Come On, Get Appy
There are plenty of travel resources online, and plenty of travel apps to download. Many CVBs and DMOs offer their own smartphone and tablet apps that serve as comprehensive guides to their destinations, or as guides that focus on specific themes for which their destination is known. When you can research information about a destination before the trip begins, how do you know if an app will enhance your group's experience? When it comes to mobile apps, the information isn't about what to do—it's about what to do next.
If these features found their way into the app's space, it might just be worth the space on your phone.
Intuitive Events Calendar
If you're visiting a city with a group, you might want to know of any events, festivals and points of interest in an area. An app with a calendar that includes as many events as possible, catering to a wide variety of interests, helps make it easy for you to budget your group's time. For instance, Nashville CVB's Live Music Guide enables visitors to access information about where and when artists are appearing at various spots around Music City.
Social Opportunities
Apps that provide social elements to help your group engage with the destination's community could provide easy navigation throughout the destination. An app might include direct links to city organization, business and social media pages to help you find important details and information at the tips of your fingers, without too many finger swipes.
User-Friendly Design
Apps should be simple, intuitive and provide useful more information than you were searching for. If the app is hard to navigate, if it doesn't help you in a crisis—and it's probably not worth the space on your phone.
Analytics
Mobile apps allow CVBs and DMOs to understand visitor preferences and behaviors. As such, apps that track data, such as how many views an event or attraction received, have the potential to provide CVBs and DMOs with critical information to help them craft the best experience and itineraries for your group.
Sources:
Gogo, M. (2015, October 8). 6 Things to Look for When Choosing an App for Your CVB/DMO. In Mobile Town Guide.
Garvin, M. (2016, August). Thinking Bigger About Mobile Applications For CVBs and DMOs. In PR Newswire.
Written by Cassie Westrate, staff writer for Groups Today.
