great majority of people prefer shopping in physical stores. It’s not rare that people find pieces of clothing they like while browsing online in the comfort of their home and then go to the physical store to try them on. This is where phygital experiences come into play. 

Benefits of Phygital Marketing

Phygital marketing is a must in 2021 if you want to boost sales but what are the specific benefits that phygital marketing can bring to the table? Here are just a few:

Caters for everyone

Phygital marketing caters for everyone. As it merges physical and digital shopping experiences, you make sure that those who prefer to shop in person and those who prefer to shop online are catered for . 

For example, the click and collect options that are frequently offered by retail stores are a great way for businesses to cater for both in-person and online shoppers. The click and collect service allows you to shop from home but still provides an in-store experience. 

Takes some pressure off your staff 

Distributing digital features throughout a store can help take the pressure off your staff as it allows consumers to be in control of their own shopping experience when in stores. Having products labeled with QR codes that direct shoppers towards all the relevant information they might need to know about a particular product reduces the number of people bothering staff for information. 

This in turn allows staff to direct their attention to other more pressing issues in the store and use their time more effectively throughout their shift . 

Better for the environment 

The environmental benefits of phygital marketing are not always considered, but the way in which physical marketing can cut down on the use of paper and other such materials is one of the best things about it. 

One key example of this benefit is the printing of receipts. Printing receipts is a waste of paper, especially because there are alternative options. Physical marketing can replace a printed receipt with an e-receipt that is sent to your email, which can minimize the negative environmental impacts of the store. 

Perfect for Covid-19 

The Covid-19 pandemic forced many retail stores into phygital marketing. As stores were forced to close, many had to find a solution to stay in business. That answer was phygital marketing. During the pandemic, many stores started to offer curbside pickup which meant that consumers could still browse the contents of the shop online, and could come to the store to pick it up. As the pandemic has shifted many people’s habits, this curbside pickup format will likely remain post pandemic as it is convenient and simple. 

Increase engagement 

The main advantage of phygital marketing is the way in which it advertises your store and the freedom it gives marketing teams. Incorporating touch screens, having an interactive storefront, and even incorporating augmented reality into the shopping experience is a way to engage shoppers who are not necessarily in-person shoppers. 

If you are able to grab the attention of passers-by with your phygital marketing strategy in physical stores, the likelihood of them either taking time out of their day to visit your store or going home to see what all the fuss is about exponentially increases. 

If the benefits of phygital marketing have intrigued you, and you would like to find out more, visit MySmartJourney to discover how they have been incorporating phygital marketing into businesses across Canada. 

How to Develop a Phygital Marketing Strategy 

Now that you are aware of the benefits of phygital marketing, hopefully you are considering integrating it into your own business plan. If that is the case, here are a few tips to help you develop a phygital marketing strategy:

Know your target market 

One of the cardinal rules of marketing is to know your target audience inside out. The first step is to identify who your target audience is. Knowing who you are catering for will allow you to create marketing campaigns that can be directed towards them specifically . 

For example, if you have a younger target market, they will likely be doing most of their shopping online so you need to see how you can entice them into stores. On the other hand, older generations like to shop in stores so you need to research how you can encourage them to also explore online shopping. 

One of the best ways to get a comprehensive understanding of your target audience and what they want is to encourage customers and consumers to give you feedback and to routinely check reviews to see how you can improve your offer. 

Leverage apps 

A great strategy to create a successful phygital marketing experience is to leverage apps . Apps are a brilliant tool to use because they are already in your consumers’ pockets. MySmartJourney provides companies with a scalable platform to make it easy to provide physical digital experiences. 

With something as simple as QR code, customers with the app can get an abundance of information directly to their mobile phone, making the practical transferral of information seamless. Moreover, if you want a more interactive and fun use of phygital marketing, you can redirect consumers to quizzes and games through the app to bring a creative and interactive element to your marketing campaign. 

Create an experience 

Going shopping is no longer an in and out experience, retail stores are continuously trying to find new ways to make the experience more interactive, fun and inclusive whilst still staying accessible to all. 

There are a multitude of different ways in which you can create these unique experiences, from distributing games throughout your stores, like those that you can achieve or more advanced forms of technology such as holographic try on stations where people can see what outfits would look like on them without actually trying anything on. 

Whilst some of these more advanced uses of technology might sound like something from the future, as phygital marketing starts to become more prevalent, stores are going to continue to experiment with new and unique ways of merging the physical and digital spheres. 

Examples of phygital experiences 

Whilst there are lots of different forms that phygital experiences can take, here are just a few to give you an idea.

Amazon Go stores have been slowly popping up all over the world. They were founded in 2018, by none other than Amazon and currently have 21 locations around the world. Amazon Go stores are changing the way that we do our everyday grocery shop. 

With minimal staff, the Amazon Go shop is the ultimate phygital experience. It works by scanning a QR code upon entry. Once inside the store, you simply fill up your basket and leave, there is no need to check out because the sensors throughout the shop can identify what you have bought and automatically charge the card linked to your account. 

Glossier is an online beauty store which does not have physical stores. However, their phygital marketing campaign involved setting up pop-up shops in different countries throughout the world. Pop up shops are a great way for online stores to create phygital experiences.

The clothing and sneaker brand Nike had an in store shoe personalization. Customers were able to digitally create a shoe of their own design. The shoe was then created in the store and they could take it home that day. 

Phygital experiences are the future of shopping . In today’s world, the digital and the physical spheres are inherently interconnected so retailers must learn to adapt to this new reality. To learn about how you can integrate phygital marketing into your business, visit MySmartJourney !

With the recovery of the tourism industry after the health crisis, travel agencies, tourist offices and operators of tourist attractions are facing stiff competition for new customers. This is why many companies are adopting innovative marketing strategies. Thanks to the digital revolution, the phygital strategy is an effective way to promote tourist destinations and offer an optimal user experience.

What is destination marketing?

Destination marketing refers to the set of communication actions whose goal is to encourage potential customers to visit a tourist destination. It is about highlighting attractions and arousing the interest of travelers through relevant content and adapted tools. 

Why is destination marketing important?

Destination marketing is crucial in the tourism industry because it allows:

• Define customer expectations;
• Segment the customers (couples, families, friends, students, etc.) in order to offer them the appropriate theme;
• Promote the cultural and natural heritage of the destination;
• Promote tourist activities and establishments;
• Attract more visitors to sporting, cultural and economic events;
• Promote the assets of the tourist destination and its advantages over its competitors;
• Disseminate a relevant brand image;
• Reach new markets;
• Follow the marketing actions of competitors;
• Optimize the budget allocated to tourism;
• Get a clear vision of the future marketing strategy.

What is the impact of phygital marketing in a global marketing and sales strategy?

Phygital marketing is a new trend that combines the physical and digital worlds of a product. This approach aims to take advantage of the strengths of both concepts:

Digital marketing: 

• Reach many customers with the least amount of costs
• Deliver a fast online experience
• Availability 7 days a week and 24 hours a day

Physical marketing:

• Allow the customer to handle and try the product before buying it
• Streamline the customer experience in a real shop
• Build trust through direct communication

Phygital marketing links the physical and digital environment in a virtuous circle, from one to the other, to the other continuously.

The impact of phygital marketing in the tourism sector

Phygital marketing is now an essential lever to improve the digital and physical experiences of travelers:

• Attracting more visitors
• Accompanying the traveler

Attract more visitors

Phygital marketing has several implications for the future of destination marketing. It affects consumer behavior and the way travelers experience a city. Phygital experiences combine digital communication with physical space.

Tourism destinations that take advantage of QR codes, NFC technology, and augmented and virtual reality technologies attract more travelers as they make their stay more engaging and rewarding. 

Accompany the traveler

Phygital marketing offers visitors all the information they need for their trip in real time and according to their location. For example, a traveler can scan a QR code on site to obtain the opening hours of a tourist or cultural site.

Thanks to QR and NFC technologies, travelers have access to the following information: 

• The routes and means of transport available;
• Information related to the opening and closing of a place (museum, park, shopping center, etc.) as well as a guided tour of these places;
• Visitor reviews of an attraction (e.g., this ride is rated 4.7/5 by visitors);
• Influencing and monitoring consumer behavior before, during and after their visit.

Phygital marketing brings several benefits to cities, among others:

• To promote the culture, history and local products of the destination;
• Encourage tourism investment in the region;
• Develop the city's economic activities;
• Increase the turnover of transport companies of different sizes;
• Create new jobs related to tourism, trade and transportation;
• To protect the city's heritage and contribute to the well-being of the local population.

8 destination marketing strategies to attract travelers with phygital

• Investing in contactless technology
• Creation of phygital experiences
• Invite the use of social media
• Face-to-face experiences that include virtual content
• Collaborate with influencers who come on site
• Fine-tuning the digital customer experience

There are several marketing strategies you can adopt to increase awareness of the destination and attract more visitors. All the actions to be implemented should take into account the characteristics of the attraction as well as the needs of the targeted clientele.

1. invest in contactless technology

Contactless technology allows visitors to quickly access rich text and visual content on their mobile device and make payments. This solution is based on easy-to-use triggers:

• QR codes: The QR code is a two-dimensional code that can store a large amount of data (website URLs, text, contact information, etc.). To access it, simply scan the code using a QR code reader application or directly with your smartphone's camera.
• NFC Tag: NFC technology allows a limited amount of information to be exchanged with a wireless device using a chip contained in an adhesive tag.
• Short URL: This is a short and easy-to-remember web address. It is used in case of incompatibility of the mobile device with the QR code and the NFC tag.

MySmartJourney offers turnkey solutions to turn your attraction into a smart tourist destination, without the need to create a website or mobile application.

2. Creation of phygital experiences

It's about putting technology to work in the physical environment of the destination. This offers several tangible benefits to visitors:

• Reduce waiting time by purchasing tickets online;
• Offer a 3D and 360° virtual tour;
• Use contactless technology to guide the customer during their visit;
• Ask the visitor to share their opinion.

3. Social media

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram are powerful channels for digital tourism marketing. The massive use of these platforms allows for promotional messages, contests, photos and videos to be broadcast to many potential customers. 

Businesses can leverage QR codes and NFC technology to share social content and improve engagement with users. For example, a hotel can place physical signs in rooms so that guests scan it and are redirected to an Instagram post that shares the best bars and restaurants in the area. 

4. Face-to-face marketing experience

Experience marketing consists of stimulating the sharing of content created by your customers in physical locations. This strategy aims to turn customers into ambassadors of your destination. People appreciate this method because of its authentic and spontaneous aspect. And the content discovered is ultra relevant because the visitor is right there!

5. Work with influencers who come to the site

Collaborating with one or more influencers is an effective way to increase the visibility of your tourism destination and engage consumers. Influencers are creators of content such as:

• Publications on Facebook or Twitter;
• Blog posts;
• Photos posted on Instagram or Pinterest;
• Videos on YouTube or TikTok.

Influencers are people with a large community who trust their opinions more than an organization. Influencers can have anywhere from 10,000 to over 100,000 followers. In addition to the number of subscribers, you need to consider other criteria in order to achieve the desired results:

• The influencer's environment and its relevance to your message;
• The activity of the influencer during the last weeks;
• The interaction between the influencer and his followers;
• The level of solicitation (requests for partnerships, interviews, advertising, etc.);
• The cost of collaboration.

Invite them to visit your locations and make content on the spot that they will share on their social networks. Then, put this content forward via QR codes or NFC technology in your physical locations exactly where it was filmed.

6. Enhance the digital customer experience

In order to encourage visitor engagement, you need to take care of the design, functionality and customer journey through your website, mobile app or MySmartJourney web app. Make sure your website is compatible with different devices (computer, mobile phone and tablet).

Create an intelligent customer experience

How museums can meet visitors' post-covid expectations

Museums all over the world are determining when and how they will reopen. When they do, they will find a world that has transformed. To successfully resume operations, they must not only monitor the danger of infection of the Covid-19 virus for visitors, volunteers, and staff but also optimize the museum experience.

Museums are seeking assistance from one another as well as peer institutions around the world. They are attempting to coordinate activities to pool expertise, establish public trust, and encourage visitors and audiences to embrace agreed-upon practices. However, since these institutions vary in focus, each museum must develop its own unique approach. The location of each museum, as well as its specific purpose and content, require unique solutions.

Tips to meet visitors’ post-covid expectations

Here are key tips to meet museum visitors’ post-Covid expectations :

• Offer mobile self-guided tours
• Eliminate the need to touch displays
• Sell tickets online to avoid queues
• Reduce crowding
• Maintain visitor counts within your museum at all times
• Provide easy-to-access information

1. Offer mobile self-guided tours

Offering mobile self-guided tours that visitors can access on their mobile phone is one of the easiest strategies to meet visitors' expectations in the post-Covid era. There is no need to buy audio guide equipment or headphones. Visitors won't have to be worried about using a shared audio device, and museum staff won't have to be concerned about sanitizing audio equipment all the time.

Museum spaces can utilize QR codes or NFC technology to orient visitors and share information for their self-guided tour . This way visitors can enjoy the exhibits at their own pace. The QR codes can also provide information about merchandise found at the museum boutique!

2. Eliminate the need to touch physical displays

Some museums contain physical displays with audio or video material. Others provide information on flippable pages for visitors to view. It's critical to provide material to visitors without requiring them to interact with items. Physical displays can be cleaned regularly, but they don't provide the convenience visitors are looking for when it comes to safety. 

Virtual storytelling technology was once very expensive and difficult to implement, but that is no longer the case. Technology is becoming more accessible, as well as more user-friendly. Museums can leverage QR technology and near-field technology (NFC) to create immersive experiences that bring a museum’s collections to life. These technologies can be utilized to create interactive museum tours and displays on mobile devices without the need for equipment.

A curator can emphasize content to make an exhibit fully accessible or give museum visitors more ways to interact with the exhibit's information in an online format. This can be done via content publishing tools like QR codes, which allow museums to include web-based interactivity in their exhibits. The MySmartJourney platform can also be used to replace audio guides and create self-guided tours .

The no-contact museum of the future for a post-Covid world

3. Sell tickets online to avoid queues

The days of standing in line are over. Lines can exacerbate visitors' anxieties about Covid safety, and they're not fun to wait in regardless. That is why investing in online ticketing is key for modern museums . 

