DestiCorp 2.0

Recipe for Success: technology+storytelling+creative smarts

A small Ethiopian restaurant in New Jersey, called Mesob,  has much to teach the travel industry about using technology effectively. Diners with smartphones who have downloaded a QR Reader, can scan a QR code off the menu to access videos showing how the meal is prepared in Ethiopia. While waiting for their meal to arrive, diners can get a real feel for this unfamiliar cuisine and it provides all kinds of reasons for conversation and engagement - between waiter/waitress and diner; between diners and each other; and then between diners and non-diners. 

Congratulations Mesob Restaurant - great use of technology + storytelling and creativity. What else are you cooking up in the kitchen. Smells good.

 

It attracted the attention of a major national network - I wonder what else they put in that stew? 

By the way, here's something I cooked up earlier:

 

Source: http://www.restaurantnewsrelease.com/mesob-ethiopian-restaurant-introduces-qr-codes-to-enhance-customer-experience/856365/

 

US Consumers spending more on Tech & Less on Travel This Holiday Season

Consumers in a recent study said they plan to spend more on gadgets and electronics during the 2010 holiday season than they did last year. On the flip side, a large percentage of the same consumers also said they’d be spending less than they did in 2009 on travel.

Source: Mashable: http://mashable.com/2010/11/26/2010-spending-gadgets/#

and what's the gadget of choice - the iPad of course!

If you haven't got a mobile strategy, you may already be falling behind. And if you need to do something really exciting - like develop an app, please contact my good friend, Darren Lynch at Gourmet Pixel, (+44 (0)7732 505 881) - he's got a fabulous e-concierge application looking for a client! In just over a week his Christmas app has had 250,000 downloads. So you'd better hurry - this shop will be very busy in 2011. Tell Darren I sent you. I owe him a favour!

 

Thank You Todd - why places and businesses need to allow their customers to communicate!

Enjoy this brilliant video rant aimed at destinations and their businesses in an attempt to persuade them to get more business. It shoudn't be that hard but it is. Even though wifi has been around for over half a decade, picking up a signal and then having to whip out credit cards etc to pay for what should be free is still a nightmare when travelling. By 2010 over 50% of travellers are going to be using smart phones connected to the internet. They want to share their adventures in virtually real time, so "luddite" tourism suppliers who do not allow easy access to their air waves are simply depriving themselves of all that peer to peer marketing. The most important thing any DMO could do for any community anywhere right now is convince communities and their tourism businesses to wise up and wifi-up. Love your passion Todd (@toddlucier)  - share your frustration. You're losing your hair and mine is grey - is it any wonder`!  

This Week in Tourism, November 2010 from Blue Canoe Video on Vimeo.

BTW - even the folks organizing the second busiest travel and tourism exhibition don't get it. AT the world Travel Market, Wifi was only available in the central walkways (unless the exhibitor had paid an extraordinary price to install on site); and there were no plugs to charge phones. I don't blame the WTM folks necessarily - just don't understand why Excel doesn't invest in WIMAX and provide blanket coverage and amortize the cost over all exhibitions organisers. As we don't seem to be able to run a decent train service to cope with the crowds trying to visit - perhaps we could encourage virtual participation.