Meet Gaudí in person. Time travel to Tarragona’s past. Walk through a picture made by you. Discover the ins and outs of a city as if you were there… but without leaving your sofa. Digital experiences are changing the way we travel and understand the world. It is very straightforward for the youngest travellers: enjoying these experiences has become one of their main reasons for travelling.
The dizzying development of the internet and the birth and empowerment of the so-called Generation Z (those born between 1995 and 2015, according to Forbes) means we are now facing a new tourism revolution: the ability to offer digital experiences before, during and after a trip.
The great digital catalogue
Social networks and destination profiles, travel companies and hotels on that kind of platform have replaced the old brochures and travel catalogues for 21st century travellers. Everyone confesses that they look for information through these channels before opting for a destination or accommodation alternative, and 15% admit that they choose their country and hotel based on Facebook or Instagram. Videos and personal stories are their favourite content format.
Always connected
These Z travellers especially value being able to manage their entire trip from their mobile or similar device (watches, tablets…) and one of their biggest demands is that they have to have all the information about their reservation available at all times, immediately at hand. They also consider it essential that the airline they opt for, the destination and their accommodation choice can offer them an adequate Wi-Fi connection that lets them navigate at high speed without consuming data.
At TravelgateX we are aware of how important it is these days that the various agents on the tourism market can offer these new clients the best digital experience on their platforms, The reservation process must be made as easy as possible and be managed with just a couple of clicks. To do so, we continue to improve our connectivity solutions with pioneering products such as Hotel-X, which does not only facilitate the daily workload for people employed by tourism companies, but also provides the end-user with a fast, efficient and fully personalised experience.
Digital experiences
For the vast majority of these new young travellers, being able to connect and share photos and videos with friends through social networks is an absolute must. But their digital demands do not stop there, as more and more people are looking for destinations where they can enjoy unique digital experiences.
Even if the current offer of digital experiences is very limited still, and practically focused on the more cultural aspect of the destinations and the basic services available at the accommodation establishments, a path has been opened up before us that is very wide, and many destinations have already started to take advantage of it.
TOP destinations
Talking about digital experiences, Japan has emerged as the most desired destination for Generation Z travellers: not only is it a country where you can take an infinite amount of quirky photos to share on social networks, Japan also offers the best Wi-Fi network and the best connection speed, and it is also one of the first destinations in the world to offer first-class digital experiences.
The most famous one is Graffiti Nature, devised by a group of young techies called TeamLab. It can currently be enjoyed at the MORI Digital Art Museum in Tokyo. The experience is completely interactive: visitors draw or paint a design and pass it through a scanner. Then their creations automatically appear on the walls and floors of the museum, allowing you to completely immerse yourself in it.
Experiences made in Spain
Barcelona and its museums are also taking advantage of the wide range of possibilities that technology can offer tourists. It has become increasingly common to experience exhibitions at the Gaudí Exhibition Center with virtual reality glasses, for example, or walk through samples created with the help of augmented reality.
In other, smaller cities such as Tarragona, digital experiences let us experience the destination’s past with a time machine that takes us thousands of years back in time. Also, in regions like Rías Baixas (Pontevedra), digital transformation and tourism technologies are becoming more and more noticeable with the launch of virtual information points, digital signs for the most representative heritage sites, and the creation of multimedia services and mobile applications that make it possible for people to enjoy the destination in a way that is very different from the traditional.
Discover how to improve your performance in the digital market with TravelgateX.