Tourism

THE PANDEMIC CRIPPLED GLOBAL TOURISM

Tourism was one of the business sectors most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, impacting economies, livelihoods, public services and opportunities on all continents. All parts of its vast value-chain were affected. Pre-Pandemic the Travel & Tourism industry was a mega business with a global economic contribution of over 8.27 Trillion U.S. Dollars. In 2019, the Travel & Tourism sector contributed 10.3% to global GDP; a share which decreased by almost Half (to 5.3%) in 2020 due to ongoing restrictions to mobility. In the first half of 2020, tourist arrivals fell globally by more than 65 percent. 2021 saw the share increasing to 6.1%.

Now in 2023 there is a renewed surge in global tourism. Industry reports forecast that the travel and tourism sector’s GDP will grow at an average rate of 5.8 per cent annually between 2022 and 2032, outstripping the growth rate for the global economy, and is expected to reach USD 14.6 trillion, equivalent to 11.3 per cent of the total global economy. BubblAR tech is poised to make Tourism better than ever before!

A NEW ERA IN TOUR COMMUNICATION!

The BubblAR App being developed specifically for Travel Agencies and Tour Group companies will provide a new level of communication and traveler inclusion that will make BubblAR Enhanced Tours (BET) a “Good Bet” for the Tourism industry! One of the major features of BET is that No more people will be getting lost or left behind at any point in a major tour. This will be due to better communication between tour guides and tour members at any location – without requiring local cell phone access, WiFi or an Internet connection. Just using their Smart Phones or Tablets, Tour member and Tour Guides will be able to view all members of their group at any location.  Tour Guides will be able to be in communication with a single Tour Member or all Tour Members to relay important tour info, last minute changes in schedules or other important details.

DIGITAL TOUR AUTONOMY

It is anticipated, as it often happens, that many tour groups may be intermingled in the same places at the same times. This means two, or a dozen, tour groups could be in the same location, but each group will only see their own group’s BubblAR signals. Each tour group will have its own “digital autonomy” yet will be able to use individual nearby BubblAR signals to provide an extended “search grid” to show the locations of their specific tour group – even over an extended area. See the Intellectual Property page for an explanation of this (“Find A Friend”) feature.

BubblAR’s unique communication system and Tour Member differential sorting protocols will allow Tour Guides and Tour Members to look out over crowds of people and see Thought Bubbles for people in their specific Tour Group, as well as seeing the locations of their Tour Guides. Touching a specific Thought Bubble will bring up details of that person and open the ability to directly communicate with that person. See the Intellectual Property menu page for details about how Thought Bubbles and BubblAR technology operates.

 

THE 4 “A’s” OF TOURISM

Most Travel destinations, and especially Tour location schedules, comprise a core of the following attributes which can be characterized as the four A’s framework: Attractions, Access, Amenities, and Ancillary services. Attractions that motivate tourists to visit most destinations consist of both the natural as well as artificial features. BubblAR technology will provide a new level of Access, Amenities, and Ancillary services. The use of the BubblAR tech system will, in itself, be a form of Attraction! BubblAR Tour tech will create increased Access between and among Tour Members. It will also provide increased Access to locations of interest due to the ability of Tour Guides to supply detailed entry data to Tour Members to gain passage into locations via the BubblAR Tour tech system. Amenities (i.e: conveniences and services) are the heart of the BubblAR Tour tech by providing Tour Member interpersonal communications, tour path guidance and information about the features and history of locations. Ancillary services such as pre-located ALTags on/at important locations showing AR images of the features of historical or relevant items. Other ALTag based pre-set Ancillary AR will guide Tour Members to bathrooms, shops and other locations that may be desired or required during tour segments. AR “Helpers” (shown in the image at left) can be pre-located (via Beacons and/or ALTags) at restaurants, shops, etc. to help Tour Members get the most from any location on a tour. Some BubblAR AR Helpers can be anchored to Tour Buses, Ferries, and other transportation so that they can travel with the tour group and dispense important tour related information.

CRUISING AR

BubblAR tech Cruisin’ plans! Cruise ships are a great environment for BubblAR tech. Utilizing strategically placed Beacons for ship-wide coverage, the applications for BubblAR tech are almost unlimited. From pool side personal introductions via customizable Thought Bubbles to BubblAR enhanced on-board live show spectaculars to emergency drill AR enhanced directions, the use of BubblAR Tour tech will introduce a new exciting level of AR to the cruise industry.

FAMILY AMUSEMENT PARK OUTINGS

A large part of domestic tourism (in many countries) are family outings to parks of many types. The US has many major Amusement and Theme Parks, with clusters found in many states including Florida, Texas and California (to name a few). While not in a “tour”, family outings to these parks are still major tourism events that will benefit from the inclusion of BubblAR tech at these park locations. Standard BubblAR features between family members will enhance any trip, but the ability of the park to have AR “Helpers” distributed around the parks will create a better overall park adventure. Additionally, since AR “Helpers” are unpaid staff, their inclusion in any Amusement or Theme Park will help the bottom line of the park while giving park attendees more bang for their buck.