SMART Tourism

Gamification and Mobile Apps – What Is SMART Tourism All About?

Welcome to the latest edition of our newsletter, where we bring you news and interesting facts from the world of gamification.
It’s an undeniable fact that we increasingly use our smartphones not just for communication, but also as a tool for planning, organising and enriching our travels. Add gamification into the mix, and – combined with mobile apps – it’s changing the face of modern tourism, making it more interactive, sustainable and engaging, while personalising our experience of a place, its culture and its history.
All of this is what’s known as smart tourism.

What Is SMART Tourism?

SMART Tourism is a modern approach to organising and managing tourism that uses advanced technology to create a more efficient, sustainable and user-friendly tourism ecosystem – one that benefits both tourists and local communities.

SMART Tourism – Benefits

• Using Big Data and the Internet of Things to collect and analyse data on tourist behaviour at a given destination.
• Personalising the tourist experience, including through the use of AI.
• Using augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology.
• Using integrated destination management systems that combine various services and attractions.
• Sustainable development – optimising resources and reducing their negative impact on the environment, residents and local communities.
• Increasing real-time access to information about services for tourists.
• Supporting local communities through better management of tourist flows and available resources, i.e. spreading out tourist traffic (so-called tourism deglomeration).

So how does gamification support tourism within a sustainable-development model?

Sustainable Development + Gamification = SMART Tourism

As you probably already know, gamification means applying game-like mechanics (such as points, levels, rewards and puzzles) in a non-game context in order to boost user engagement.

Sustainable development in tourism means minimising negative impact on the environment, society and culture while maximising economic benefits for local communities. Gamification and mobile apps can play a key role in achieving these goals by:

• Reducing the carbon footprint and promoting sustainable behaviour: encouraging eco-friendly choices among tourists by rewarding the use of environmentally friendly transport or waste segregation.
• Protecting cultural heritage and educating tourists: teaching tourists about the importance of protecting local traditions and monuments through interactive educational games about the history and culture of the places they visit.
• Motivating visits to lesser-known attractions and strengthening local economies: encouraging the use of local services and products by rewarding the discovery of new places through points and rewards systems.

Examples of Gamified Mobile Apps

Mobile apps are a key element of smart tourism, letting us plan trips, book services and find out about the places we intend to visit. Here are a few of our picks that will help you plan an interesting and sustainable trip.
1. Navigation apps and maps
• Google Maps: offers detailed maps, GPS navigation, real-time traffic information and recommendations for tourist attractions, restaurants and other points of interest.

2. Apps that gamify sightseeing

• EscapeCity: an app designed for lovers of urban adventures, treasure hunters and fans of outdoor entertainment in Krakow. It’s a tool that delivers unforgettable experiences of discovering cities and their hidden secrets through:
• City games: the app offers various city games that guide users through fascinating urban locations. From historic landmarks to mysterious backstreets – users get to experience the city in a completely new way.
• Treasure hunts: EscapeCity lets you organise and take part in real-world treasure hunts. Users can follow clues, solve puzzles and uncover hidden treasures, turning every city into an exciting adventure.
• City exploration: the app encourages exploring the city through various challenges and tasks. Users can interactively discover interesting places, take part in local events and learn about the city’s history and culture.
• Challenges: the app offers various challenges and tasks that let users earn points, unlock achievements and win prizes – extra motivation to explore the city and take part in interactive entertainment.

4. Educational, informational and guide apps:

• Helsinki App – the official guide to Helsinki

• VisitLondon – a dedicated tourist app showcasing attractions, places and events worth visiting. The app lets you buy tickets to exhibitions and personalise your stay.

4. Apps promoting sustainable development
   • Too Good To Go: an app that connects users with restaurants and shops offering food that would otherwise go to waste. It promotes reducing food waste.

So What Do the Statistics and Research Say?

Research shows that gamification can increase user engagement by 48%, which is hugely significant for the tourism industry. UNWTO reports also indicate that mobile apps can help reduce CO2 emissions by optimising routes and promoting eco-friendly transport. Gamification and mobile apps aren’t just tools that make travelling easier – they’re also key elements supporting sustainable development in tourism. Thanks to them, we can travel more consciously and responsibly.

Our SMART Tourism Project – An App-Based Field Game for Krakow Airport

We recently created an app-based field game for the Krakow Airport Aviation Education Centre. The quest-style educational game was launched during the celebrations of the airport’s 60th anniversary on 23 June this year.

Where Can You Play?

The field game “On the Trail of Our Airport’s History”, created by the Gamescape team in cooperation with the Krakow Airport Aviation Education Centre, will be available to Krakow Airport passengers for two summer months – July and August. It can be played by: visitors to the airport’s public zone, passengers in the departure zone of the passenger terminal, and families visiting the Aviation Education Centre.

A First-Class Flying Experience

The game was designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of age. It’s available in two language versions – Polish and English. What makes the gameplay special is its character: mechanics and elements straight out of escape rooms, which turn the player into the hero of the story.

“In the field game for Krakow Airport, we tried to capture as much as possible of the character of gameplay you find in escape rooms. Players will encounter logic puzzles, visual and audio puzzles, as well as tasks requiring logical thinking and observation skills. All these elements mean that players experience the airport’s history in a truly unique way,” said Magdalena Budek, the game’s designer and co-owner of Gamescape.

All You Need Is a Smartphone

To play, simply download the mobile app, enter the right code, and take on the challenge of solving puzzles and riddles related to the airport and its history.

“This app-based field game is a great opportunity to engage our community and share the history of our airport in an interactive and fun way. It’s also a great chance to spend time with family while waiting for a flight, discovering fascinating facts about our Krakow airport along the way,” said Jolanta Rokosz, Head of the Krakow Airport Aviation Education Centre.

Educational Entertainment for Tourists

Presenting history, places and interesting facts through an interactive mobile app game is a fresh take on tourism that’s been present in the West for several years now. In Poland, a clear rise in the use of gamification in the tourism industry has been especially visible since the end of the pandemic. Fun and education are the foundation of this approach to shaping immersive experiences for tourists.

“At Gamescape, we always try to create experiences that are both educational and entertaining,” – said Patrycja Curyło, the game’s creator and CEO of Gamescape/EscapeCity.

Gamification is an effective tool for delivering a gripping, engaging and interactive adventure, through which players can learn about the history and culture of a given place. The field game “On the Trail of Our Airport’s History” is aimed not only at visitors from Poland and abroad, but also at residents of Krakow and the surrounding area.

“Our collaboration with Krakow Airport allowed us to create something truly special that we’re sure will appeal to Krakow residents and tourists alike,” she added.

Let’s prepare something together!

Game to order?