Internet and digital transformation has revolutionized the tourism sector. Gone are the traditional travel agencies and paper maps for city orientation. Mobile technology is not only changing the way tourism is sold; it is also radically changing the experience of tourists.
At present, more than 95% of travelers use some of the digital tools at their fingertips, either during the trip itself, during the organization or on their return. And the possibilities offered by the digitization in the tourism sector are almost endless such as social networks, geolocation applications, information search engines, price and quality comparison websites, OTAs, etc. Not to mention the connected technological resources that these tourists can find in hotels or places visited during any trip.

How does the tourist 3.0 travels?

After the traditional tourist, known as Tourist 1.0 or Consumer, who seeks the help of an external agency to plan and organize from start to finish his trip, appeared Tourist 2.0 or Prosumer. Most of the sector’s agents believe that this social traveler corresponds to the current profile, which reserves their flights and hotels online, as well as share their photos and travel reviews.
At the moment we have at our disposal infinity of blogs specialized in trips that clarify to us until the slightest doubt that us arise, and that they are replacing the well-known guides in paper. This anxiety about the unknown is dispelled by an almost complete knowledge of the place where we decide to move.
The new tourist 3.0 or Adprosumer focuses their choices on the opinions and experiences of others and executes their decisions through their smartphones. To get to a place uses apps like Waze, plan your trip thanks to Trip Advisor and finally share your experience through social networks instantly. Many people know him as a collaborative tourist, since in his trip he plans to share his car in Blablacar until booking his stay in AirBnB, using service exchange platforms, online routes made by other users or native guides, thanks to Trip4real, for example.
What is undoubtedly is that the profile of the tourist has turned in a very short time and that the role of technology has been decisive. According to the Traveler study, from TripAdvisor, the mobile is used more and more throughout the trip. The report defines this traveler as one who uses his smartphone to plan a vacation and provides an in-depth view of his habits and behaviors. The results of the study indicate that 45% of connected tourists generally use their mobile to book activities while they are traveling; Almost three-quarters (72%), to find restaurants, and a third (34%) want their accommodation to offer check-in on the mobile phone.
Technology has brought tourism to the user and content has become fundamental. The generation of content is very important because it makes the tourist life cycle change radically. Before we were left with the latest publicity, there was an effect very much associated with the marketing strategy of each of the products they offered us. This has changed, now we are looking for something more than the traditional brand concept.