4. Reduce crowding

Timed entry is another technique to reduce long lineups and crowds in museums. This feature is available on many ticketing platforms. It allows visitors to visit the museum on the hour or half-hour they booked to minimize long lines and to ensure that entry is staggered. Visitors must choose their time window ahead of time and each time slot has a limited amount of tickets available.

Automated ticket activation can also be beneficial. Museums can use QR code technology to scan digital tickets, so if a visitor walks through the door with his mobile device in hand, the ticket is immediately activated and cannot be reused or transferred. This kind of automation isn't required at museums where crowding isn't a serious issue. To keep lines flowing and prevent crowding, having staff members scan QR codes is a great allternative.

5. Maintain visitor counts within your museum at all times

You can expand the capacity of your museum now that social distancing regulations have loosened in most regions. However, Covid norms may make visitors uncomfortable. For example, if your pre-Covid occupancy was 800, and you allowed a maximum of 250 visitors at one time during the peak of Covid in 2020, you could set your new occupancy amount to 650.

If you're not sure if you should reopen at full capacity, ask visitors and staff for their opinions. It may be more enjoyable for everyone to operate at 70-90 % of prior capacity. If you receive a lot of foot traffic, make sure you make it obvious on your website that buying tickets in advance is strongly recommended.

How do museums attract more visitors?

6. Provide easy-to-access information

You must ensure that you provide clear information and directions to your visitors to access toilets, hand sanitation facilities, restaurants, and other key features on your site . Given Covid's sustained impact, visitors will assume that this information is available on your mobile app or website.

You might add a page to your app that explains what amenities are available and where they are located. If you have a huge museum, you may wish to include this information on specific pages as well. Essentially, you want your visitors to realize that you care about them and ensure they have a positive experience while they are in the museum. It's critical in the post-Covid era to give contactless experiences to those who anticipate them. 

The majority of museums are not entirely funded by endowments, and sales are very important. Positive online reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations will come your way if you deliver a fantastic experience for your visitors . By leveraging the MySmartJourney platform you can personalize the museum experience and provide visitors with useful resources and content that will enhance their visit – all on their own devices.

Create digital tours for your museum

MySmartJourney is a leader in creating interactive tours for museums and exhibitions. Our platform enables you to bring the virtual and physical worlds together to educate, entertain, and surprise visitors. Our tools enable you to tailor unique journeys for your customers. These interactive and digital strategies can be customized in both content and scale to optimize customer satisfaction and engagement.

Contact us now

Marketing Your On-Site Experience

MySmartJourney is a platform where users can build informative, useful and entertaining media content to impress their customers, visitors and users. Contrary to many software that are exclusively app-based, the tool is fully web-based and allows clients to personalize virtual experiences quickly and easily. This article highlights tips on how to improve the customer experience strategy in the cultural and entertainment sector through phygital marketing . 

How to market on-site your experience in 12 easy steps 

1. Media & PR

Announce the release of your experience and web app by writing a compelling press release and share it using a public relation distribution website. You can also send it directly to your local media outlets, including television, print, and radio. With the rise of social media,  we also recommend reaching out to local bloggers and influencers who may be interested in promoting and advertising the experience. Invite them to get a first look and attend your launch event. 

2. Hold a launch event

Hold a launch event to acknowledge and celebrate the release of your new web app . Make sure your partners, board members, narrators, and media attend the event to share how to project was developed and what inspired it. You can also share audio and video samples of the experience and have speakers share their contribution. 

3. Press conference with QR codes

Hold a press conference to coincide with the launch of the experience. Invite the media, the press, and the public to attend your launch event to highlight your new personalized experiences. You can also invite bloggers and social media influencers to the event to generate more buzz. 

Display clear QR codes for guests to test the web application and live the memorable experience. Make sure that the QR codes are placed at chest height and in places where people naturally converge or linger. Finally, make sure that there are enough QR codes interspaced around the event, but not too many to make it overwhelming, so that guests have the best possible experience. 

4. Display signs

Use clear and visible display signs across the venue and at the entrance. Whether it is a web link URL, a QR code, or an NFC chip, make sure to provide information on how to access your content. Your signs should be intuitive and provide easy access to your content. 

5. On-site promotion

Promote the experience with displays in the entrance to grab visitors' attention as soon as they arrive. Put a display or QR code on the counter at the front desk or in the entrance. Invite staff to distribute leaflets at each entrance and make sure that they are fully trained on how to use the QR codes. There should be clear instructions on how to access the information. You can also use T-shirts for staff and volunteers that say "Ask about our experience" or have a QR code on the back and distribute leaflets with the experience access information on them.

6. Promotion on the website thanks to short URLs

Use short URLs to allow visitors to have easy access to the most up-to-date information about exhibits, events, and experiences. Your website is the perfect location to promote your newest experience, as well as highlight any useful visitor information. 

7. Create small displays with a central short QR/URL code

Aside from the QR code displays across the venue, it is useful to create small displays with a central QR/URL code on them. These can be placed on the counter at the front desk, at your local visitor's center, or on tables. A couple of strategically placed small displays will be instrumental in increasing the traffic to your website. 

8. Use of social media with photos of signs and short URLs

It is highly recommended that you share photos of your signs (what they look like and their location) on social media. Not only will this ensure that your signs are easy to locate, it will also provide additional marketing for the exhibition. 

9. Train team members on how to use QR codes, NFC chips and short URLs

Use your front desk and staff to promote the experience as they often engage directly with customers. Make sure they understand how to use the QR codes, NFC technology and short URLs. You might even consider inviting all of your employees to take part in the experience. Doing so will not only keep them up to date, but it might also encourage them to use their personal online network. 

How to get funds to create a mobile digital journey

10. Update the content of the web application in real time

MySmartJourney tours and experiences are easily customizable and editable, allowing for infinite updates and changes. By keeping your content new and exciting, you will attract new visitors and existing visitors will stay engaged and keep coming back. Furthermore, new features provide the perfect opportunity for promotion and marketing. You can update the content of the web application in real time.

11. Integration of a personalized Google Map

Integrate a personalized Google Map into the experience to highlight points of interest, as well as general visitor information. Personalized Google Maps are easy to integrate and provide a useful resource for customers by allowing them to zoom and in and out of the venue to find what they are looking for or experience a new exhibit. 

12. Featured during a specific event

Feature a QR code, NFC chip or short URL during a specific event related to the web application or experience. For example, the 24 Hours of Le Mans featured QR codes on the side of the vehicles during the drivers’ parade linking to the web page of the event. These codes were strategically placed at the center where all the spectators were looking thus increasing traffic to the website. 

Create personalized experiences with MySmartJourney

MySmartJourney provides interactive experiences for museums, art galleries, historical sites, municipal parks, resorts, artisanal producers, traveler services, hotels and much more. Our platform allows you to merge the physical and online worlds to educate, entertain, and amuse visitors. 

With MySmartJourney, you can personalize unique journeys for your visitors. Our interactive and digital solution can be tailored in both content and scale to maximize customer engagement and satisfaction.

Start your Smart Journey

Nowadays, mobile phones are a huge part of everyone’s daily life. This has created a new genre of connected consumerism and has changed the relationship people have with brands and organizations. This has led businesses to rethink their marketing and communication strategies to offer their customers the best mobile digital journey.

Mobile traffic accounts for more than 50% of all website traffic and considering that this number will increase over the next few years, providing an engaging mobile experience is essential for businesses that seek to achieve sustainable growth and stay competitive. Understanding this digital journey and how it affects the customer experience helps businesses provide value to their customers.

What is a mobile digital journey ?

A mobile digital journey is the path followed by a mobile user from the awareness stage right through to the purchase stage. It includes all the interactions that take place online between a customer and a brand. 

Mobile devices offer consumers a unique way to experience brands and consume content. This often leads to the creation of a new digital funnel that requires more understanding and expertise. With the many digital tools available nowadays, customer expectations regarding their journey on a website or an app have reached new heights. Mobile customer journeys provide data and insights to help brands personalize the customer experience and meet customer expectations. 

Benefits of self-guided tours 

Why create a mobile digital journey ?

Creating mobile digital journeys allows businesses to detect points of friction encountered by the customer and remove them in order to offer customers a seamless journey. It also allows them to gain a better understanding of customer needs and habits.

Understanding how people move through this journey provides the necessary data to support them through each touch point along the mobile digital journey. These insights allow the company to seize potential opportunities and increase revenues. 

Here are a few reasons why creating a mobile digital journey is important for businesses:

Reaching high-value audiences with personalized experiences

In today’s heavily saturated market, personalization is the way to stand out and make a difference. Every individual’s mobile apps, browsing history, social media feeds, etc. are unique to them. 

A personalized experience is a meaningful experience and one that is likely to result in the customer taking action. However, personalizing and tailoring a mobile digital journey effectively requires knowledge of the business, its goals, and the target market. Once these three aspects are covered, it is easier to determine the right content to display at the right time and to the right person.

Making the customer journey easy

From the moment customers discover your business or website to when they decide to take action and make a purchase, you can use the mobile digital journey to ensure that they have a seamless experience. For this you can use different digital tools that will guide your customer through your website or app and give them the information they need to make a decision.

Optimizing your landing rate

Once the customer is interested enough to click and navigate through the brand’s website or app, their experience should be enjoyable. Creating a mobile digital journey helps optimize the landing rate of the business’ website or app because the customers are curious to discover what the business offers. At this point, with a clear digital journey in place, they shouldn’t have to guess about where to find anything. 

Building a relationship with your customers

The more a business studies customer insights, the more one-to-one relationships can be built. Hyper-personalized messages and experiences make customers feel heard and appreciated. Incorporating these important details through a mobile digital experience makes it easy for customers to reach out to a brand if they have a query, but also for the brand to answer them directly and meet their needs. A little extra guidance and communication can go a long way, especially in the digital world where there is very little human contact.

Gaining insight into customer behavior

A mobile digital journey provides valuable insight into customer behavior and helps businesses understand their target audience better. Analyzing the outcomes of a mobile digital journey allows a brand to narrow the targeting, see where customers are most likely to convert and improve the overall mobile experience.

Tips to get funds to create a mobile digital journey

Creating a mobile digital journey is not an easy thing and oftentimes businesses turn to government grants in order to create mobile digital journeys. 

Here are a few tips on how to get funds to create a mobile digital journey, through government schemes and grants :

The Digital Development Agreement for Tourism Businesses 

The Digital Development Agreement for Tourism Businesses pursues the priorities set out in Quebec's Digital Strategy, in particular by supporting the enhancement of the digital intensity of regional tourism businesses. The aim is to achieve that by carrying out digital development projects for example.

Regional Tourism Partnership Agreement – Part 2

The Regional Tourism Partnership Agreement revolves around submitted projects that are structured and contribute to renewing and improving the region's tourist offer. The 2nd Part  of this Agreement focuses on the support of collective projects to encourage tourism through innovation and improving customer experience. Also, one of its main goals is to adapt businesses to new environmental and health realities after they have suffered the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Regional Tourism Partnership Agreement – Part 3

The 3rd Part of the Regional Tourism Partnership Agreement , more specifically category 7, encourages the development of digital projects. This is achieved through the financial assistance of the company to increase its virtual and digital interactions with its customers

in order to reduce physical contact and health risks, while improving their experience.

The Tourism Relief Fund

The Tourism Relief Fund is a government grant in the form of loans ranging from $50 000 to $500 000 and is aimed at projects that will help improve the tourist offer in Quebec. The Fund’s objective is to promote the emergence of innovative and structuring projects. It is considered a helpful tool that contributes to improving the competitiveness and innovation of tourism businesses, all for the goal to strengthen and renew Quebec's tourism offer.

Recovery Plan for the Cultural Sector 

The Cultural Sector Recovery Plan has 5 components. The part related to developing a mobile digital journey is Part 1 and it is referred to as the “Exploration and digital deployment”.  Cultural organizations with successful projects may receive funding of up to $ 100 000. The projects submitted are responsible, among other things, to increase the quantity of Quebec related content online and its distribution, to optimize the discoverability of this content, and to accelerate the appropriation of the digital universe by cultural organizations.

#RelanceCultureQc – Digital Outreach

After such an uncertain few years, as a part of the economic recovery plan for the cultural sector, the Ministry of Culture and Communication in Quebec decided to implement the

#RelanceCultureQc project to support the community by calling out new projects for digital outreach. It aims to support those who wish to share their cultural events and content online and to allow the community to experiment with new approaches and different formats.

​​Want to personalize a mobile digital journey ?

Want to create unique and fun experiences for your tourism business? Look no further! MySmartJourney is a tool used for the creation and design of digital routes for tourist and cultural sites. It’s a platform made to build informative, useful and entertaining multimedia digital journeys that not only attract customers and visitors but also make them feel empowered. 

Our platform is easy to use with no programming skills required. Our contactless technology that can be installed in minutes. Depending on your business, you can personalize a tour builder for museums, art galleries and historical sites, tourist circuits and routes, municipal parks and resorts, hotel establishments and traveler services.

Get in touch with us today! 

Technology has established itself as one of the most crucial parts of modern life over the last two decades. It's pretty hard to picture a life without digital gadgets, the Internet, or computing tools. From business and leisure to communication and information, our reliance on technology is all-consuming in almost every aspect of daily life, changing the way we see and interact with the world. Even museums are starting to leverage technology to enhance the museum experience in 2022. 

Why is technology important in museums?

Museums and exhibitions are more memorable when visitors have physical experiences, and the ideal use of technology is to make visitors aware of the exhibit rather than the technology. This is true for both adult and family-oriented museums. 

Some of the most important goals of museums are to educate, evoke emotion, and immerse visitors in culture and more. Museums are able to connect with people on a deeper level by incorporating technology and interactive solutions into displays, engaging them not just mentally but also physically, making their visit and experience more unforgettable. Given the pandemic, museums are looking for innovative methods to make their exhibits more engaging and safe and modern technology makes this possible.

Phygital marketing in museums 

Benefits of QR and NFC technology in museums 

It enhances the museum experience 

Virtual storytelling technology was once expensive and difficult to install but that is no longer the case today. Technology is becoming more accessible, and it is also getting more user-friendly. Museums can leverage tools like QR technology and near-field technology (NFC) to bring collections to life through immersive experiences. These technologies can be used to create museum tours or make exhibits more interactive. It can also help cultural mediators put an object in its proper context.

