ao link

 

How Pokemon Go could revolutionise the travel sector

Hot new gaming craze Pokemon Go has plenty of applications for the tourism industry, says Ginger Juice’s managing director Bruce Martin.

TR-XFBLIWAeCard
Pokemon Go iStock_98763867_LARGE.jpg
Pokemon Go iStock_98763867_LARGE.jpg
Sharelines

"If you run a cafe, tourist attraction or travel agency near a Pokestop try this tactic"

Dad, PLEASE can we go for a long walk together?”

 

Well, that’s a first! Welcome to the crazy world of Pokemon Go. Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm rocketing to 20 million users and boasting more daily users than Twitter, Tinder, and even Google Maps.

 

For the uninitiated, Pokemon Go is an augmented reality smartphone game, which rewards players for catching virtual “pocket monsters” in the real world. In other words, you walk around trying to catch imaginary creatures for fun.

 

I know this all sounds a little ridiculous, but it’s caught on like wildfire and is not showing any signs of slowing down. Need proof? Take a walk around your town, especially near key landmarks; I bet you’ll see lots of people standing around looking at their phones.

 

Ok, so what on earth has this got to do with the travel industry? According to Hotels.com, British holidaymakers heading abroad this summer will spend four hours per day Pokemon hunting, compared with just three hours spent sunbathing, while 55% will choose their next destination because it’s a Pokestop hotspot (a place that lets users collect items such as Poke Balls to capture more Pokemon).

 

Landmarks are therefore a key part of Pokemon Go. Real-life landmarks are often important virtual locations in the game, which attract players to visit them. Smart tourism organisations have caught on quickly and have been embracing their new-found crowd-pulling power.

 

New Pokemon Go-friendly walking routes have been published by tourism boards around the world and cities such as Boston, Brisbane, Manchester, London and Doncaster have announced special Pokemon Picnic events – all designed to get people out to enjoy their cities.

 

Ginger Juice is working with a soon-to-launch tourism business called York Tuk Tuks, offering eco-friendly tours of the city.

 

Alongside regular sightseeing tours, the business is planning to offer a special Pokemon route.

 

Lure-ing them in

Lure-ing them in

Pokemon offers local businesses the opportunity to attract people to their location by placing virtual “lures” at a nearby “Pokestop”. Lures generate multiple Pokemon, and people flock to them. If you run a cafe, tourist attraction or even a travel agency that is near to a Pokestop, it might be a good idea to try this tactic – many local business owners have been reporting some success already.

 

Local business will soon be able to request to become Pokestops, which is great news for those off the beaten track.

 

The Hotels.com research, which was based on a survey of 500 British “millenials”, also found that when it comes to choosing a hotel, millennials cared more about free Wi-Fi to play Pokemon Go (64%) than about a free breakfast (37%), while 15% even admitted they’d choose one hotel over another because one was a Pokestop and 23% said they would choose a hotel just because it offered free lures.

 

We can expect makers Nintendo- Niantic to launch new features such as special attraction-themed characters or rewards for visiting tourism attractions. Maybe we’ll even see World Travel Market exhibitors luring people to visit their stand.

Pokemon Go: Need to know

  • Pokemon Go is a free location-based augmented reality game available on iPhone and Android.
  • It is making an estimated £1.2m a day from iPhone users in the US alone.
  • It has been beset with technical problems due to high demand.
  • The aim of the game is to “catch” virtual creatures, which are superimposed on real-world locations.
  • Players catch Pokemon by throwing virtual “PokeBalls”, which can be replenished at “Pokestops”.
  • Players can train their Pokemon and enter them into “battles” at local “PokeGyms”.
  • It was released in the UK on July 14, 2016.
  • The game has broken all previous records for downloads and user retention.
TR-XFBLIWAeCard
Email feedback@ttgmedia.com and let us know your thoughts or leave a comment below
Please sign in to comment.

Sign up for weekday travel news and analysis straight to your inbox

Latest travel jobs

Assistant Manager - Birkenhead

Assistant Manager - Birkenhead

Travel Consultant - Wallasey

Travel Consultant - Wallasey

Store Manager - Cameron Toll

Store Manager - Cameron Toll

Competitions

Our Next Events

Luxpo 2024

Luxpo 2024

TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies 2024

TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies 2024

TTG - Travel Trade Gazette
For Smarter, Better, Fairer Travel
B Corp-certified
TTG Media Limited.
Place of registration: England and Wales.
Company number 08723341.
Registered address: 6th Floor, 2 London Wall Place, London EC2Y 5AU