Slow and sustainable tourism is undeniably the future of travel, with eco-tourism being one of the biggest trends in the industry. Environmental awareness is rising all the time, with tourists starting to recognize the need to preserve resources and respect the world around them.
The growth of sustainable tourism also goes hand-in-hand with increased societal awareness, as travelers seek more authentic experiences involving the cultures they encounter during their trips.
Technology has proven a surprising enabler of this newer and greener era of travel. After all, most of us keep our smartphones with us wherever we go, and we routinely refer to them for directions and suggestions. That being said, using a browser to do everything is still far from convenient, and all such operations require a persistent internet connection, which can involve high roaming charges when abroad. That’s why it’s time to leverage custom mobile apps that attract and enhance tourism in local areas.
These days, many tourists would find themselves lost without popular mobile apps like Google Maps, Booking.com, and TripAdvisor. However, while these household names have changed travel and tourism dramatically, their extremely broad and global reach means they do little to promote more authentic and sustainable travel experiences.
For example, many of us have grown used to using Google to look for local venues like restaurants and attractions. However, the relative lack of local knowledge of these massive global companies inevitably results in quantity taking precedence over quality.
Custom tourism app development takes a different approach. Dedicated mobile apps for tourism typically have a singular focus. They may be specific to a certain destination, such as a town or city or even a specific venue like a museum, park, or resort. Others exist to promote certain types of tourism or specific activities, such as hiking or cycling trails. DMOs (destination management organizations) might commission a custom mobile app to promote tourism in their particular regions, at the same time incorporating things like discounts and promotions for local venues.
Slow tourism emphasizes sustainability and authenticity for a far more relaxed and satisfying travel experience that’s also much better for the planet. For example, instead of whistle-stop itineraries from city to city, sustainable tourism usually sees travelers spend more time in each place so they have a chance to truly immerse themselves in local cultures and environments.
With the right feature sets, custom mobile apps for tourism are a natural fit for this kind of travel. For example, they can provide instant access to local knowledge and fully customized experiences including itineraries, tours, audio guides, restaurant suggestions, and much more. This contrasts starkly with the broader internet, where the sheer about information overload can make it next to impossible to know where to go or what to do next. However, a custom app with a very specific purpose will help travelers stay focused on what matters.
Furthermore, destination management organizations (DMOs) can implement the features they need to encourage more sustainable travel. For example, some green travel apps allow end users track their carbon emissions or encourage travelers to visit and support small local businesses. Two cities that have done just that are Helsinki with its City App, and Barcelona with its Digital City app.
For these very reasons, travel app development is a rapidly growing area, one which has been further encouraged following a period of pandemic-induced slump in the industry. Now that environmental sustainability and cultural awareness are squarely in the spotlight, it’s time for businesses in the travel and tourism sector to do everything they can to promote cleaner and greener tourism. That includes using technology to promote genuine experiences, rather than mere box-ticking exercises that focus purely on quantity.
Slow and sustainable tourism is incredibly important to us! With ever-increasing concerns about sustainability, it’s time to take a stand.
A slow tourism experience emphasizes sustainability, responsibility, and eco-friendly practices. It allows for a less-stressful, deeply-satisfying travel experience.
Slow travelers use care when deciding on their transport, accommodation, gastronomy, and activities. They focus on the local culture and strive for an authentic experience of the place that surrounds them.
Routemotion provides a complete solution for encouraging slow tourism and sustainability.
We will work closely with you to design an App that offers a fully-customized experience for your customers. Include itineraries, tours, audio guides, restaurant ideas, and much more with sustainable tourism in mind.
With sustainable tourism apps, we enrich the experiences of visitors and host communities alike while encouraging economic benefits for all stakeholders involved.
As the demand for slow tourism continues to rise all over the world, we are glad to be a part of this trend. We look forward to a future where traveling is more authentic, less stressful, more economically stimulating, and more environmentally friendly for all parties involved.