A curator can highlight content in order to make an exhibit completely accessible online or give museum visitors more opportunities to interact with the exhibit's information in an online format. This can be accomplished via content publishing techniques such as QR codes, which allow museums to include web-based interactivity into their exhibitions. Mysmartjourney’s platform can also be used to replace audio guides and create self-guided tours . 

It allows you to share valuable objects of cultural heritage

Most museums only show a portion of their collection. For example, only roughly 8% of the artwork in the Louvre is open for public viewing. Major museums across the world typically keep masterpieces hidden from the public eye in order to keep them safe and well conserved. These works can be made available online for anyone to see using virtual showcasing technologies.

High-risk materials, artifacts, and photographs are presented to the public in a variety of ways using digital content. There’s the possibility to make 3D models of objects that can be accessed online through QR or NFC technologies. Museums can use technology to disseminate collections that are in storage, together with contextual metadata. Museum visitors can interact with these previously unknown collections online through photographs and text. Museums may broaden their reach and make precious artifacts more accessible to the public by giving virtual offerings.

It provides access to the visitor guide

No one likes to wait for a tour guide to visit a museum. With the help of QR Codes, visitors can say goodbye to long lines at museums. Museums can implement QR Codes to create a visitor guide or add QR codes for each artifact so that visitors can go on a self-guided tour at their own pace and get all the information they need related to the history of the exhibitions, and other important details. 

Incorporating VR and AR technologies into the video guide can improve the visitor experience. In addition, QR Codes can be used by museums to bridge the gap between online and offline experiences, thereby enhancing visitor engagement. QR codes for tour guides assist museums in achieving higher attendance rates by reducing lines and offering an equally enriching experience.

The no-contact museum of the future

It promotes greater accessibility 

One of the most significant advantages of virtual museums is that visitors are not restricted by the museum's location. Digital tours, events, and exhibitions accessed through QR and NFC technologies throughout the world allow visitors to immerse themselves in museum collections regardless of location or geographical constraints. This opens opportunities for marginalized communities or people who are simply interested in visiting museums in other nations. 

Schools will soon be able to utilize technology to take students on virtual school visits to museums all over the world, as technology becomes more affordable and accessible. This accessibility also promotes inclusion. Elderly folks, individuals with restricted mobility, and people with disabilities can all benefit from using technology to enjoy exhibitions from home.

Virtual museums also provide an alternative to visiting museums during periods when they are closed, such as during the coronavirus lockdowns. Museums can employ virtual storytelling to share their exhibitions by using content publishing platforms that can be shared across a variety of devices. 

It attracts more visitors

Museums are frequently a source of new content. Using social media platforms for museums allows visitors to have digital access for online consumption, which improves visitor interaction. Museums can share images of their exhibition spaces, along with information about them. It gives visitors important information about the exhibit, entices new visitors, and re-engages those who have previously been. 

Some of MySmartJourney’s clients use the platform to attract attention on social media. For example with a quiz on "what type of exhibition corresponds to your mood of the moment?" or even to tell fun facts with gamification. It redirects to the museum's online ticket office.

They can also create links that direct users to products in the museum shop, share links to social media to request a review, or even add a link to the ticket office to buy a ticket for the next temporary exhibition.

How do museums attract more visitors? 

It allows you to collect visitor feedback

Every industry, including museums and art galleries, relies on visitor feedback. It's nearly impossible to find out how exhibitions are received, highlight problems in visitor journey mapping, and re-engage with visitors without collecting feedback. 

Feedback must be precise, represent the exact journey map, and be seamless. Museums can place feedback QR codes in common gathering spots so that visitors can scan the code, bookmark the link, and later fill it out while strolling through the museum. Encourage visitors to submit comments by providing freebies, a free ticket to a future event, or even access to upcoming events.

It allows you to share events

Museums and art galleries hold events on a regular basis to highlight new collections or prominent artists. Event invitations are sometimes hidden among other emails and texts, making it difficult to find details about the event. To avoid this, use location QR codes and event QR codes to include crucial event facts such as the headliner artist, the date and time of the event and the link to purchase tickets. 

Visitors can save the event to their calendar and RSVP without having to go to another website by scanning the QR Code. Include social media accounts on the same landing page so that people may follow the event on social media. Incorporate event QR Codes into the museum's common rooms, print advertisements, and walkways so that interested visitors can scan them to learn more about the next event.

Want to digitize your museum? 

Mysmartjourney provides interactive experiences for museums and exhibits. Our platform allows you to merge the physical and online world to educate, amuse, and surprise visitors.  

Whether it's a children's museum, an art museum, or a science museum, our tools allow you to personalize unique journeys for your visitors. Our interactive and digital solutions can be tailored in both content and scale to maximize customer engagement and satisfaction.

What exactly is cultural mediation ?

What does cultural mediation mean?

Cultural mediation in the process of connecting individuals with other cultures in a seamless and informative manner. 

We, as humans, have a wide range of connections to various cultures and societies, which are not always easy to identify and decipher within the wider context of our lives and the world. 

The social environments that we have the opportunity to be exposed to propose intriguing and exciting possibilities, but these possibilities are not always easy to grasp and understand. That is where cultural mediation comes in. Cultural mediation is the process of helping individuals fully comprehend alternative cultures through involvement and participation . 

Cultural mediation is integral in supporting people on their journey to understand other cultural norms and encourage cross cultural coherence. Different social environments create different boundaries and modes of knowledge. Cultural mediation works to bring together these concepts of cultural difference to enhance understanding and acceptance across boundaries.

What does a cultural mediator do?

Unsurprisingly, cultural mediators bring together ideas of culture and mediation in order to facilitate cultural development and cohesion. Ultimately, cultural mediators work as a source of knowledge as they convey information between two or more cultural sources with great ease and accuracy. 

In addition to creating coherence between parties, individuals and cultures, they also facilitate dispute resolution in order to promote clarity and unity. They have a deep well of knowledge and are easily able to recall information in order to explain concepts of cultural norms and differences. Moreover, they are often proficient in different languages so they can ease comprehension between different parties, individuals and cultures. 

Although cultural mediators can be real life individuals, in this 21st century setting, cultural mediation has also transferred into the digital world. Businesses and web interfaces have been developed in order to allow cultural mediation to bridge the gap between the physical and digital world. 

Cultural mediation has evolved into the digital sphere

How does Vygotsky's theory explain cultural differences?

An individual who has been influential in the world of cultural understanding and difference is Vygotsky. He devised the Vygoatskian principle to explain the concepts behind cultural mediation. 

The Vygotskyian principle emphasises the importance of tools and signs in developing our cognitive functions. According to his theory, the tools and signs that we encounter throughout society become internalized and inform the development of our everyday abilities, such as learning, problem solving and memory. This therefore means that society and culture are the mediators for our abilities. 

Vygotsky focuses on the development of children's cognition in order to best demonstrate his theory. If you think about the process of how children learn, his theory becomes easier to grasp. It can be broken down as follows:

• Children begin with very little knowledge about the world around them.
• As they grow, they begin to form opinions, beliefs, critical thinking and problem solving skills.
• They acquire these skills by observing the world around them and asking questions.
• These observations and answers are internalized and eventually form a child’s understanding of the world around him, and enhances a plethora of their abilities. 

Vygotsky’s theory highlights the importance of mediators in developing understanding in children, which can also be translated into the importance of understanding across cultures within adults. Although adults are fully competent in understanding their own cultural beliefs and systems, they are not so competent in others. 

Therefore, a similar process is at work in cultural mediation amongst adults. Adults observe other cultures and internalize behaviours and modes of thinking that align with these differing cultures. 

Art and cultural mediation

Cultural mediation’s interaction with art is an important one, as it allows for an exchange of meaning and significance within artwork , which makes it more accessible to a wider group of people. Art is an extremely creative medium, and cultural mediation allows this creativity to thrive as it promotes an exchange in knowledge and exploration of works of art. 

Although a comprehensive understanding of the culture and context that surrounds a piece of work is not required to appreciate the content of the piece, it can help to enhance your experience of the art . Whether you have a particular interest in a specific piece of art, or a broader interest in the world of art, cultural mediation can help you understand as much as possible in order to get the most out of it. 

Art and cultural mediation go hand in hand.

Why is cultural mediation important for museums?

As highlighted, an in-depth knowledge of art, including a well rounded and comprehensive breakdown of the cultural background of pieces is integral in order to compose an all encompassing understanding of the art. 

That need for substantial background knowledge translates into a necessity for cultural mediation within museums in order to ensure v isitors are provided with everything they need in order to enjoy their visit as much as possible .

Here are some key reasons to implement cultural mediation in your museum :

1. Helps you connect with visitors

Hiring cultural mediators will inevitably improve your connection to visitors as it creates a more personal experience for them as they make their way through the museum. 

As much as museums are brilliant sources for individuals to feel cultured as they slowly build knowledge and understanding on a plethora of different things, the inherent set up of a museum can often prove to be dreary and in some cases overwhelming. 

Since there is so much information available within a museum, it is easy to get lost in it all, which can sometimes counteract everything that you are meant to be enjoying. Integrating cultural mediators throughout the museum can help to mitigate this. If visitors find it difficult to concentrate, understand or fully appreciate what is in front of them, mediators can step in and offer to help .

2. Provides fast answers

Implementing cultural mediation technology or in person cultural mediators allows your visitors easy and instantaneous access to resources . The ability to quickly answer the questions of your visitors is integral in maintaining maximum engagement . 

3. Opportunity to create unique experiences

Cultural mediation comes in many different forms. From digitally interactive information points, to cultural mediator led workshops, there are an endless number of ways to provide information.

Understanding your target market and specifying your methods of cultural mediation will help your museum maintain maximum interest from your guests. For example, if the museum caters to children, you could create a digital game that visitors participate in throughout their journey around the museum. 

Each attraction has an accompanying digital feature that lets you learn more about the attraction and earn some points. If you have a more sophisticated target audience, maybe introduce some lectures throughout the day to provide even more background knowledge to your exhibit. 

There are a multitude of ways that you can incorporate cultural mediation into your museum. Any way that you can develop and expand an individual's understanding of your exhibition is a form of cultural mediation, so feel free to be creative and ensure it caters to your visitors.

4. Makes it more accessible 

The format of a traditional museum isn't necessarily accessible to all. However, by implementing cultural mediation practices you can ensure your museum is able to reach as many people as possible .

As mentioned, there are different forms of cultural mediation so you can provide access to your expertise and knowledge surrounding your museum and its exhibits in the digital sphere. This can then be utilized by those unable to physically visit your museum, whilst still providing them with a gateway to understanding more about the pieces they are interested in. 

Discover all the benefits

Best 10 Tourism & Travel trends of 2021

The covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the world in unimaginable ways. Lockdown measures have pushed us to rethink most of our habits. This means that many of the things that we used to enjoy freely are no longer within our reach. Traveling is no exception to this.

Before this pandemic, many great travel plans revolved around wandering through crowded cities, enjoying exotic architectures, having a delightful dinner at exhilarating restaurants, and visiting sensational museums.

With the cancellation of flights in the majority of countries, most 2020 travel plans were unfortunately halted. As such, in 2021, the tourism and travel industry has been looking for innovative measures and approaches that will allow the industry to adapt. This translates into improved safety measures, sustainable regenerative travel proposals, as well as new travel destinations.

While we won’t be able to travel as freely as we used to before, there are still numerous heavenly places to explore. Therefore, we will be talking about the most exciting 2021 tourism & travel trends. 

Will traveling rebound in 2021?

While the covid-19 pandemic has affected many sectors and fields, the tourism and travel industry is one of the most affected industries. This is why governments and the travel industry have been looking for innovative ways to stimulate a travel rebound in 2021 and restore international travelling.

Towards the end of 2020, Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection shared key findings from its 6th Annual State of Travel Insurance Survey of Travellers. Analysis of the results shows that Millennials and high-income travelers are the groups that are ready to return to travel, driving a strong rebound of traveling. This has made the travel industry rethink its tourism trends for 2021.

Moreover, almost all countries around the globe have already implemented massive vaccination campaigns. With that in mind, travel restrictions are expected to be lifted sooner than later. Therefore, a lot of people are already planning their next international trips.

While the International Air Transport Association projects that global traffic will not return to pre-Covid levels until 2024, shorter travel routes are already recovering faster than international ones. This means that even if tourism trends are not likely to resurface anytime soon, newer and more adapted travel trends should allow people to enjoy some of the breathtakingly beautiful travel destinations. As such, with new 2021 travel trends, a rebound in traveling is expected.

Additionally, data published by Delta Air Lines Inc. has indicated that visits to their website were up by 40% in Q4 compared to Q3 of 2020. Travel enthusiasts are yet to convert their visits to ticket purchases. However, such data suggest that there is a strong interest in traveling. A rebound in traveling is thus expected once travel restrictions are lifted and safety measures are implemented. 

Travel restrictions in 2021

With the new British COVID-19 variant spreading rapidly through most European countries and even internationally, the European union and many other countries have imposed unified travel restrictions for 2021. 

The key travel restrictions in 2021 are:

• Proof of negative covid-19 test: people willing to travel, especially internationally, are required to take a PCR test. The test should be taken no more than 3 days prior (72 hours) to your flight and a document of your test result should be presented to the airline before boarding the plane.
• Proof of recovery from covid-19: travelers who have already had the coronavirus and recovered need to present a document proving their recovery.
• If a traveler contracts the virus after having had a negative test result, they are required to quarantine for two weeks.

Additionally, countries have implemented various local regulations such as mask-wearing, curfews, and social distancing measures.

Please note: The information listed here is not exhaustive, as countries may change their travel restrictions and Covid-related regulations as the pandemic situation evolves. We advise you to stay informed and follow official governmental guidelines and regulations when planning your trip.

Top travel trends in 2021

Despite the consequences of the pandemic, the tourism sector is not completely lost. On the contrary, it’s reinventing itself to continue offering you a change of scenery. As traveling is set to rebound this year, new tourism trends are emerging. 

Here are some of the top 2021 tourism & travel trends:

1. Regenerative travel

At a time when it has become extremely difficult to travel, everyone likes to imagine his/her future journey. Regenerative travel is a relatively new travel trend that aims to make tourism eco-friendly.

While sustainable tourism promotes more responsible, less harmful, and more sustainable practices for people and resources, regenerative travel aspires to take action to regenerate resources, heal Mother Nature and ensure a livable planet for future generations.

