• by Hannah Paramore , Op-Ed Contributor, April 30, 2018

After 15 years of working with dozens of tourism destinations, hotels and attractions, we have witnessed an evolution in every aspect of a visitor’s experience—from the way they plan and book travel to how they share their experiences at the end of their trip. The Information Age has had a profound effect on tourism over the past two decades, significantly altering the way visitors and destinations alike engage one another. 

Digital technology is one of the leading catalysts in this tourism evolution. In times prior, visitor centers and printed vacation guides were among the primary access points and planning tools for travelers to first interact with destinations. Now, we are seeing these visitor centers standing nearly desolate as more people are turning to websites and social platforms––virtually experiencing the destination before they even arrive.

Taking a deeper look into the tourism practices of old––a visitor’s vacation experience traditionally began by requesting a vacation guide for their destination area. These guides would often be the size of a magazine, including a directory listing of local businesses and information about local coupons, discounts, lodging, dining and activities. In many cases, destinations were able to predict their annual visitation by the number of vacation guide requests received each year.

Once the travelers arrived in town, their second point of interaction was typically the visitor center where they would pick up brochures on attractions, events, dining etc. before heading to their hotel. Through the years, many destinations invested in enhancing these visitor centers to create gathering places where visitors could sample local wares and get a sneak peek of their stay through multi-media presentations and interaction with local artisans.

Then, digital happened. The need for static vacation guides decreased as destination websites became more immersive and up-to-date. Destinations began to rely on the web to communicate and create rich experiences that drove interest in their destination.

But eventually, destinations began to face another unique pressure as public opinion became available on a mass scale through mobile and social media communications. At the start of the digital onset, destination’s websites were often the only online resource for vacation information. But with more people turning to social media for advice on where to vacation, where to eat, what to do and where to stay, destinations now need to compete with the online opinions of family, friends and other travelers when it comes to marketing their offerings. The voices they once had through their websites and visitor centers have in many ways been rendered obsolete.

Additionally, as traffic to visitor centers has dropped, destinations are beginning to grapple with how to get people to engage with these centers. Often, in cases where the center hub of a city has evolved away from its visitor center location, they find themselves in parts of town that have seen their better days. Some are now creating mobile or pop-up visitor centers to take the information to the visitors rather than waiting for them to walk through the door. Lexington, Virginia is using mobile and pop-up visitor centers to reach people who come to town for an event but who are unlikely to visit the downtown area where their visitor center is currently located. This mobile application can help tourists discover what the area has to offer and could be instrumental in a decision to extend their stay and experience the area.

Other communities are testing more immersive experiences and programming, such as virtual reality, as a means to pull people into their centers—a crucial element to help visitors sample area attractions. It is an emerging issue that we are continuing to monitor and begs the question: Is this the end of the much-loved rack brochure?

What is your destination doing to keep up with the rise of digital technology influencing visitors? Tell us about it, and we will share your experiences online. To learn more about accessing our full industry research report, visit ChangingTourism.com.