“Traveling” is probably a sensational word in any individual’s conversation in this contemporary world. As it helps people expose themselves to new lands and cultures, relieve stress, create lifetime memories and many other things. Especially thanks to technological advancement and the rapid expansion of the global airline industry, traveling is much easier than ever, because they bridge the gap between people in terms of both distance and other language or cultural differences.
For instance, MyHelsinki x Wechat Travel application provides one-stop service for Chinese travelers to learn about translation services, current holidays and events, and emergency help in Finland’s capital.
The travel experience can even be more unique and authentic by skipping the tourist traps with Like a Local Guide application. Do you want to find cool and cozy spots frequently by the locals, get some tips from them or participate in day trips through routes less traveled? Let’s connect with Like a Local Guide!
These things appearing to be “easy-peasy” have become difficult since the Coronavirus pandemic worldwide. Borders were closed and the tourism industry was frozen for a certain time. And we all shared the feelings of imprisonment, both physically and mentally, which we had never been accustomed to in an open world before. However, the tourism industry will not die, it indeed has transformed to be adaptable to these current obstacles. What are the examples?
The fundamental principle of this adaptation is less close contact among people. With the DigiWalk application, we can enjoy their own audio guided tours via QR code or search function on smartphones. With the integrated GPS navigation in the app, it is easy to find and experience all station points of a guided tour even without local knowledge.
More than that, we can even enjoy virtual travel experiences from home. Clio Muse Tours in Greece, which combine award-winning audio tours with real satellite and 360° street view images of the monument and its surroundings. These technologies make us feel as if we were visiting the attraction from our own helicopter as if we were really there.
In 2018 and 2019, the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund ran an operation called “Enhancing the digital promotion of Ljubljana and the Ljubljana region as one of the leading tourist destinations in Slovenia” by providing 360° sightseeing virtual tours. Most of the virtual walks were created by Boštjan Burger, a pioneer of 360-degree photography in Slovenia, who was already creating virtual walks in 1993. If you have not been to Ljubljana, let’s explore the Dragon Bridge together and afterwards walk to the Ljubljana Castle, standing on a hill above the city for about 900 years which are the must-see attractions in Ljubljana.
The digital transformation even enables people to work from anywhere with a stable internet collection. People also like combining work and pleasure simultaneously to become more productive, which even became a trend born from Covid-19 pandemic. It is generally known as Workation – work while on vacation. We can book a holiday in a shared accommodation either at home or abroad, and then work (alone or in a team), join workshops, go on excursions together etc. This is a good chance for us to break from everyday life routines, open our own networks and even be more creative.
These are merely some examples about the digital application in tourism activities. If you want to learn more about touristic, educational and cultural experiences and get some inspiration, please keep on exploring our Creative Digital Transformation Map!
