By Ken Moule, CEO Global GBM
Digital disruption continues to put pressure on traditional business models and industries. Many industries are being forced to embrace new technologies and processes in order to survive. The tourism industry is no exception.
Australia is a physically beautiful country with a diverse range of landscapes and ecosystems. The richness of Australia’s flora, fauna and geology makes it one of the world’s most desirable tourist destinations. Our regions have a unique opportunity to capitalise on these natural assets and deliver sustainable economic growth.
Unique travel experiences – such as geo-tourism, eco-tourism and agri-tourism – are becoming increasingly popular with visitors. The challenge is to engage and resonate with these educated consumers. The Konect Tourist information platform has been built to assist in this process.
Konect is a unique, cloud-based platform designed for community engagement on a national scale. The platform provides visitors with access to a national database of engaging regional content, which is provided by community groups and regional tourism authorities. This cost-effective approach delivers significant value to individual regions by engaging local interest groups and sharing information and communications technology (ICT) costs across the network.
End-users will have their travel experience enhanced by an app which sits on their smartphone. By linking text, voice, images and video to GPS-enabled maps, the app allows visitors to locate sites of interest and learn more about them. In effect, the app becomes one’s very own digital tour guide.
End-users will also enjoy seamless national coverage and a wealth of aggregated content. The app will not be affected by mobile coverage blackspots, as all downloaded content is stored in the app itself. The Konect Tourist information platform is based on a successful geo-tourism pilot delivered in partnership with the Geological Society of Australia.
The company behind Konect, Global GBM, has been providing mobile maps to Local Government for more than two decades. Global GBM has spent over $2 million developing the cloud-based platform, which it believes will provide Australia with a competitive advantage in the global tourism market.
Global GBM is seeking to partner with Local Government and Tourism Authorities to pilot the system in various regions. Additional information can be found at: www.konect.today.
See also: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wQTHvlewI0&feature=youtu.be
*Copy supplied by Global GBM
