Robots, Nutella, and "Very Nice": How Tourism Is Advancing Through Technology

Due to COVID-19, the tourism sector has been severely affected — international travel has “almost disappeared,” and airlines are carrying about 10% of their normal capacity. Attractions stood empty, hotels and guesthouses closed down, and people traveled from one room to another.

With gradual easing of restrictions, countries have begun launching programs to support tourism. Let’s look at some examples of how technology has been used to attract tourists.

Japan and robots

[caption id="attachment_287" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Gundam, image source: i.pinimg.com[/caption]

Japanese companies are actively integrating robots into everyday life: they have cared for COVID-19 patients, replaced fans at baseball games, and worked as merchandisers. Now, an 18-meter-tall “Gundam” robot in the port city of Yokohama is intended to revive tourist interest in the country. The mobile robot was created based on the character from the anime Mobile Suit Gundam. Anime attracts people, so the statue of the main character Luffy from the popular anime and manga “One Piece” brought the local economy $24 million thanks to foreign fans.

Italy and QR codes

[caption id="attachment_288" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Nutella: “I love you Italy,” image source: iconlife.ru[/caption]

Italians have focused on beautiful nature. The Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT), together with Ferrero, created a collection of 30 landscapes printed on Nutella jars. In addition to images of natural treasures, the jars feature a QR code that helps users explore the regions virtually.

Iceland and the opportunity to scream

[caption id="attachment_289" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Screaming woman, image source: lookslikeyouneediceland.com[/caption]

The Icelandic Ministry of Tourism decided that emotional release would help after isolation. Screaming recordings are broadcast across the country through speakers. Locals can listen to live screams and enjoy nature, while everyone else can record their own sound on the Looks like you need Iceland portal.

Uzbekistan and safety

[caption id="attachment_290" align="alignnone" width="1024"] “Invisible fighters,” image source: uzbekistan.travel[/caption]

Uzbekistan clearly demonstrated in a video and online magazine that it is ready to welcome new tourists. Through the “Uzbekistan. Safe travel guaranteed” project, safe tourism is promoted in the country, where “invisible fighters” carry out sanitary and hygienic work.

Kazakhstan and “Very Nice”

[caption id="attachment_291" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Kazakh Tourism video, image source: thesun.co.uk[/caption]

The national tourism development company Kazakh Tourism, together with the production studio Photosafari.kz, released a series of short videos. In the videos, English-speaking tourists discover Kazakhstan’s nature, cuisine, and attractions, commenting with Borat’s famous phrase — “Very Nice.”

The pandemic has accelerated the development of technology and creativity in tourism. According to The Tech, the sector lacks VR/AR technologies. Virtual reality will provide useful information for tourists, show how a memorable place looked in the past, and allow travelers to decide whether it is worth visiting. In 2018, National Geographic opened an open-air AR planetarium in Canada. Visitors, using augmented reality, see the outlines of constellations, star names, and planets directly on the night sky.