Innovative beacon technology is revolutionizing the way cities provide information and communicate with tourists. The use of beacons allows direct communication with smartphones through mobile applications, offering a personalized and enriched experience to tourists.
Beacons are becoming an essential tool for municipalities that want to promote digital neighborhoods and attract more visitors. This technology allows cities to provide relevant information about tourist attractions, cultural events and leisure options in real time, directly on visitors’ mobile devices.
Definition and Functioning of Beacons
Beacons are geolocation devices that work using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology, allowing communication with smartphones within a certain range. They emit intermittent radio wave signals, enabling the precise location of mobile devices in indoor and outdoor environments.
Beacons work through a push or emission of data via Bluetooth technology, which must correspond to an application installed on the smartphone within the area covered by the signal.
The beacon acts as a signal transmitter, while the smartphone acts as a receiver. When the receiver detects the signal, it can register the connection or initiate some action on the user’s device, such as: sending notifications, promotions, tourist information or advertising.
For these actions to occur, the user must grant permission via their smartphone and have the establishment, municipality or institution’s application installed, in addition to keeping Bluetooth active.
- Very common in museums and exhibitions, beacons can provide detailed information about works of art or exhibits, providing an enriched visitor experience.
- Several cities have improved the tourist experience by creating a network of beacons positioned at tourist attractions, allowing visitors to receive real-time information about their locations.
- Hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions can use beacons to send prospecting messages, such as invitations, additional information or discounts, in order to attract new customers.
- Beacons can also be used to build customer loyalty by recognizing registered users and sending personalized messages.
- Another application is the automation of check-ins at hotels or accommodation units without 24-hour reception.
Beacons allow personalization of the service, directing the customer to products or information suited to their profile and interests. They enable “customer delight” actions, surprising the customer with personalized experiences, such as greeting them by name or offering a specific type of accommodation.
They act as a virtual tourist guide, providing relevant information as the visitor approaches different points of interest. They increase the rate of interaction with customers, allowing you to request reviews and comments when they are close to the establishment or place of interest.
In this way, the implementation of beacons in the most touristic municipalities can significantly improve the visitor experience, offering personalized information, convenient services and a closer connection with local attractions.
Implementation of Beacons in Municipalities
Municipalities are implementing beacon technology with the aim of improving the experience of residents, visitors and tourists, providing relevant and personalized information in a convenient way. Beacons allow direct communication with visitors’ mobile devices through applications, offering a series of benefits:
- Provide detailed information about tourist attractions, cultural events and leisure options in real time, directly on visitors’ devices.
- Offer personalized content based on the visitor’s location, enriching the tourist experience.
- Promote integration with mobile applications, allowing visitors to access relevant information in a practical and convenient way.
- Improve signage and visitor guidance by providing accurate and up-to-date instructions on how to reach desired destinations.
- Improve communication and dissemination of information to visitors, keeping them well informed and engaged during their stay.
Beacons can play a key role in promoting digital shopping districts, offering an enriched experience for visitors and encouraging local commerce. Here are some examples:
- When walking down a shopping street, visitors can receive notifications about promotions, discounts or relevant information about nearby stores, restaurants or points of interest.
- Merchants can use beacons to send coupons, special offers, or information about products and services directly to customers’ devices.
- Local events and festivals can utilize beacons to provide updated information, activity schedules, and directions to attendees.
- Companies and businesses can leverage the data collected by beacons to gain valuable insights into consumer behavior and preferences.
Integration with Mobile Apps
To fully take advantage of the benefits of beacons, it is essential to develop specific mobile applications that can integrate this technology. These applications are essential for establishing communication between beacons and visitors’ mobile devices, allowing the delivery of personalized information and enriched experiences.
Mobile applications developed to integrate with beacons can offer a wide range of features and functionalities, enriching the visitor experience and promoting local tourism.
Virtual tour guides:
- Provide detailed information about tourist attractions, historical monuments, museums and other local attractions.
- Display interactive maps and routes for easy navigation.
- Offer augmented reality features to enrich the visual experience.
Location-based notifications:
- Send push notifications with relevant information about events, exhibitions, promotions and special offers close to the visitor’s location.
- Personalize notifications according to the user’s interests and preferences.
Coupons and special offers:
- Provide discount coupons, gift vouchers and exclusive promotions for local commercial establishments, restaurants and tourist attractions.
- Integrate mobile payment systems to facilitate the use of coupons and offers.
Social Network Features:
- Allow visitors to share their experiences, photos and reviews on social networks directly through the application.
- Offer the option to check-in at specific locations and get special rewards or discounts.
Integration with other services:
- Allow integration with transportation services, hotel reservations, ticket purchasing and other services relevant to visitors.
- Offer a complete and convenient experience through a single application.
Beacons and PARTTEAM & OEMKIOSKS YPortal Software
PARTTEAM & OEMKIOSKS offers an innovative solution for integrating beacons with the mobile application of YPortal software. This platform allows municipalities and tourist establishments to enjoy the benefits of beacons in an efficient and personalized way.
YPortal provides a user-friendly interface to configure and manage beacons installed in different locations. It is possible to define the range radius, the information to be transmitted and the desired actions for each beacon.
Through YPortal, it is possible to personalize the content and information sent to visitors based on their location and preferences. This personalization ensures that visitors receive relevant and engaging information, improving their tourism experience.
The YPortal software provides data analysis capabilities, allowing you to track visitor interaction with the beacons and the application. The information can be used to optimize marketing strategy, identify popular points of interest and continually improve the visitor experience.
By using PARTTEAM & OEMKIOSKS YPortal software, municipalities and tourism entities can make the most of the benefits of beacons, offering an enriched, personalized and convenient tourist experience for visitors.
The implementation of beacons in municipalities offers a unique opportunity to improve the tourist experience and promote local economic development. These small devices allow direct communication with smartphones, providing personalized information, real-time notifications and exclusive offers, enriching tourists’ journeys.
By integrating beacons through solutions such as PARTTEAM & OEMKIOSKS’s YPortal software, municipalities can create a closer connection with visitors, providing relevant and attractive content. This innovative approach improves the tourist experience and encourages local commerce, promoting the adoption of digital technologies in commercial districts.