Coming September 9, 2009

Social web learning resources

specifically for tourism

from Sheila Scarborough

& Becky McCray

New ideas are changing tourism. Now it is possible to reach more people, in more places than you could ever have afforded to before. But it’s also more complex, with more complicated choices, and a faster pace of change.

Some of the new realities we’re dealing with:

• Everyone researches online before they travel, using a huge array of sites and tools.

• Friends trust friends, especially on social networks, but no one trusts ads, especially on social networks.

• Travelers pull up your website on their smart phone while they drive through your town. Soon they’ll be using QR codes and augmented reality to interact with the physical world in your town through their phones.

• Everyone is a reviewer, able to share their customer experience instantly, world wide.

Daunting, isn’t it? Let’s tackle it together.