2. Mobile outlook During the conference, severalgueststold about smartphones and how they are used by the actors of the tourismindustry. Hoteliers are not yetreallyaware of this new trend. But theyreallyshouldbeaware of the benefits of such a tool on theirresults. Smartphone applications are easy to use, fast and secure. For example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zf-V7xk6AkA thisvideo shows the multiple advantages of smartphone applications in order to finduseful places near a hotel.
3. Advantages In a few years, everyonewill have a smartphone, so no more problem of « discrimination » Smartphone allowshoteliers to provide more personalizedservices Applications canallowhotels to makepartnershipwith service providers in their areas, such as restaurant, leisurecenters or banks. The interests for both parties is to be visible in eachother application Customersfeel more independant and have access to more pieces of information quiclky New way to travel: touristscanget all the information theyneed about a particular place in theirownlanguages See the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARi03GxVvZY Applications provide real time services
4. Disadvantages For the moment, thereis a kind of discrimination for people withouta smartphone Applications limits the human contact betweencustomers and hotelemployees People rely to much on their phone. If the phone runs out of batteryor if itisstolen, people are totallylost This type of toolrequires a constant access to internet and network, whatis not availableeverywhere Small screens are a kind of limitation becausesmartphones display a large amount of information in a small format That article http://sungtaileecomm301.blogspot.com/2009/03/disadvantages-of-smartphone.htmlsums up wellsome of the smartphonesdisadvantages
5. Whatis the nextstep? Nowthat services are more and more personal and that people are more and more involved in the service process, wecanwonderwhatwill come next? Here are some suggestions: Application that replace ID/passeport Application that uses augmented reality to read information about people thatyou cross on the street (CV, interests, …) Application thatwilldetectelevators and call it for youwhenyouapproach an elevator