According to supporters of regenerative tourism, local decision-making is essential. New Zealand is one of the pioneering countries in regenerative tourism. This country tries to balance tourism with its natural resources and the well-being of its communities while taking into consideration all stakeholders, especially the Maori.

Tourism New Zealand, the country’s leading tourism organization, measures its success not only in economic terms but also in terms of the well-being of the country, taking into account the nature, health of its inhabitants, and community identities.As such, regenerative travel is imposing itself as one of the top 2021 travel trends.

2. Domestic travel

With continuous international travel restrictions due to the current pandemic, domestic travel is starting to look like a very decent alternative. While tourism trends in the past few years have focused on international travel, domestic travel is now one of the top 2021 travel trends.

Domestic travel offers passengers the safety and sustainability that has been lacking during this pandemic. It also allows cost savings and provides a familiarity that so many travel enthusiasts cherish.

It provides a chance to discover beautiful local places. Before the pandemic started, most travelers sought to discover tourist attractions abroad. This often meant that local destinations were neglected. With current travel restrictions, local destinations are presenting passengers with wonderful opportunities to discover local historic and cultural heritage.

3. Working remotely while traveling

With the current pandemic, remote working has become a dominant trend . What initially started as an adaptation to lockdown quickly became a much-appreciated working style. Remote working provides digital nomads with the professional flexibility they have always wanted.

No longer tied to a fixed work environment, many people are nowadays seeking to book extended hotel stays, so that they can combine the pleasure of traveling with working in a novel environment. As such, working remotely while traveling is establishing itself among the top 2021 travel trends.

4. Emerging wanderlust

In the midst of current travel restrictions, continuous lockdown, and travel hiatuses, the desire for traveling is only increasing. Canceled 2020 international travel plans mean that most if not all of us, are more than ever craving a trip to our favorite destinations.

Travelers are thinking of planning both domestic and international trips once travel restrictions are lifted and with the current vaccination progress, it looks like we are set for a massive travel bounce!

As such, we can expect the travel industry to come up with innovative tourism trends, specifically designed to capture the attention of travelers who missed last years’ trips.

MySmartJourney is an App that can be customized to share contextualized and interactive contactless information in any public site:

• It works in real time and you can update content depending on the context as well as generate reports instantaneously. 

It monitors indicators and data in real-time.

5. Travel safety

If there is one thing that this covid-19 pandemic has taught us is that we have to be more cautious than ever. Nowadays, safety is at the center of travelers’ concerns. Most passengers will not book a trip to a destination that is still plagued with the virus. This is why governments and the travel industry are working day and night to ensure travel safety.

This new wave of tourism trends is seeing travelers prioritize safety and health measures. Public transportation will be abandoned with more passengers choosing to drive their own car or rent one. However, quarantine measures are likely to stay unpopular among travelers. Governments will therefore be looking for alternative ways to ensure tourism safety. 

6. Frugal traveling

Frugal traveling is certainly among the top 2021 travel trends. The current pandemic has had a negative effect on the financial situation of the majority of people. This means that travelers are more likely to think twice before booking their next trip. It also means that travelers will be expecting more value from their trips. 

We are, thus, ushering in a new era of economical traveling. The travel industry will have to adapt by providing more attractive offers, namely more choices, higher value per cost as well as improved flexibility and transparency.

7. Tech at the foreground of 2021 travel trends

Nowadays we are living in an increasingly digitized world. Technology has helped reshape our lives and society in unimaginable ways.  As tourism in 2021 is plagued with many hurdles and concerns, technology is set to play a major role in restoring the belief that safe and enjoyable tourism is still possible.

Technology is one of the major 2021 travel trends since it offers an array of innovative solutions. Travelers in 2021 are expecting to be able to book their hotel stay and airplane ticket with their smartphones. They are also expecting a more personalized traveling experience.

Besides, tech solutions are essential to Covid safety measures. One of the latest technological innovations of this pandemic era is mobile applications that guide users on which locations are safe and which are to avoid.

8. Escapism

The 2020 lockdown has unquestionably affected our mental health. This has pushed the majority of us to look for ways to escape routine life. While most of us seek refuge in our smartphones and social media presence, planning for future trips is a major source of escapism for many of us.

The majority of travelers have spent large chunks of their lockdown time looking for potential travel destinations. With the power that social media has on influencing our daily lives and desires, the travel industry and hotels can capitalize on that by offering VR (virtual reality) simulations of the experiences that travelers can get.

Travelers will be more excited to discover destinations that they have had a virtual experience of. This will help restore tourism in a post-pandemic world.

9. Diversity as a key 2021 travel trend

Since most of us missed out on traveling in 2020, people from all around the globe are set for international travel once travel restrictions are lifted . It’s therefore expected that we will witness an increase in the number of multicultural tourists. Tourism agencies and locals shouldn’t be surprised with a spike in tourists from the Middle East, Africa, or Latin America, etc.

10. Visiting friends and family

While lockdown has separated us from our loved ones, an expected relaxation of travel restrictions is a great opportunity for us to reconnect with our friends and family living abroad. It’s also a chance to indulge in touristic destinations and visit iconic spots in different places around the world. 

What is a microsite?

A microsite is ultimately a site that exists outside of the primary website of a company. It serves as an extension to the original website, although it often has stand-alone features that differentiate it from the main website. 

A microsite can function either as a website on its own or as a cluster of websites, and is often temporary. They are used as marketing tools as they are often centered around specific branded content. 

Microsites come in different forms, such as blogs, infographics or interactive experiences. Their ultimate goal is to elevate the marketing campaign of a company product or event. 

What is the purpose of a microsite? 

The main purpose of a microsite is to add value to the marketing strategy. Creating a virtual area outside of the main company website helps boost the exposure of a specific brand or event campaign. 

Microsites are a successful tactic in promotion and marketing as they allow creators to think outside of the box and leverage non-conventional strategies . A microsite is not restricted to the constraints of a primary website and therefore can afford to be more experimental with its content and set up. 

In addition to demonstrating creative innovation, microsites benefit the greater good of a company, brand or event. Since they inhabit more web space, they have the ability to extend the boundaries of audiences that are reached. 

Although its content, form and visuals are afforded more freedom, they still inherently link to the initial web page. A microsite adds a new exciting layer to an already established company website.

What is the difference between a microsite and a website? 

As microsites require their own URL, individuals sometimes struggle to understand how they differ from websites. However, there are few technical differences between microsites and websites with the main difference being their purpose.

A website is the main hub for a company. It’s the primary virtual and online source for all the information about said company, brand or event. It must adhere to an unwritten set of rules in order to ensure it can successfully do its job. For example, a website has to be easily accessible since it’s the first port of call for customers to find information. 

A microsite, on the other hand, is not the first port of call for your customers. These sites generally have a very specific purpose and so they don’t carry the same weight of information as a website does. 

Nevertheless, microsites still have an important function to carry out as they help the brand/ company reach more people, or reach a specific target group. This targeted experience ensures microsites are able to convey personalized and specific information that may have gotten lost in translation in the wider landscape of a website.

What is an example of a microsite?

There are numerous examples of microsites available on the internet as they are used by different brands and companies. One of the most impressive microsites is one created by the fashion brand Chanel. 

Chanel launched a microsite in 2012 that provided a great case study to look at how a microsite works. Chanel’s microsite was titled Inside Chanel and featured stories about the history and making of the brand. 

The microsite was a fun and interactive way for fans to learn more about the brand, whilst simultaneously allowing the brand to entice more people in by piquing an interest in the company itself.  As all the technical information such as product information, contact details and delivery policy was included on the main website, Chanel had the freedom to create a unique experience on their microsite . Inside Chanel offered individuals a more intimate look into the inner workings of the brand.

Top benefits of microsites for your events

Now that you know what a microsite is, it’s time to explore its many benefits. Using this strategy to create specific event microsites is a smart marketing move. Event microsites provide an array of benefits ranging from event branding, to event management and event planning.

Here are some of the key benefits of using microsites for your events :

1.  Event branding 

Events are a specific area of business that benefit greatly from microsites. As they are not restricted to the overall branding and marketing techniques used by the company as a whole, event microsites can curate very specific and unique event brands . 

They help build hype and recognition for events as they are established both from within and outside the brand/company. Event microsites can contribute greatly to the marketing strategies employed. Companies should embrace the opportunities that microsites present as they provide them with the freedom to temporarily rebrand and ensure they cater to a specific target or segment.

2. Easy to set up 

Creating a microsite is extremely easy as it doesn’t require the same level of information, alternative landing pages and specified aesthetics that a website does. 

The great thing about microsites is that they are super easy to create . Events are usually one-time occurrences so the short lifespan microsites makes them a great marketing tactic. A microsite can quickly be made to market a single event and then removed once the event is over. 

Moreover, if the events are annually occurring, the microsite can go live when it needs to and be constantly updated with new, event specific branding and information allowing to keep the core identity of the event whilst also easily changing what you need to. 

3.Search engine optimization

Although creating microsites for the sole purpose of enhancing your SEO is an unsuccessful tactic, if you’re already creating a microsite because it complements your website, you should definitely use this opportunity to enhance your search engine optimization . 

Using keywords and including backlinks will help drive traffic to your main website. If your microsite is focused and professional, including SEO tactics will inevitably improve your ranking in the search results.

4. Targeted content

When creating a microsite, there’s usually a target audience in mind. Although the brand/company might have a wider ranging target audience, microsites allow it to focus on subgroups for specific events. 

Leveraging an event microsite allows you to branch away from the more generalized content in order to curate more targeted content. This allows you to create a personalized user experience .

The cost of setting up a microsite is one of the most appealing benefits. It requires little investment and the revenue that it brings in is worth the initial investment. Moreover, the kinds of data tracking software that can be virtually installed on microsites allows the marketing team to monitor event registration and interest. 

At the end of the day, microsites are there for you to use how you wish. They are an opportunity to provide customers with a unique experience that they would not be able to get on your main website. Make sure you seize this opportunity to create a tailor-made site that will appeal to your target market.

How to implement cultural mediation in museums

What is museum mediation? 

Museum mediation is a form of cultural mediation that is specifically tailored to the needs and demands of museums. 

In order to understand the intersection of cultural mediation and museum mediation, you first need to understand the nuances of cultural mediation. Cultural mediation is the forging of connections between people and cultures in a seamless and informative manner. 

It’s a phenomenon that aims to provide individuals with access to an understanding of cultures alternative to their own. As a species, the human race has the opportunity of being exposed to a plethora of different cultures and ways of being. Cultural mediation aims to bring different cultures together in an innovative way. 

Museum mediation takes the basic ideas of cultural mediation and applies it to the settings of museum exhibitions and other similar cultural institutions. This specific form of mediation attempts to disrupt the hierarchies often associated with art and museums in order to make exhibitions more accessible to more people . 

By providing interactive and participatory concepts and activities alongside the works of art and exhibitions, museums offer individuals a way to better understand the cultural background of different pieces of art. 

Mediation tools are quickly becoming a common practice throughout museums as they provide innovative ways for the public to access art and other cultures. Ultimately, museum mediation offers individuals a deeper understanding of alternate cultures through art. 

What are the different forms of cultural mediators?

A museum’s cultural mediation can be implemented in a few different ways, depending on what best fits your exhibits and target market. For example, the types of mediators you would need to use for children differ greatly from the mediators you would use for adults. 

In person cultural mediator

An in-person mediator is one of the most traditional forms of cultural mediation within museums. These are people who are stationed throughout the museum who are available to help visitors bridge the gap between the art they are seeing and the cultural significance behind it. 

They have knowledge about the exhibit and are often experts in the field who have studied and researched the subject matter and its background extensively. Integrating in person cultural mediators throughout a museum provides visitors with the opportunity to further develop their own knowledge and research on particular works of art. 

Digital cultural mediators

Although in person cultural mediators have been the norm in museums for a long time, the technological climate of the 21st century has also facilitated the introduction of digital cultural mediators. Digital mediators provide visitors with the same knowledge but it’s conveyed in a different manner. 

Digital cultural mediators are popular as they are extremely versatile. Not only are they easy to use, they are also adaptable and extremely accessible. All the cultural knowledge, background research and depth of information can be made available at the tip of your fingers, which makes it a popular option for museums in the 21st century. 

Why is cultural mediation important in museums?

In today’s fast paced and technologically driven world, it’s difficult to get people to engage with things for a long period of time. People need instant answers or constant engagement in order to commit to something. Thankfully, cultural mediation can step in and help museums interact with their visitors! 

Here are the top three reasons why cultural mediation is important in museums : 

Cultural knowledge

Cultural mediation helps individuals expand their cultural knowledge . It can be easy for people to walk through an exhibition and leave without having learned anything new or taken any of the cultural significance of the art exhibit in. 

Cultural mediation tools within museums encourage visitors to learn autonomously through participatory activities . Cultural mediation helps individuals access autonomy of thought, which allows them to develop a deeper cultural understanding.

Keep up to date

Museum mediation is by definition an extremely flexible tool, which allows museums to continuously create discussions centered around current topics and debates , ensuring exhibits stay relevant. 

It can be easy for museums to be viewed as a simple gateway to the past. However, by introducing different forms of mediation, mediators can present individuals with an alternate way of thinking about the art in front of them and bridge the gap between historic cultural context and modern day interpretations. 

Targeted experiences 

In addition to the broader effect that museum mediation can have on people's understanding of the world and different cultures, it’s also a useful tool within the museum itself. Introducing mediation into museums allows curators to tailor exhibits to appeal to specific target audiences . 

As mediation can come in different forms , it’s possible to target exhibits to certain groups of people through museum mediation. You can do this by adapting your mediation tools and customizing the experience based on your target audience’s learning style and interests. 

For example, interactive educational games are an appropriate form of cultural mediation for children, whereas a more formal setting or workshop is an appropriate form of mediation for adults and older individuals. By analyzing your target audience and adapting your mediation tools, you are more likely to boost attendance at your exhibitions. 

Accessibility 

Unfortunately, the traditional setup of exhibition spaces is inaccessible to many. Museum mediation can provide a solution to this problem. 

The beauty of mediation is that it’s not confined to a single space or format, it’s completely adaptable. In recent years we have seen museum mediation leverage the digital sphere to make exhibits available internationally. More locally, museums have sent mediators into rural and city areas to bring exhibits to life outside of the museum.  

There is an array of different ways that museums can use mediators to insert their exhibit into the lives of the wider public. Museum exhibitions can have a much wider reach and encourage far more participation and interest into cultural spheres.

