Tourism is big business, responsible for 7.7 million jobs and $1.33 trillion in travel and tourism total sales in the U.S. last year, according to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries [PDF]. Wow. Not bad for an industry that continues to weather the effects of the recession. How can mobile tagging help play a role in reviving the travel and tourism industry?
- Reviews of hotels nearby, using geolocation to determine where the person is
- Video of tourist attractions, like the famous flying fish at Seattle’s Pike Place Market
- A list of restaurants that are currently open within a few blocks
- Coupons and special offers to shopping destinations in town
Or using Tags in signage at tourist spots could play an audio or video track when scanned, serving as a virtual tour guide with facts about the location. (Kind of like how Seattle Art Museum recently used Tags in its Picasso exhibit.) Tags can provide the gateway from printed travel materials to the digital resources travelers increasingly rely on. When it comes to tourism, odds are that there's a Tag idea that can help put (and keep) your business on the map.
What do you think? Does mobile tagging have a place in travel and tourism? Share your thoughts in the comments below or on Tag’s Facebook or Twitter pages.