HOW TECHNOLOGY IS ENHANCING THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE

NSW Visitor Economy Forum – Building Momentum to 2030 attendees heard from keynote speakers including futurologist Professor Rocky Scopelliti, McCrindle Director of Advisory Ashley Fell, Google Head of Data, Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Max Kaye and Tourism Australia Manager – Strategy and Research Rob Harding-Smith.

The speakers gave expert insights on the key data and trends that will ensure NSW becomes the premier visitor economy of the Asia Pacific by 2030.

Professor Scopelliti encouraged stakeholders to embrace the emergence of digital experiences that involve all five senses, heighten trust in the data they share online, be sustainability focused and understand how the boundaries between business and leisure travel are blurring.

"If regions prioritise offering a seamless experience for working travellers, it will make NSW a very desirable destination," he said.

Rather than being scared of new technology, Professor Scopelliti said visitor economy businesses should be excited about the possibilities that lie ahead.

He gave the example of nature-based stakeholders using virtual reality to augment their offering, such as providing visitors with the opportunity to walk with dinosaurs in a national park.

Google's Kaye said operators should explore ways to entice potential visitors via social media.

"Social media platforms and advances in technology offer an amazing opportunity to draw people into a visitor experience, give them a taste of it, then move them from the virtual to the physical," Kaye said.

McCrindle's Fell said social media was quickly becoming the primary source of information for holiday planning.

"The number one search engine for younger generations is YouTube because why would they read something when they can watch it?" she said.

"Many of them are planning their entire trips based on content they have seen on social media platforms."