How to implement museum mediation?

Implementing cultural mediation into your museum is an exciting prospect, and there are companies who can help you along the way . 

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Invest in apps

An initial investment into something as simple as an app can help you break down the digital barriers that you may be facing. Curators and museum owners often have an aversion to integrating digital aspects to their exhibits due to the traditional nature of museums. However, the benefits that technology can afford your museum is worth the jump. 

Implementing digital mediators is an extremely simple process, as companies who provide such services ensure their apps are user-friendly and easy to set up. Such apps provide you with the tools needed to digitize content, allowing you to provide a more interactive experience to your visitors. 

The best companies offer options that collate usage data and provide you with reports and feedback to allow you to improve aspects of your museum and overall experience. 

Experience in schools 

In addition to implementing mediation physically in your museum, you can also branch out and create extensions of your museum experience in schools. The school environment is the perfect place to integrate cultural mediation as it’s always a priority for schools to facilitate learning.

Museum mediation that is implemented in schools brings your exhibition to life outside of the exhibition space. It introduces cultural and social information into schools in a fun, informative and interactive way . Simply hiring mediators to go into schools can have the desired effect of making your exhibit accessible and interesting to a younger audience. 

Run workshops

Although school children and students benefit from high energy and interactive forms of cultural mediation, you must also be aware that this is not how everyone learns. Alternate forms of museum mediation should therefore be considered, such as lectures and workshops, that would suit a more mature audience. 

Running lectures alongside your exhibit can give people the opportunity to gain more in-depth knowledge about the cultural surroundings of the art pieces within your museum. It’s a less personal and more generic setting, which is often preferred by people who may be anxious to approach mediators one-on-one. 

Moreover, running workshops is an alternative form of museum mediation that gives individuals the chance to further expand their cultural knowledge. They are more interactive than lectures and still give people the opportunity to have one on one discussions with knowledgeable mediators if they wish.    

Cultural mediation goes hand in hand with the information that museums are trying to convey. The context and background knowledge provide individuals with a more in depth and coherent understanding of works of art and other exhibition pieces. 

Cultural mediation allows museum exhibits to be accessible to more people . As cultural mediation can be directly injected into communities and public spaces, museums are able to widen their reach and encourage individuals to cross-cultural boundaries

What is the impact of the Pandemic on Travel?

How to measure the impact of COVID-19 on tourism and travel?

The pandemic had an impact on many aspects of our lives. It is especially true for the travel and tourism industry. The pandemic and the high rate of infection of Covid-19 has forced authorities to impose restrictions on international and domestic travel and it had a huge impact on the industry. It has changed the way we behave, as well as our priorities and, of course, this is reflected in our travel habits. Wakefield Research, a market research consulting firm, conducted a study from April 16 to May 7, 2021, with a sample of 8,000 people aged 18 and older in eight countries. The organization came up with an index of travelers' concerns and new priorities .

The pandemic has not taken away people's desire to travel, it has simply changed their priorities

Covid-19 has limited the ability to travel for months. Now that people all over the world are getting vaccinated, the desire to travel is coming back in full force. Nearly 72% of those surveyed by Wakefield Research are planning a trip in the next 12 months. Most will choose nearby and remote areas, but tourism is also picking up in big cities. 

New priorities for travelers have emerged, which are related to a change in morals and society. Travelers are paying more attention to environmental protection and the impact of travel on the environment. Nearly 59% of those surveyed said they would like to use sustainable suppliers. 

Travel suppliers must adapt to their customers' new priorities

Wakefield Research highlighted several traveler priorities, such as health security, low prices and flexibility.

• Travelers want to be assured of a full refund if they have to cancel their trip due to Covid. For the same reason, a flexible modification policy is also a priority for them. They want the freedom to choose from a range of packages and prices so they can create the experience they seek at an affordable price. 
• They also want to take advantage of low prices due to the current situation. While many households are willing to cut back in some departments to increase their travel budget, they still want to be able to travel without breaking the bank, while being able to upgrade if they wish.
• Because health risks are still very present, visitors want the assurance that enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures are in place during transportation and at the reception area. This complements their desire for a contactless experience in order to limit risks. Nearly 71% of respondents support the use of a vaccine passport when traveling.
• Finally, travelers want the travel provider they choose to share their values, whether it's through an eco-friendly policy, taking into account the specific needs of people with disabilities, or a policy that promotes LGBTQ+ inclusiveness.

In fact, travelers want a risk-free trip, and they want to be certain that the provider will deliver on their promises. To do so, travel agencies and suppliers need to be transparent and to provide clear and detailed information about policies and precautions taken. This will allow the traveler to feel safe during their vacation. 

Why is MySmartJourney the best alternative for easy travel management? 

With its contactless solution, MySmartJourney brings a product that not only allows autonomous management for companies and organizations in the tourism industry, but also a contactless platform. Its simplicity of implementation allows it to be installed anywhere, either indoors or outdoors. 

Our product also meets the health concerns that travelers have expressed regarding the pandemic. Tourist areas have already implemented it to offer travelers a safe experience because everything is handled from their personal cellphone.

MySmartJourney's platform has proven its efficiency in several areas of tourism

Restaurants and cafes

Air Canada has implemented MySmartJourney's solution in its Maple Leaf Lounges. By placing NFC tokens on the dining tables, customers simply scan their phone to access the restaurant's menu , where they can directly order their meal. This limits the need for waiters to move around the room, and thus offers a contactless service for travelers.

Hotel industry

In the hotel industry, Monville Hotel uses our services to provide its guests with a contactless room service . By scanning a QR code or an NFC token in the room, the customer has access to information about their security, the hotel, and can order items from the front desk. To limit human contact, Hotel Monville has decided to use a robot to bring items to the room.

Regional Tourism Industry

Finally, in order to relieve its offices, the Rivière-du-Loup Tourism Office, provides visitors information on the region and on activities to do in the area. Digital mediation and contactless experiences are also offered for risk-free travel.

The no-contact museum of the future for a post covid world

National museums have historically supported their communities by offering access to cultural exhibits, artifacts, and art. In recent decades, however, museums have changed their focus away from science and towards offering education and entertainment to the public through interactive exhibitions and experiences.

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on museums. Many museums have been forced to make tough choices as a result of stay-at-home orders and mandatory closures. Museums will face the challenges of working in a post-pandemic future after facing the short-term financial effect of COVID-19. 

This new environment can usher in new economic models and alter our perceptions of museum design. This article serves as an insight into what museums of the future may look like, and what innovative strategies and technologies are going to be implemented.  

How has Covid-19 impacted museums?

Museum Closure

One of the greatest impacts is on museum revenue and the economy. In Canada, museums have reported million dollar losses in revenues due to COVID-19 closures. In the province of Quebec alone, almost $7 million has been lost due to a decline in ticket sales and other operational revenues ( source ).

Staff layoffs

As expected, many layoffs were reported across Canada. Some institutions reported that laying off staff was the only way they could remain operational. Museums, at the moment, are in mass debt and cannot afford to pay staff and maintain the museum itself. A sad reality is that many worldwide have and will lose their job.

New Rules for Reopening

As part of the province's Restart Plan, the government of British Columbia has announced that museums will be able to reopen in mid-May. Worksafe BC has released new recommendations for the museum industry to assist employers in ensuring that their workplaces are safe for returning employees and volunteers.

The following steps are recommended by the Association of Manitoba Museums:

• High-touch screens must be kept closed at all times.
• Wherever practicable, online ticket sales are used .
• Until attending, all staff and patrons use the self-screening method.
• Employees with COVID-19 symptoms must remain at home .
• External signs suggesting COVID-19 physical distancing protocols must be written .
• Physical distancing is clarified to staff, and floor markers are placed where service is rendered.
• To avoid crowding, entry to venues, including queues, is regulated .
•  A single point of entry must be preserved by museums.
• Hand sanitizers must be accessible for public and staff use at all entrances and exits.

Boiled down, all these recommendations are to reduce contact and exposure . This has, however, prompted debates on how museums can adapt to the changing world. If they are to survive, reclaim their lost revenue, and function as normal then they have to go the extra mile to attract visitors.  

The Future of Museums

The show experience, gift shop, and ticketing process could all be enhanced in some way. As we wrestle with the pandemic, here are some of the ways the design of museums post covid could shift:

Ticketing and Traffic Control

Many museums around the world still allow visitors to buy tickets online or at a kiosk, and this is not likely to change. In a post-Covid world, it’s likely to become much more popular, probably averting the need for ticket lines entirely.

Visitors will still experience queues and need lobby space even though they buy their tickets online. It is envisioned that there will be sculptural and artistic lobbies, most of which are enclosed within an outdoor courtyard and allow lines to shape in the open air . Open-air museums, such as those that have historical villages, already have an advantage in terms of architecture.

Furthermore, six-foot spacing marks on the floor are everywhere! Typically, they are made out of tape, stickers, stencils, and whatever else business owners have on hand to show customers where they can stand safely. This is not likely to change in the future of museum design — but it may look more attractive and purposeful.

Six-foot design and architectural features , such as unique tiling patterns or strategically positioned carpet squares, or even ridges around the floor at six-foot intervals, may be used to mark future museum floors.

Exhibit Design

Wide open rooms flanked and packed with showcases or art are common exhibition spaces at art and cultural museums, which has a disastrous impact on social distancing on crowded days. Exhibits and their configurations need to be reworked to keep the six-foot gap in mind. This poses a very difficult problem for exhibits aimed for children in science and space museums. 

A strategy to combat this is using a labyrinthine design concept, in which you enter in one location, follow a curated route across the exhibit to avoid passing the same place twice, and exit in a different location – basically like IKEA!

One future solution is to create a virtual reality museum, but this is a risky direction to take. Museums may be enticed by the possibility of placing their entire collections online to prevent disease transmission, but what happens to the buildings?

It also brings up the question of maintenance costs. With everything accessible online, a museum building will simply become a million-dollar storage unit. And if that happens, people who pay membership fees to help the museum could question why they should continue to pay for a building that looks and feels the same as it did before the pandemic because no one can use it the same way they could before the pandemic.

Designers and architects will need a way to prevent germs and viruses from spreading in museum gift shops, where visitors pick up objects and put them back on the shelf for others to touch.

One creative strategy is to turn the gift shop “into its own museum” complete with a pick-up slot. What this means is that the merchandise will be in glass cases and displays and customers can order it from their phone without touching the object.

Otherwise, museums may transfer their shop online which offers a completely hands-free gift shop experience. You look online and order at a pick-up location rather than touching the merchandise in the store.

Staff Roles

Museum staff have been widespread victims within the museum industry because of Covid. As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, tour guides, in-house instructors, and museum interpreters have all been laid off in significant numbers. 

Some museum employees can lose their jobs as a result of future improvements, such as online ticketing and hands-free gift shops, once it reopens entirely. The museum industry has had to pivot and reconsider what it means to work in a museum. 

The pandemic is pushing museums to reflect on each employee's role and how it can be reconfigured for the future, whether it's facilitating an outdoor theatre, offering workshops to small groups, or even creating online content.

Experience instead of Event

If we step away from bigger events and distribute the activity and risk, we will end up with an event calendar where something happens every weekend and holiday – nothing big or dramatic, but something smaller, important, and interesting. 

This tells future tourists that the museum is still buzzing with activity. Although this can be just as costly, it's easier to have ten days with 200 visitors each rather than one day with 2,000 . A single person may lead the event, illustrate an action, or participate in living history.

Multimedia Content

Would the public feel comfortable picking up a headset and device that has potentially been used by hundreds of visitors in a socially distant world? Companies like MySmartJourney are reinventing multimedia content to provide an effective and innovative experience from your phone.

As stated before, visual displays, interactive exhibitions, and information areas are in need of redevelopment to ensure crowds do not cluster, customer experience is maintained, and Covid is not spread. MySmartJourney solves this by providing a tool to create and deploy multimedia content.

In the museum environment, QR codes, short URLs and NFC transmitter access points would be dotted around displays to allow you to access a wide range of information to complement your visit.

Their features include multimedia integrations through uploading audio files, videos, quizzes, and virtual reality whilst also being able to process information requests for management by implementing signage systems, linking booking systems and contact forms, and sharing FAQs . As a customer, this means you will be able to access instant and updated information in a contactless way.

Digitize your museum

Pandemic and Travel - Le Gueuleton Touristique

This year, the Gueuletons touristiques (only in French, but here is a short recap), published by the Réseau Veille Tourisme and the Chaire de tourisme Transat de l'ESG UQÀM, chose to focus on the impact of the pandemic on travelers' habits and on the issues that the tourism industry had to face.

We chose to focus on the fourth chapter, but here is a quick summary of the previous chapters.

• The first chapter focuses on the Quebec traveler. In their travels, they seek an authentic experience with the territory they visit.
• The second chapter presents the growing interest in local travel and the development of a local clientele that can build customer loyalty.
• The third chapter presents the issue of the shortage of workers in the tourism industry and the pressure this puts on tourist sites.

The fourth chapter discusses the adaptations that the tourism industries have gone through during the pandemic.

How is the pandemic changing travel habits? 

1. Digitalisation of the Tourism Industry

It started with improving the customer experience by using digital technologies. In a survey of 6,000 travelers conducted by the Amadeus Agency in September 2020, 84% said technology gave them back their confidence, if it addressed their concerns: fear of catching the virus, government-imposed quarantine, fear of getting stuck abroad. By using technology, they wish to wait less in lines and crowding in public spaces (38%); less physical contact (31%); protection of financial data and personal information (31%).

Technologies can also increase traveler’s confidence. They allow better communication of essential information to customers, such as sanitary measures, modification or cancellation of their reservation and allows better management of their requests.

Technology also allows tourists to plan their trip more efficiently. They can explore their future destination through virtual reality. They can also manage their travels through virtual queue and time slot reservation systems. 

2. The Importance of a Contactless Experience for Tourism Recovery

One of the ways to revive tourism, as identified in the Gueuletons Touristiques, is a contactless customer experience. Quebec tourists want to be able to travel again. A survey of visitors to Montreal's Quartier des spectacles, conducted by Léger in summer 2021, found that 54% of participants are willing to attend a festival once the lockdown is over. This rises to 71% among visitors under 34 years of age.

This is why it is important to create virtual or hybrid experiences that meet health guidelines without disappointing visitors.

