Simpleview, in conjunction with Karen Bolinger Consulting, conducted a global survey into the current digital landscape, finding the visitor economy is not keeping pace with other industries and is fuelled by low digital literacy within organisations and stakeholders.
The in-depth discussions, surveys and research were conducted to determine what leaders need technology to do now, and the gaps where technology can support new opportunities.
This research included consultations with C-suite technology decision-makers such as CEOs, CIOs, IT and Marketing Directors within Convention Bureaus, Destination Management Organisations, plus national, regional and state tourism organisations in over 10 countries.
Respondents said their digital technology plans included investing/allocating an increased budget to digital transformation – 55 per cent; using digital technology to upskill staff – 54 per cent; investing in human resources – 40 per cent and 36 per cent said they are placing a higher value on their digital transformation over the next two years.
Six out of eight respondents said data analytics and insights reporting are their top priorities with over 57 per cent stating they want these features in any software they purchase.
Not surprisingly, the research confirmed that organisations within the Visitor Economy rely heavily on their tech stack, including customer relationship management (CRM), content management systems (CMS) and websites to connect with customers and their community stakeholders to gather valuable insights to grow their business.
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