Two major tourist agencies of the region are touting new mobile websites and applications integrating destination and direction-driven content.
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp. has launched the mobile version of VisitPhilly.com, and Visit Bucks County has released iPhone, BlackBerry and Android apps, in addition to their own mobile website.
In another new web initiative, VisitPhilly.com announced a partnership Wednesday with Foodspotting, which helps residents crowdsource the best food and drink in a region.
Foodspotting co-founder and aptly named CTO Ted Grubb, a Philadelphia native, called this partnership another way “to show the world that there’s more to Philadelphia’s growing food scene than cheesesteaks.”
Something like three quarters of travelers who use smart phones rely on them during trips, better than the 60 percent usage in preparation, according to the January 2011 ‘State of the American Traveler’ [PDF] survey from Destination Analysts. That’s why GPTMC focused on quickly actionable information, says Caroline Bean, who handles national media relations for GPTMC.
“Our site focuses on best practices to best serve people looking for information during their trip,” Bean says, including focuses on GPS-driven maps tied to sightseeing, restaurants and hotels. Direct ticket sales will be an area of growth for the site, she said, being particularly mindful that VisitPhilly.com sees traffic spikes on the weekends.
The trends are similar in Bucks County. The apps, mobile site and text messaging service are “designed to provide immediate access to tourism-related information,” says Visit Bucks County public relations manager Michelle Greco. Their text messaging focus is tied into advertising and marketing programs featuring discounts and coupons. All products are free to use.
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