3. Popularity of Destinations Offering Contactless Options

A contactless experience is a must for travelers. In a study conducted by Blackbox Research in July 2020 among 10,000 people from 17 different countries, 76% would have a preference for countries offering contactless experiences. 

Developing a contactless experience for visitors is not an easy task. To be successful, tourism businesses need intuitive and effective tools that everyone can use. That's where MySmartJourney can help!

MySmartJourney is the solution for a contactless tourism experience

MySmartJourney has developed a solution that allows web content to be delivered to visitors even when they are on the move. The information can also easily be updated by staff at any time. This technology can easily be integrated into the customer journey, and can be presented in a fun and entertaining way, while encouraging compliance with health guidelines.

To close this chapter, it is important to consider technology as a key player in the tourism revival. Relocating customer contact points to the web allows respect for sanitary measures, but also makes it easier to keep in touch with customers. In this perspective, reviewing our technological bases is essential to offer a better experience.

8 Best Travel Umbrellas for Making the Most of a Rainy Vacation

Don't let rain and wind ruin your travels.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

To find the best travel umbrellas that stand up to wind and rain, experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab reviewed hundreds of data points from a previous umbrella test and considered models from trending brands.

Our top picks:

best overall travel umbrella

Samsonite windguard umbrella.

best value travel umbrella

Gaoyaing compact travel umbrella with case.

best compact and lightweight travel umbrella

Totes mini manual umbrella.

best durable travel umbrella

Weatherman travel umbrella.

most stylish travel umbrella

Rifle paper co. garden party umbrella.

best travel umbrella on amazon

Repel the original portable travel umbrella.

best luxury travel umbrella

Tumi small auto close umbrella.

most popular travel umbrella

We test travel products of all kinds from the best beach umbrellas to the best beach chairs and feature top products and destinations in our Good Housekeeping Family Travel Awards . When testing umbrellas, we pay close attention to ease of use, performance and durability, and even conduct a spray test to stimulate a light rain shower in Lab. While we haven't tested every travel umbrella in this round-up, we scoured shoppers' reviews to better understand how the product held up in daily life.

Read on to learn more about our top-rated travel umbrellas of all styles and prices, as well as advice on what to consider when shopping for a new mini umbrella.

GH Institute's Executive Director of Strategy & Operations, Lexie Sachs , has been using this smaller version of our top-tested umbrella for the past year. "It’s not the smallest umbrella to pack on the go, but it’s compact enough to easily fit into a tote bag or backpack," she says. The umbrella provides enough coverage to keep you dry, and it's sturdy when the wind and rain pick up. Yellow is a classic color for rainwear, but if you want a more neutral black or a bright pink , the umbrella is available in other colors too. The Samsonite umbrella is also top-rated on Amazon. One five-star review says, "We have had very heavy, windy rainstorms in my area over the past few months. This umbrella has held up very well in the rain and winds."

Dimensions: 12" folded | Weight: 0.82 lbs.

This umbrella is a popular choice on Amazon with over 5,500 reviews. It's also under $10, which means you can stay dry while sticking to your travel budget. What's more? The manufacturer claims the umbrella can fit in a pocket or purse! Choose from over two dozen colors to match your umbrella with your favorite raincoat and rain boots . One satisfied shopper writes, "I knew we would be sightseeing and wanted something compact that I could carry around and pop out when needed. This did the trick!" While this umbrella is super compact and affordable, one GH editor who bought the umbrella for a semester abroad found it to be hard to open and noticed it wasn't as wind-resistant as other models.

Dimensions: ‎7.6" x 4.84" x 2.09" | Weight: 6.7 oz.

When we tested the Totes mini umbrella, we found that it provided good coverage and was compact enough to fit into small purses and bags. While we are fans of this lightweight pick, it is a manual umbrella so you can't open and close via a button. Still, our evaluation found it to be a durable pick and we like the easy-to-grip rubber handle. Choose from seven cute patterns, including polka dots and cheetah print. One five-star review writes, "I took this on my trip to Italy and it worked perfectly without taking up much space in my bag. Love it!"

Dimensions: ‎6.2" x 1.9" x 1.7" | Weight: 8 oz.

Although this is one of the more expensive travel umbrellas in our guide, it comes packed with convenient features we love, and can it stand up against gusts of wind. "I’ve used this travel size one a bunch of times and it’s held up really well," says Sachs. We appreciate the auto open/close and comfortable handle plus a wrist strap for easy holding while your hands are full. Despite its small design, the umbrella still provides good coverage. One satisfied shopper writes they took it to Wellington, New Zealand and the Scottish highlands, fairly wet climates, and reported that "it took both total downpours and heavy drizzles with ease."

Dimensions: 13" x 2.5" x 2.5" | Weight: 0.85 lbs

At the end of the day, an umbrella is also an accessory. If you want to make a fashion statement — and not lose track of yours in a crowded umbrella stand — opt for an umbrella with a unique pattern. The five available floral patterns plus a cute option with drawings of houses and trees bring classic teardrop and polka dot patterns to a whole new level. A wooden handle adds to the luxe look and the auto open/close mechanism makes for easy use. We haven't tested this model yet, but one five-star review writes: "This umbrella is just gorgeous. The colors are vivid and bright." It isn't the most expensive umbrella on our list, but it is definitely above average in cost.

Dimensions: Not listed | Weight: Not listed

This Amazon's Choice umbrella has an impressive 72,650 online reviews with an overall 4.5-star rating. One satisfied customer writes, "This umbrella is the best I’ve owned so far. It’s huge and the water slides right off it. You just shake the umbrella and it’s no longer wet." Available in nine colors and packs of one, two, three or four, this Repel umbrella is a popular choice among shoppers — and it's under $25! The brand claims that you can fit it in your pocket or small purse. While we appreciate the size and price point, Lab analysts found it to be less flip-resistant than other models we've tested, with one noting that it inverted during their first time using it.

Dimensions: 11.5" folded | Weight: 15 oz.

While this is the most expensive travel umbrella included in our list, the splurge can be worth it if you travel often for work and need a high-quality product that'll look chic in your work backpack . It opens and closes with the push of a button, and the subtle red accents and reflective trim set it apart. We also like the rubberized carrying strap for a better grip, and it won't absorb water. The luxury umbrella would make a practical gift for the frequent traveler in your life.

Dimensions: 11.25" x 2.75" x 2.5" | Weight: 0.74 lbs

Davek is a popular brand among umbrella shoppers on Reddit , and the Mini is its smallest model that can fit in a handbag, clutch or pocket. It's available in 10 solid colors and has nice design features like a stylish handle and color-coordinated carry loop. While we appreciate the lightweight design you can store in your bag, we wish that it was more affordable. The frame appears less sturdy than other pricey models and a manual open/close may not be as easy to use compared to an automatic umbrella. That all said, the sleek and minimalistic umbrella fits in the palm of your hand and is nice and sleek.

Dimensions: 7" folded | Weight: 8 oz.

What to consider when buying a travel umbrella

✔️ Size: A travel umbrella will have a shorter canopy diameter than a full-size umbrella. While you lose some coverage, a smaller model means it takes up less space in your suitcase, purse or work bag. If you have a specific bag you plan to store it in, pay attention to the folded dimensions listed by the manufacturer.

✔️ Weight: Similar to size, travel umbrellas tend to be lighter weight than large umbrellas. This again helps with packing light, but it can mean that the umbrella feels less sturdy and may not hold up as well against rough winds.

✔️ Material: Umbrellas are made of synthetic fabrics (e.g., nylon or polyester) that have waterproof coatings so rain slides off easily.

✔️ Vents: These are small openings in the umbrella's canopy that help wind flow through to decrease the likelihood of your umbrella flips inside out. Note that vents are typically more common in full-size umbrellas.

✔️ Features: There are a few additional features to look out for when choosing the right umbrella for you. When it comes to the opening mechanism, the majority of our top-rated picks have an automatic open/close design so you can simply push a button. A few styles have a manual design that requires you to open and close the umbrella yourself. Another minor feature we like is an included case so you can keep your umbrella covered while traveling.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Elizabeth Berry is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she works alongside experts to ensure our product guides reflect accurate information and pricing. She has covered a variety of travel accessory categories including the best travel pillows and the best travel journals . To write this article, Elizabeth collaborated with Executive Director of Strategy & Operations at the GH Institute Lexie Sachs , who has more than 15 years of experience in the textiles industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University.

Elizabeth Berry (she/her) is the Updates Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute where she optimizes lifestyle content across verticals. Prior to this role, she was an Editorial Assistant for Woman’s Day where she covered everything from gift guides to recipes. She also has experience fact checking commerce articles and holds a B.A. in English and Italian Studies from Connecticut College.

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When It Rains, It Pours

Umbrella design is an interesting conundrum. sure, it could be better, but nobody's come up with a successful new design in hundreds of years. why is that.

 Filed under: design , dollar stores , innovation , patents , product design , umbrella design , umbrellas

Today in Tedium: Umbrellas are a good way to protect your head in case of inclement weather. Problem is, they’re not a perfect way. And that is made obvious by the fact that you’re sometimes hit by at least a little of the wet stuff even after you use such a device. If it gets windy (or even if it doesn't ), their structural integrity breaks down easily, exposing users to rain. They can also be bulky, even unreasonably so. And they’re incredibly easy to forget and lose. For these reasons and others, this scenario is likely a common one: A person, frustrated by the device supposedly covering their head, thinks to themselves, “there has to be a better way,” runs to their garage, and starts working on a rethink of the device. Eventually, they form their idea, call up the big umbrella manufacturers, and go to the patent office, thinking their idea is unique. Turns out, they are far from alone. Today’s Tedium is about the exciting world of umbrella patents, because why the hell not? — Ernie @ Tedium

The number of trademark challenges The Travelers Companies has filed against other companies attempting to create a logo with an umbrella baked in . “We have one of the best and most recognizable brands in the world and take seriously our responsibility to protect its value,” a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal about its decision-making process, which has led the company to take on even tiny firms that would never hope to compete with the $33 billion company .

( SSG Robert Stewart/U.S. Army/Flickr )

Your umbrella innovation probably isn't as clever as you think it is

Since 1790, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has had a mandate to help register the ownership of products to specific people and companies.

For nearly as long, people have been registering patents for umbrellas and all sorts of other things of varying complexity.

And it has its own designation from USPTO. According to the government office, an umbrella is generally considered "subject matter comprising an easily-portable canopy type having a cover, a stick, and a framework comprising stick-supported ribs and stretchers for supporting or shaping the cover."

That fairly broad canvas of a design (along with the "subcombinations and appurtenances peculiar to umbrellas" covered by patent law) has been used and abused in thousands of ways over the years, especially in the name of pet owners.

In 2008, New Yorker scribe Susan Orlean highlighted the fact that the patent office received enough umbrella patent filings at the time that four people were on the umbrella patent beat in the federal government. A search of Google patents shows that, since Orlean's article was published in February 2008, 1,617 new umbrella-related filings have gone up in the USPTO database in the "Walking Sticks; Umbrellas; Ladies' or Like Fans" section, which is where umbrellas, fans, or other items on sticks appear.

And all those patent filings don't seem to actually impress the manufacturers of those umbrellas. Orlean explained why :

Totes Isotoner, which is the largest umbrella company in the country, stopped accepting unsolicited proposals several years ago. One of the problems, according to Ann Headley, the director of rain-product development for Totes, is that umbrellas are so ordinary that everyone thinks about them, and, because they’re relatively simple, you don’t need an advanced degree to imagine a way to redesign them, but it’s difficult to come up with an umbrella idea that hasn’t already been done. The three-section folding umbrella, for instance, which seemed so novel when it was first manufactured, in the nineteen eighties, was actually patented almost a hundred years ago.

But those long odds and cynical comments still haven't stopped folks from trying. In 2012, for example, a pair of Taiwanese designers took on the rain using a bold concept design it called the Rain Shield , which takes on sideways rain and avoids getting blown out of the way by wind.

(Despite the buzz it received , however, it has yet to hit the market in a meaningful way. Bummer.)

That's a good idea. A lot of other ideas are terrible, of course .

The five most insane umbrella-related patent filings we could find

• "An umbrella sheath is usable with the lightning rod to provide shelter from rain and to demarcate an area of lightning protection. An alternative lower electrode is disclosed for physical and electrical contact with water." — A filing for a portable lightning rod that, for some reason, comes with a built-in umbrella . The filing, when approved in 1983, was approved on utility grounds, despite a court stating , "we do not hesitate to say we would not consider using the claimed device for its intended purpose."
• "It will be appreciated therefore that there is a need for an umbrella to protect a pet from inclement weather conditions and which umbrella is under control of the individual walking the pet as well as enabling the pet to be under control of the individual via the umbrella and a leash in both umbrella opened and closed positions." — A filing for a combined pet-leash and umbrella , a device that raises the obvious question: What about the owner? Multitasking two umbrellas and a dog leash sounds like a great exercise in coordination.
• "This frame is set and riveted on the brim of the hat, and supports the whole mechanism. It may also be fixed below the hat-brim." — A filing for an umbrella hat that dates back to 1882 . The innards of this thing had a number of pins that look a heckuva lot more complicated than actually picking up an umbrella.
• "The present invention relates to sunning accessories, and more particularly, to pillows with retractable umbrellas." — A 2004 patent filing for a pillow with a retractable umbrella , just in case you were expecting something else.
• "Briefly, to achieve the desired objects of the instant invention in accordance with the preferred embodiment thereof, a helium-filled sun shade is provided for protecting individuals engaged in outdoor activities." — A 1991 patent filing for something called a helium-filled sun shade. Sound confusing? Well, another way to put it is that it's essentially an always-on umbrella for the sun .

( Jon Jordan/Flickr )

Diagnosing the problems that keep poor-quality umbrellas with us

You have to wonder why, in an era when we can shove a computer into a watch , we've struggled to improve on this basic design in a way that's truly gone mainstream.

Sure, the basic design of the umbrella is pretty simple, and it's somewhat built to last. And the Totes exec quoted in the Orlean piece has a point about it simply being too common for a new design to break through.

On the other hand, while everything else on our person tends to get an upgrade, whether it's our phone, our shoes, or our personal style, umbrellas persist despite having a design that struggles at the one job it's been tasked to do. Why is that?

