“I just Google it” Users vs Non-Users of Visitor Information Centres in the Digital Era

1. “I just Google it” Users vs Non-Users of Visitor Information Centres in the Digital Era Dr Gabby Walters and Caleb Chui UQ Tourism

2. Why Visitor Information Centres are Important • Visitor dispersion • Increased expenditure • Longer duration of stay • Enhanced visitor experience • Volunteering opportunities • Visitor / host relationships

3. What VIC’s are doing well “...I haven’t used them (VICs) in quite some time but I do remember a similar sort of experience where the staff I know a lot of them are volunteers and they do want to spend a lot of time talking to you passionately about their city and their home so I do remember that aspect of VICS being very personal and very helpful, full-on helpful. ....” X • Interpersonal contact • Learn about places they didn’t know existed • Local up to date knowledge • Friendly staff • Don’t need internet coverage • Free • Trustworthy “I think there are people at VICS that know more than the information that is available on Google, because sometimes what happens is the information is not updated on Google. Y

4. What VIC’s are not doing well “Cause we travel a lot during public weekends and long holidays and they’re quite often not open during the times most travellers are out and about.” Gen X “I would prefer to decrease the paper version of brochures, because when people walk out of VICs, they have lots of brochure, but maybe they just have a look and in the evening they just drop it. That’s a waste.” Gen Y • Limited opening hours • Long waiting times • Lack of young staff • Lacking relevant information • Only serve one purpose • Too much information • Paper wastage “I think it’s a bit uncomfortable to ask about night life from an aged lady I want to go and explore the nightlfe what would you suggest and she would go uhh. I agree that diversity and age is a big factor that could lend itself to improvement in VICs” Gen Y “I see them as a place where you’re overloaded with information when you walk in there’s so many brochure racks and so much to take in that I find it’s my first memory or perception of VICs, very bright, lots of colour and lots of information… but sometimes an overloading. Too much, I don’t know where to go, I don’t know where to start” Gen X

5. Why Googlers are Googling! • Immediacy of information • Able to filter out irrelevant information • Can plan before the trip • Google Maps • Traveller reviews • Price comparison • A one stop shop • Don’t want to wait “ I think we’re so used to the internet answering all our questions we go there first and we do as much as we can. Like you said everything’s organised before you go, your money, your accommodation, your transportation, everything. Really there’s not as much of a need as there used to be, before the internet” Baby Boomer What to do in Roma

6. A Generational Comparison: Making VIC’s appeal to all

7. Baby Boomers • “Can I use the toilet?” • Less trust in the internet, but leaning more towards its use • More important in rural areas than in the city • Inconsistency in quality of staff • Interest is waning “Yeah I find very much so that the service quality for staff vary from centre to centre. The regional workers try to give you too much and the other thing I find with them is that volunteers are the ones working and often they’ve got very little information. They’re old. Which I shouldn’t be against t but yeah their training isn’t the best.” Baby Boomer

8. “You can’t trust recommendations online at all. I mean I know people who have got Instagram followers who get paid to push things. And they go it’s amazing and they’ve never even tried the product so how can you believe them. I just wouldn’t believe anything that’s written on social media or even on the internet.” Gen X Generation X • Less trust in travel review sites and social media BUT • Are still heavy users of online information • Struggle to see the relevance of VICs in the digital age • Information overload! • Would be drawn to VICs for special deals or affiliated attractions • See the need for VICs to serve multiple purposes • Want longer opening hours • Want to see more sustainable use of materials “Yeah add an attraction of some sort like a tourist attraction. Like when you’re next to the cheese factory or the bird sanctuary thing in those small towns. It’s an added attraction thatsinside and then you can go through to the VIC or vice versa you can go to the other instead of having to go through six million brochures to see oh yeah they have a cheese factory here” GEN X ....so it’s like you know, the convenience sort of aspect, because you usually leave with brochures and you have to sift through them by yourself and they go in the rubbish anyways and that’s not sustainable. It’s not really good.”

9. Generation Y- Millennials “I think for our generation to make things more appealing, you could definitely use some technology. So virtual reality devices, displaying the region at the centre for people to try before they buy, whatever experience, I think they can definitely use that to attract young people as well. They could say hey we have this air balloon ride, but you can see the video and see where they are approximately. And probably providing with them with free Wi-Fi and spots for charging their devices as well.” • Want to see more technology • Are willing to use VICs if they perceive they are worth their time • Likely to be influenced by social media • Want to see VIC services present at other key attractions • Are keen to see less paper wastage - QR Codes - Recycling facilities at airports “I think there needs to be a bigger more purpose to go to one of these VICs. Having something that’s trendy for our generation would be awesome. So whether it’s a really trendy café or a workshop or something that’s specific to that town. Anything really that attracts people of our age to get there. Also definitely agree with the social media sort of stuff like if you can have chargers there, that would be an incentive for people to go there if they don’t have a charger in the car, which most do but some sort of incentive to get you out of the car to get you to go in.”

10. “I don’t like waiting in line, to find out where something is when I can just google it or ask a local if that makes sense. On top of that, I’m not going to go through the hurdle of making my way down to the centre and standing in line to wait when I can just get the information elsewhere.” Generation Z • Want information and want in NOW! • Want information about local events, markets and other community activities that are not easy to find • Want something to do at the VIC other than collect brochures - Local arts and crafts - Historical Information - Cultural centre • Want a digital experience • Want to ‘live like the locals’ • Have low awareness of the services VICs offer “For me its more of this case where if I wanted to go somewhere, if I wanted to go to this new city where I want to see what the local people are seeing, VICs usually just offer these touristy things and I love to get to know the less glamorous bits of it and see what are the things people actually go to eat. You can really only find these places from people you know or you have to dig real hard online or go to community sites such as Reddit “I was just about to say that I really agree with the idea that if VICs had a bit more to display? Like perhaps maybe placing the VIC besides an art gallery or cultural centre? Like displaying local artists, something from the region, because I would love to see oh this is something that’s done by locals! Something that’s representative of the region, that sort of first-hand cultural experience.”

11. Finding the Balance • Incorporate VIC information with that provided on line – call to action • Ensure diversity among staff • Combine VIC services with attractions or other facilities tourists are likely to use • Position VICs as offering the information that is not available on line • Reduce paper wastage and be perceived as being environmentally conscious • Greater use of interactive technology in VICs • Give tourists the opportunity to filter out irrelevant information • Provide local information that is unavailable via conventional online tourist information • .............and don’t forget the toilets!

12. THE LEEDR HUB – QTIC INNOVATION PRIZE WINNER 2018 • Interactive digital alternative to brochures • Interactive customised information • Video content • Children’s activities • No waiting – 6 people can use at once • Online booking system • Can email information direct to email accounts • Reduces paper usage For more information: Dragan Propovic dragan@leedr.com.au

13. THE END Thank you