If I had to pin it on a single item, it'd be the fact that people don't want to actually pay for umbrellas. According to a 2010 report done by Accessories Magazine in accordance with NPD Group , the average price of an umbrella was just $6, a price point that suggests "disposable commodity" rather than "thing I actually care about." (That said, the report notes that 80 percent of the industry's profits come from umbrellas sold above a $5 price point. So maybe people who really like their umbrellas are willing to spend more?)

That issue is not limited to the present day, either. Umbrellas and Their History , an 1855 book by William Sangster , noted that a lot of innovation was happening in umbrellas at the time, but consumer interest was nonexistent in most of these innovations, as Sangster explains :

Simple as the construction of an Umbrella may appear, the number of patents that have been granted within the last thirty years might have been enormous, and a small book might be written on them, so it is of no use to attempt, in our small space, to more than mention a very few of the various improvements in their manufacture. With very few exceptions the inventors have not been repaid the cost of their patents. This has arisen, partly from the delicacy of their mechanical construction, unfitted for the rough usage to which Umbrellas are exposed; but chiefly in consequence of the increased cost of manufacture not being compensated by the improvements effected.

There are probably a variety of reasons for this incredibly frugal state of affairs—for one thing, wetness is a temporary condition—but I would say a big one is that umbrellas are really easy to lose. In fact, thousands of umbrellas get lost each year in London's public transportation system—10,907 in 2014 alone, according to the BBC .

Sure, people should be better about keeping their stuff, but in a world where we use many of the things in our bags for multiple reasons, a bulky single-use device is going to be the first to lose out.

Charles Lim, the author of the site Crooked Pixels , suggests that it's this disposability that makes it unnecessary to redesign umbrellas at all. In fact, he suggests (while responding to yet another umbrella redesign) that a better strategy would be to buy the cheapest, tiniest umbrellas you could find— say, from a dollar store —and carry one on you at all times.

"So what do you do with an imperfect dollar store umbrella? You throw it out," he wrote on his blog . "It’s disposable, like a condom. Most umbrellas sell for 10-20 dollars. A small Dollarama umbrella is two dollars. At that price, you can buy more than one because hey, you never know."

Maybe all those weekend designers out there are solving the wrong problem. Maybe umbrellas need to be made of the cheapest, smallest, most recyclable materials one can find. And maybe we should just admit to ourselves that we're going to ditch them after a short period of use.

Maybe our inventors haven't caught up with where the market actually is.

The amount that a UK-based Kickstarter called the KAZbrella raised last year. The company clearly was onto something because some copycats appeared , likely because the umbrellas pulled off a neat trick: It figured out a way to produce an umbrella that traps the moisture inside , rather than leaving it outside—while still looking exactly the same as an umbrella you'd see on the street during regular usage. When the umbrella goes on regular sale , it won't be cheap, though: It'll sell for a not-insignificant $58 a pop.

The other day, as I was leaving home, I forgot my umbrella. It wasn't the first time I've done that, nor will it be the last. In fact, I'll probably do it more often than not.

It was raining during the day, sure, but it was doing so in such a way where there were pockets of dryness. I ended up sticking around where I was at, waiting around for one of those pockets of dryness to show up, at which point, I skidaddled as a fast as I could to avoid another storm.

If there's something I could redesign about the umbrella, I would make it possible to only be there when I need it, then to go away when I don't. If we figure out how to teleport stuff one of these days, the first thing we need to teleport is umbrellas into the hands of people walking out into rainstorms.

It's a single-use device in a many-use world. But without it, we're soaked.

Your time was just wasted by Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith is the editor of Tedium, and an active internet snarker. Between his many internet side projects, he finds time to hang out with his wife Cat, who's funnier than he is.

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Umbrella History

Umbrellas were present in some of oldest civilizations on Earth. Here you can find out how they evolved and influenced lifestyles of the wealthy, infused themselves in many religions and becoming commonly used object of protection against elements.

History of Umbrella

History of umbrellas spans almost all great civilization that appeared on earth. From humble beginnings where tree leaves were used as the makeshift canopy to the modern day when high-grade waterproof material is present in almost every umbrella, they managed to infuse themselves into our culture and become important part of our daily routine.

Parasol History

History of parasols starts even before waterproofed umbrellas were first made. From the scorching hot environment of ancient Egypt to the sunny modern beaches full of stationary parasols, they managed to infuse themselves into our culture and play a crucial role in manufacture of first umbrellas.

The Earliest Umbrella - Chinese Umbrellas

In the long and eventful history of the umbrellas, china had one of the most important roles. The innovation and designs made by ancient Chinese manufacturers introduced umbrella to countless millions, and enabled very important the second resurgence of umbrella fashion in European history.

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30 Amazing Facts about the Inventor of the Umbrella and Its Evolution

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1. the earliest evidence of umbrellas dates back to ancient civilizations.

Image: Wikimedia Commons

2. The word “ umbrella ” is Latin

3. in ancient china, umbrellas were made from silk or paper.

Jonathunder , GFDL 1.2 , via Wikimedia Commons

4. European travelers and merchants encountered umbrellas in the Middle East

5. the first collapsible umbrella was invented in the 16th century.

Richtom80 at the English-language Wikipedia , CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

6. Umbrellas became popular in the 18th century

7. samuel fox’s invention greatly improved the umbrella’s functionality, 8. the use of wax and lacquer-inspired waterproof umbrellas in europe, 9. the canopy materials of umbrellas evolved in the 19 th century.

No machine-readable author provided. Gyrofrog assumed (based on copyright claims). , CC BY-SA 2.5 , via Wikimedia Commons

10. Synthetic materials led to more durable and waterproof umbrellas

11. mitsuo sudou revolutionized the umbrella industry in 1984, 12. the umbrella’s automatic open and close mechanism, 13. in recent years, there have been advancements in umbrella technology.

14. The fashion industry has embraced umbrellas as a stylish accessory

15. umbrellas have various practical applications beyond rain protection.

Silverije , CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Facts about Samuel Fox

16. samuel fox was born in bradfield, england, 17. he came from a family of steel manufacturers and engineers, 18. fox founded the fox umbrella frame company, 19. samuel fox patented a design in 1852 for an improved umbrella frame, 20. fox’s design made umbrellas more durable and resistant to wind and rain.

21. Samuel Fox a tensioning system to keep the umbrella taut

22. fox’s invention allowed the umbrella to withstand strong winds.

23. Fox’s umbrella design quickly gained popularity

24. fox patented other inventions.

25. Fox’s umbrella frames were exported to many countries

26. samuel fox was known for his passion for innovation.

27. Fox’s umbrella frames were made with high-quality materials

28. fox’s company received prestigious awards, 29. samuel fox was involved in public service, 30. samuel fox died in 1887.

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The Rise and Challenges of Uber: A Story of Disruption

The Rise and Challenges of Uber: A Story of Disruption 14 min read

Uber is a transportation network company (TNC) that was founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp in San Francisco, California . The company operates a ride-sharing platform that connects passengers with drivers who use their personal vehicles to provide transportation services.

Uber’s platform allows users to request rides using their mobile app, which then matches them with the nearest available driver. The app also provides users with estimated wait times, driver information, and the ability to track their ride in real-time.

In addition to its ride-sharing service, Uber has expanded its business to include other transportation options, such as Uber Eats , a food delivery service, and Uber Freight , a platform for matching shippers with carriers.

Uber has disrupted the traditional taxi and transportation industry by offering a more convenient and cost-effective alternative to traditional taxi services. The company has expanded rapidly over the years and currently operates in over 900 metropolitan areas worldwide .

However, Uber has faced various legal and regulatory challenges in many of the markets it operates in, including disputes over worker classification, safety concerns, and allegations of unfair competition with traditional taxi services.

Despite these challenges, Uber remains a popular and highly valued company, with a market capitalization of over $60 billion as of April 2023 .

Table of Contents

Founding History of Uber

Uber was founded in 2009 by Travis Kalanick and Garrett Camp , who were both entrepreneurs based in San Francisco, California. The idea for Uber was born when Camp had trouble hailing a taxi one evening and realized there was a need for a more reliable and efficient way to get around the city .

Together, Kalanick and Camp created UberCab , which was originally intended to be a luxury ride service that would allow users to request and pay for high-end cars using their mobile phones. The initial idea was inspired by the success of private car services in Paris and other European cities.

The UberCab service launched in June 2010 in San Francisco with a small fleet of black cars. The service quickly gained popularity among tech-savvy city dwellers who appreciated the convenience and reliability of the platform.

However, the company soon encountered legal and regulatory challenges from traditional taxi services and local government authorities who argued that Uber was operating outside of the existing regulatory framework for transportation services. Uber responded by hiring lobbyists and lawyers to help navigate the complex regulatory landscape and build support for their service.

In 2011, Uber expanded its service to New York City , and the company continued to grow rapidly over the next few years, expanding to other cities in the United States and around the world.

In 2013, Uber changed its name from UberCab to simply “Uber” and began to focus more on its ride-sharing service, which allowed drivers to use their personal vehicles to provide rides to users. This new model proved to be highly successful, and the company began to rapidly expand its operations.

Over the years, Uber has faced a number of controversies, including legal and regulatory challenges, allegations of unfair competition with traditional taxi services, and concerns about the safety of passengers and drivers

Business Model of Uber

Uber is a technology platform that connects riders with drivers, allowing users to request rides through the Uber app on their smartphone. The company has disrupted the traditional taxi industry by providing a more convenient and efficient alternative to traditional taxi services.

Uber’s business model is based on the sharing economy , where individuals can earn money by sharing their underutilized assets, in this case their cars. The platform allows drivers to sign up and start earning money by providing rides to users, who are charged based on the distance and duration of the ride.

Here are the key elements of Uber’s business model:

Technology Platform : Uber’s platform connects drivers and riders through its mobile app. The app allows users to request rides, track their driver, and pay for the ride without the need for cash.

Dynamic Pricing : Uber uses a dynamic pricing model, known as “surge pricing,” which adjusts the cost of a ride based on supply and demand. During peak times when demand for rides is high, prices increase to incentivize more drivers to get on the road.

Driver Network : Uber’s driver network is a key part of its business model. Drivers can sign up to the platform and start earning money by providing rides. The company also offers incentives and bonuses to drivers to keep them motivated and engaged.

User Experience : Uber places a strong emphasis on user experience, providing riders with a convenient and hassle-free way to get around. The company uses data and analytics to improve its service and personalize the user experience.

Expansion : Uber has expanded rapidly into new markets and has diversified its offerings beyond its original ride-hailing service. The company now offers food delivery through Uber Eats, and has invested in other transportation options such as electric bikes and scooters.

Partnership and integration : Uber partners with different businesses to expand its offerings and improve the customer experience. For example, the company has partnered with airlines to allow users to book rides directly from their airline’s app.

In summary, Uber’s business model is centered around its technology platform that connects riders with drivers and its emphasis on user experience. The company’s success is built on its ability to leverage the sharing economy to provide a convenient and efficient transportation service to users around the world.

Revenue model of Uber – How does Uber make money?

Uber’s revenue model is based on a commission-based system, where it takes a percentage of the total fare charged to the rider for every trip completed through its platform. The company’s commission percentage varies depending on the location, but typically ranges from 20-30% of the total fare.

Here are some of the key elements of Uber’s revenue model:

Commission : As mentioned, Uber’s primary revenue stream comes from taking a commission on each ride. The company’s commission percentage varies by location and can range from 20-30% of the total fare charged to the rider.

Surge Pricing : During periods of high demand, Uber may implement surge pricing, which increases the fare charged to the rider. This surge pricing incentivizes more drivers to get on the road, ensuring that riders can get a ride when they need it. Surge pricing also means that Uber can earn a higher commission during times of high demand.

Fees : In addition to the commission, Uber also charges various fees to both riders and drivers. For example, the company may charge a booking fee or an airport fee to riders, or a service fee to drivers.

Subscription Services : Uber offers a subscription service called Uber Pass, which provides users with discounts on rides and other benefits. The company generates revenue through the subscription fee paid by users.

Other Services : In addition to its core ride-hailing service, Uber has expanded into other areas such as food delivery through Uber Eats and freight shipping through Uber Freight. These services generate revenue through fees charged to restaurants, riders, and other partners.

Advertising : Uber also generates revenue through advertising on its platform. The company allows businesses to advertise on its app, generating revenue from advertising fees.

Overall, Uber’s revenue model is centered around taking a commission on each ride completed through its platform. The company has also diversified its revenue streams by expanding into other areas such as food delivery and freight shipping, as well as through its subscription service and advertising.

Challenges faced by Uber

Uber, like any other company, faces a range of challenges that can affect its operations, financial performance, and overall success. Here are some of the key challenges that Uber is currently facing:

Regulatory challenges : One of the biggest challenges tha t Uber has faced in recent years is regulatory challenges . Governments and regulators in many cities and countries have pushed back against the company, arguing that its business model doesn’t comply with existing laws and regulations. This has led to bans and restrictions on the company’s operations in some locations.

Legal challenges : Uber has also faced a number of legal challenges in recent years. For example, the company has been sued by drivers who claim they should be classified as employees rather than independent contractors . Uber has also faced lawsuits related to safety concerns, such as allegations that it didn’t do enough to prevent sexual harassment and assault by drivers.

Competitive pressure : Uber operates in a highly competitive industry, with rivals such as Lyft and Didi Chuxing vying for market share . Some of these competitors have significant advantages, such as strong relationships with local governments and transportation companies.

Safety concerns : S afety is a major concern for Uber, both in terms of rider safety and driver safety . The company has faced criticism for not doing enough to protect riders and drivers, and has made a number of changes to its policies and procedures in response to these concerns.

Financial performance : Despite its high valuation, Uber has struggled to turn a profit . The company has faced pressure from investors to demonstrate that it can achieve sustainable profitability, and has made a number of changes to its business model and cost structure in an attempt to do so.

COVID-19 pandemic : Like many companies, Uber has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s ride-hailing business has been significantly impacted by lockdowns and restrictions on travel, and the pandemic has also raised concerns about rider and driver safety.

Overall, Uber faces a range of challenges that could impact its long-term success. The company will need to navigate these challenges carefully in order to continue to grow and thrive in the highly competitive ride-hailing market.

Why has not Uber turned profitable yet?

Uber’s revenue model is based on taking a commission from drivers’ earnings for each ride. The commission fee ranges from 25% to 40% depending on the city and type of ride. The rest of the earnings go to the driver. This revenue model has been successful in generating revenue for Uber, with the company reporting $11.3 billion in revenue in 2019.

However, Uber has not yet turned a profit despite its high revenue. There are several reasons for this:

Heavy investment in expansion : Uber has been investing heavily in expanding its services to new markets around the world. This has involved significant expenses related to marketing, recruitment, and infrastructure development . Although this investment has helped the company to grow rapidly, it has also been costly and has contributed to the company’s losses.

Driver incentives : To encourage more drivers to join and remain active on the platform, Uber has offered a variety of incentives such as sign-up bonuses, referral bonuses, and guaranteed earnings. These incentives can be costly, and can eat into the company’s profits.

Price competition : Uber faces stiff competition from other ride-hailing services such as Lyft, Didi Chuxing, and Grab, which have all offered low prices to attract riders . This price competition has made it difficult for Uber to generate higher profits from its services.

Regulatory challenges : Uber has faced a number of regulatory challenges in various cities and countries around the world. These challenges have led to legal fees and fines , as well as costs related to compliance with local regulations.

High operational costs : Uber has high operational costs related to maintaining its fleet of vehicles, developing and maintaining its app, and ensuring rider and driver safety . These costs have contributed to the company’s ongoing losses.

COVID-19 pandemic : The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on Uber’s business . Lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures have led to a significant decline in demand for ride-hailing services. This has resulted in a sharp drop in revenue for the company.

Overall, Uber’s revenue model has been successful in generating revenue, but the company has not yet turned a profit due to a combination of factors, including heavy investment in expansion, driver incentives, price competition, regulatory challenges, high operational costs, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company will need to address these challenges in order to achieve profitability in the future.

Growth Strategy of Uber

Uber has pursued a range of growth strategies since its inception. Some of the key growth strategies adopted by Uber are:

Geographic expansion : One of the primary growth strategies for Uber has been geographic expansion. The company has expanded its operations to over 900 metropolitan areas in 69 countries, making it one of the largest ride-hailing services in the world. Uber has also entered into partnerships with local ride-hailing services in various countries, allowing it to expand its reach even further.

Diversification of services : Uber has also diversified its services beyond ride-hailing . The company now offers a range of services, including Uber Eats, Uber Freight, and Uber for Business. These services have helped the company to expand its revenue streams and reduce its dependence on ride-hailing.

Acquisition of competitors : Another growth strategy for Uber has been the acquisition of competitors. The company has acquired several smaller ride-hailing services in various countries, including Careem in the Middle East , Grab in Southeast Asia , and Cornershop in Latin America . These acquisitions have allowed Uber to expand its reach and increase its market share in these regions.

Partnerships with other companies : Uber has also entered into partnerships with other companies to expand its services. For example, the company has partnered with public transportation providers in various cities to offer integrated transportation options to users. Uber has also partnered with rental car companies to allow users to rent cars directly through the Uber app.

Development of new technologies : Uber has invested heavily in the development of new technologies, including autonomous vehicles and flying taxis. While these technologies are still in the early stages of development, they have the potential to significantly disrupt the transportation industry and provide new growth opportunities for Uber in the future.

Overall, Uber’s growth strategy has been focused on expanding its reach, diversifying its services, and investing in new technologies. These strategies have helped the company to become one of the largest ride-hailing services in the world and to expand its revenue streams beyond ride-hailing.

Competitors of Uber in different markets

Uber faces competition from various ride-hailing services in different markets around the world. Some of the key competitors of Uber in different markets are:

Lyft : Lyft is Uber’s main competitor in the United States . The company was founded in 2012 and operates in over 600 cities across the country. Lyft has a similar business model to Uber, with drivers using their own vehicles to provide rides to customers. The company is known for offering more affordable prices than Uber and has a strong focus on customer service.

Didi Chuxing : Didi Chuxing is the largest ride-hailing service in China , with over 550 million users and a market share of around 90%. The company was founded in 2012 and provides a range of services, including taxis, private cars, and carpooling. Didi Chuxing has received significant investment from companies such as Apple and Softbank and is expanding into other markets, including Latin America and Australia.

Ola : Ola is Uber’s main competitor in India , with over 200 million users and a market share of around 60%. The company was founded in 2011 and provides a range of services, including taxis, private cars, and auto-rickshaws. Ola has been expanding rapidly, with services now available in over 250 cities across India, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Grab : Grab is a ride-hailing service that operates in Southeast Asia, with services available in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia . The company was founded in 2012 and has a market share of around 80% in the region. Grab provides a range of services, including taxis, private cars, and motorbikes, and has expanded into other services such as food delivery and mobile payments.

Bolt : Bolt is a ride-hailing service that operates in Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia . The company was founded in 2013 and provides a range of services, including taxis, private cars, and scooters. Bolt is known for offering more affordable prices than Uber and has a strong focus on driver satisfaction.

DiDi Australia : DiDi Australia is a ride-hailing service that operates in Australia . The company was founded in 2018 and offers services in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, and Perth. DiDi Australia is a subsidiary of Didi Chuxing and offers similar services to Uber, including taxis and private cars.

Overall, Uber faces stiff competition from a range of ride-hailing services in different markets around the world. These competitors offer similar services to Uber but may differentiate themselves through lower prices, better customer service, or other unique features.

Read more about Uber here –   Uber – Evolving The Way The World Moves

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The 4,000-Year-Old History of Umbrellas

Photo by Nathan Cima on Unsplash

The umbrella , often seen as a simple shield against the rain, carries with it a history as intricate and storied as any ancient artifact. Its tale begins over 4,000 years ago, weaving through the fabric of time to emerge as a ubiquitous feature of modern life. Initially conceived as a symbol of power and a sacred object in ancient civilizations, the umbrella has been a silent witness to the rise and fall of empires, the evolution of cultures, and the relentless march of technological progress. From its earliest depiction in the art and artifacts of Egypt, China, and Greece, where it was reserved for royalty and the gods, to its present-day iteration as a practical, portable canopy for the masses, the umbrella's evolution is a vivid chronicle of human innovation. It reflects our changing needs and aspirations, adapting to new materials and societal norms while retaining its core function as a protector against the elements. As we delve into the history of the umbrella, we uncover not just the story of a tool, but the narrative of civilization itself, painted across the canvas of time.

What Year Was the First Umbrella Invented?

The first recorded umbrella dates back to ancient civilizations, around 2400 BC. Originating in China, these early umbrellas were primarily used for shade from the sun, unlike their modern rain-protecting counterparts. Over the centuries, their use and design spread across different cultures and continents, evolving into the versatile accessory we recognize today.

A Condensed Timeline of the Umbrella

2400 bc - ancient china: the birth of the umbrella.

Originating in ancient China, the earliest umbrellas were designed for protection against the sun, not rain. They were made of silk and later paper, and mounted on bamboo frames. These umbrellas were a symbol of wealth and status, often adorned with intricate designs and reserved for nobility.

1000 BC - Middle East and Asia: A Symbol of Power

By this time, umbrellas had spread to the Middle East and South Asia, where they became symbols of power and authority. In some cultures, they were used in religious ceremonies and were often part of royal regalia, indicating a person's rank and divinity.

1st Century AD - Ancient Rome: Practicality Meets Fashion

The Romans adopted the umbrella from the Greeks, calling it 'umbella' (little shade). Roman women used it for sun protection, and it became a fashionable accessory. Unlike the Asian umbrellas, Roman versions were made using leather and were primarily used for shade.

Middle Ages - Europe: The Rain Umbrella Emerges

The umbrella's transition from a sunshade to a rain protector likely occurred during the Middle Ages in Europe. The European climate necessitated the development of umbrellas that could withstand rain, leading to designs using waxed or oiled fabrics.

18th Century - England: The popular Accessory

The 18th century saw the umbrella become increasingly popular in England, especially among women. It was during this time that the umbrella began to be seen as a unisex item. Innovations like a collapsible steel frame made them more practical and portable.

19th Century - Technological Advancements 

The 1800s were a pivotal century for umbrella innovation. The introduction of steel ribs made them much more durable and wind-resistant. The use of materials like alpaca and silk made them stylish as well as functional. This era also saw the emergence of the first folding umbrellas.

20th Century - Mass Production and Diversity

The umbrella became a widespread commodity in the 20th century. The introduction of synthetic fabrics like nylon made them more affordable and durable. This century also saw the umbrella evolve into various forms, including automatic umbrellas and those with UV protection.

21st Century - Modern Innovations

Today, the umbrella continues to evolve with technology. Modern umbrellas feature a variety of advanced materials and designs, from ultra-lightweight, foldable models to high-tech options with features like Bluetooth tracking, wind resistance like our Auto Open Jumbo Compact , and eco-friendly materials.

What Were Umbrellas Made of in the 1800s? 

During the 19th century, the umbrella underwent significant transformations in both design and materials, reflecting the era's technological advancements and fashion trends.

• Frames and Ribs: The early 1800s saw the use of whalebone for the ribs and frames of umbrellas. However, as the century progressed, steel became a popular material for umbrella ribs due to its strength and flexibility. This innovation made umbrellas more wind-resistant and durable.
• Canopy Materials: Silk was a preferred material for umbrella canopies in the early 1800s due to its availability and aesthetic appeal. As the century moved on, alpaca, a type of wool, became a popular alternative. Alpaca was known for its durability and water-resistant qualities, making it an excellent material for umbrellas.
• Handle Design : Early in the century, umbrella handles were often made of wood or ivory, with intricate designs for the affluent. As umbrellas became more common, more straightforward and more functional handle designs emerged, catering to a broader audience.
• Innovations : The 1800s also witnessed the introduction of the 'Paragon frame' - a new design that used a series of standardized steel ribs. This innovation made umbrellas more uniform in quality and more accessible to produce in larger quantities.

The 19th century was a period of significant change for umbrellas, as they shifted from being a luxury item to a more accessible, practical accessory for the general public.

Modern Day Umbrellas

Today's umbrellas are diverse in their design and materials, reflecting a range of modern needs and technologies.

• Variety of Materials: Modern umbrellas utilize a variety of materials. Nylon and polyester are widely used for canopy fabric due to their durability, lightness, and water resistance. Frames and ribs are commonly made from aluminum, fiberglass, or a combination of these materials, offering a balance between weight and strength.
• Types of Umbrellas : The modern market offers a range of umbrella types to suit different needs. Compact, foldable umbrellas are popular for travel due to their portability. Golf umbrellas are larger and more robust, designed to offer extensive coverage. Eco-friendly umbrellas made from recycled materials have also gained popularity, reflecting a growing environmental consciousness.
• Technological Advancements : Innovations in umbrella design include automatic opening and closing mechanisms, wind-resistant structures, and UV-protected fabrics. Smart umbrellas equipped with tracking devices to prevent loss and designs incorporating solar panels for charging devices are at the forefront of umbrella technology .
• Design and Aesthetics: Modern umbrellas also focus on aesthetics, with a wide range of colors, patterns, and designs available. Custom-printed umbrellas are used for promotional purposes, while high-end fashion brands offer designer umbrellas as luxury accessories.

In the modern era, umbrellas continue to evolve, combining functionality with style and innovation. They are no longer just rain protectors but fashion statements, tech gadgets, and symbols of environmental responsibility. For a deeper understanding of how modern umbrellas work, you can explore our [How Umbrellas Work article].

In retracing the history of the umbrella, we travel through a narrative that intertwines innovation, culture, and practical necessity. From its ancient origins as a status symbol to its modern incarnations as a versatile, everyday accessory, the umbrella's story is as rich and varied as the civilizations that shaped it. Today, umbrellas stand as a testament to human ingenuity, blending functionality with fashion, and tradition with technology. As we look towards the future, it's clear that this humble yet profound invention will continue to evolve, adapting to new challenges and needs, while always providing that familiar, reassuring shelter from the elements. The story of the umbrella, spanning over four millennia, is far from over; it is an ongoing tale of adaptation, creativity, and resilience.

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A Holistic Approach to Maximize Strategic Growth Through Innovation

Are efforts to grow your business yielding the results that you want? We know firsthand that long-lasting growth through innovation requires more than new product ideas.  The Innovation Umbrella leverages world-class tools and methodologies across Strategy, Ideation, and Execution to help clients clarify and focus their innovation journeys, grounded in the context of their business.

our holistic, disciplined approach guides your innovation journey  to maximize  long- term strategic growth . 

our philosophy

We believe that truly successful innovation requires a careful balance of forward-looking macro trends, consumer needs, and a grounding in the context of your business – from culture and strategy to capabilities and objectives.  "Exciting" ideas developed in a silo often have short lifecycles or may damage your brand equity. 

We kick off every project with a simple but insightful discovery process to ensure our work is based on a deep understanding of what matters most to you. With your unique business fundamentals in mind, we tailor the best tools and methodologies to identify and deliver viable innovation that will drive long-term growth for your business.

“ Joanne has an insightful, yet practical approach to marketing and innovation which enables her to drive growth. She effectively navigates in ambiguous situations and helps to provide clarity and focus. She has a great strategic mind yet knows how to be pragmatic and simply get things done. ​ ”

VP, Marketing, Food CPG

My mother always said to me:   “I don’t pray it won’t rain, I just pray that when it does, you have your umbrella”. Innovation is challenging.  The Innovation Umbrella has your needs covered.

Innovation can feel like a roller coaster of chaos, creativity, and magic. After decades of experience, navigating  the complex road to winning innovation is ingrained in my DNA.  The Innovation Umbre lla i s a home for the tools and methodologies I have mastered and refined over the years.  More importantly, it is a place where my knowledge, creativity and energy come together to shed light on fresh perspectives, uncover new opportunities, and reframe problems into possibilities.

I welcome the opportunity to guide your organization on its journey to identify and bring to life innovations with the greatest possibility for success – and to maximize your strategic growth.

–Joanne Penne, Founder, The Innovation Umbrella

A consistently disciplined, dedicated, and reasoned leader, Joanne successfully led many complex multi-functional, multi-country projects. In each case, she established clear, unified, and highly stretching goals and effectively mobilized her team to action.

VP Marketing, Personal Care CPG 

The consumer was always at the heart of innovation projects that Joanne led. She balanced consumer-driven decisions with what was best for the business, ensuring both project and brand success.

Team Member, Personal Care CPG

Joanne is a consummate storyteller with the instinct, precision, and skills to get to the core of an idea of a brand. She has an amazing ability to simplify in a way that spotlights rather than waters down the brand essence.  

Founder, Entrepreneur Client