This post is especially dedicated to my Touristologists learning the subject which combine Touristology and Web-Engineering. I like to begin the class with this picture from Escher..
You are unable to understand this picture if you don’t realize that it’s compulsory to increase your perspective. It’s not a hand drawing a hand which at the same time is drawing the first one! This is not possible! This picture only makes sense if you imagine the artist dealing, understanding, controlling… the two hands.
It’s exactly the same when you want to improve the main processes in a tourism company or destination using the new technologies internet oriented.
One hand represents the Business Model.
The other hand represents the technological scheme.
This year I make a promise to them “You will learn how to create, or at least how to deal with a team which will create, the best mobile application for the tourism sector”
As Bruce Lee said “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at”
Some of my Touristologists are eager to learn any subject related to math or programming. Others get scared because it means more hours of study and they have to challenge the silly idea that Touristologist are not good in sciences. BUT we are not here to learn easy things. We are here to learn whatever it takes to achieve our goals: To become the best professionals in the tourism field!!!
First hand: The Business Model:
Let’s see a few examples where the business models it will be incomplete as I only describe basic functionalities… Do you dare/want to finish them?
1) Augmented Reality Cinema. This is still a “wannabe” application, maybe some people can argue if this is or not augmented reality but this is, definitely, a good idea to create a route based upon a film or a book!
As you can see you search for a tourism resource and it will appear the nearest hotels using as a criteria, time to go from the hotel to the tourism resources (you can specify if you will travel on foot, by public transport…)
Second hand: The Technological Scheme:
What about the technology to develop it? The other day I have the opportunity to talk with one of my Touristologist that nowadays is an entrepreneur. He has created a company mixing Touristology and Web-Engineering focus on Location Based Services (LBS).
Jordi- He said to me – I have everything under control!
Perfect- Proudly I reply! Are you using native applications or mobile web apps?
Which is the difference? – He calmly reply
ummm… everything under control?
For starters, you can create native applications using the specific SDK that each vendor provides (Apple, Android, RIM = Blackberry; Microsoft = Nokia…) This approach means full access of API and sensors and a better performance BUT (always a but) you have to customize your app to each device.
Other approach is to create mobile apps taking the most of HTML5, CCS3 and JavaScript (usually Jquery).
Thanks to frameworks like phonegap you have partial access to APIs and sensors. One important handicap is that, at this moment, you can use single touch events BUT not multi touch events. What this problem is disappearing very fast.
Nowadays, it doesn’t appear a clear winner so as usual you have to see the all pictures and be ready for all the possible scenarios
Have I already said to you that there are plenty of opportunities in Touristology? Are you sure you can allow yourself to forget about the technological hand?
Jordi Oller i Nogués PhD in Economics. Touristologist (“Turistòleg” in my mother tongue).
Lecturer, Consultant and Entrepreneur specialized in business models and technological architecture for services (Tourism, Healthcare and Training sector).
Areas of expertise covers: Creation, Communication and Commercialization of Tourism Services; Service Management; Yield / Revenue Management and Social Media Marketing.
L’activitat turística té un impacte econòmic tan important que salva les economies del 40% dels països. Les necessitats dels turistes estan en continua evolució, i la competència es cada cop més gran, per això resulta fonamental innovar. La innovació en lleure i turisme és el nostre objectiu.
La actividad turística tiene un impacto económico tan elevado que salva las economías del 40% de los países. Las necesidades de los turistas están en continua evolución, y la competencia es cada vez mayor, por ello es fundamental innovar. La innovación en ocio y turismo es nuestro objetivo.
Cerca
Blocaires
Montse VilaltaMontse is PhD in Economics by Universitat Abat-Oliba and holds a position of Director of Maresme University College. Her research spans from efficiency of universities, through university-business linkages to female entrepreneurship. Currently her research agenda concentrates strictly on female entrepreneurship in comparative perspective.
Anna CasalLicenciada en Publicidad y Relaciones Públicas y Diplomada en Turismo. Responsable Secretaría Técnica Primer Congreso de Ocio y Turismo, OCITUR 2012.
Albert BlascoDoctor en Historia contemporánea. Máster en Historia. Licenciado en Humanidades. Diplomado en Turismo. Coordinador de los estudios de grado, postgrados y másteres en Turismo y del Primer Congreso de Ocio y Turismo, OCITUR 2012.
Lineas de investigación: transporte turístico, ocio y bienestar, impactos del turismo en la sociedad de acogida
Narcis MartíDirector de Hotel, Profesor de l’Escola Universitària del Maresme (EUM-TCM) de la asignatura de Gestión de Alojamientos turisticos.
Diplomado Técnico en Empresas y Actividades Turísticas, Curso de Management para Hoteles y Restaurantes por la Canadian Hospitality Institut y ESTUR, Curso Superior de Gestión Gerencial Hotelera por EADA y el Centre International de Glion, Curso de Sommelier por la Escuela Española de Sommeliers, Programa de Gestión y Dirección Hotelera de ESADE.
Director de Hotel y profesor de la Escuela Universitaria del Maresme (EUM-TCM) de la asignatura de Gestión de Alojamiento Turistico.
Jordi OllerJordi Oller i Nogués PhD in Economics. Touristologist (“Turistòleg” in my mother tongue).
Lecturer, Consultant and Entrepreneur specialized in business models and technological architecture for services (Tourism, Healthcare and Training sector).
Areas of expertise covers: Creation, Communication and Commercialization of Tourism Services; Service Management; Yield / Revenue Management and Social Media Marketing.
Jesus Alvarez ValdesBusiness Development and Marketing Manager en SerCompetitivos, Empresa de Consultoría y Mentoring. Especialidad en desarrollo de Empresas, Estrategias Competitivas y Marketing. Consultor de Empresas y Formador con especialidad como gestión empresarial y turística. Marketing y Branding. Competitividad Empresarial, Planificación y Gestión de Destinos Turísticos. Gestión del Conocimiento.
Desarrolla sus investigaciones en el campo del Diagnóstico de Competitividad, el Impacto de las Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y el Conocimiento, la Web 2.0, Turismo 2.0
Doctor en Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales
Profesor Universitario y de Escuelas de Negocio
Conferencista Internacional
Celina Llarás UsónLicenciada en Filosofía y Letras, Sección Arte. Programa de doctorado: arte. Graduada en Artes Aplicadas, especialidad Interiorismo. Ingreso en el Cuerpo Facultativo de Conservadores de Museos. Docente en diferentes asignaturas de turismo en la Escuela Universitaria del Maresme (EUM-TCM) y en la UOC. Publicaciones varias sobre Patrimonio Cultural. Líneas de investigación: Arte Medieval hispano, preferentemente Románico; Patrimonio Cultural, oral e intangible y Museos del ámbito geográfico catalán; dinamización cultural y turística en el ámbito geográfico del Maresme; Turismo religioso/peregrinaciones. Tesis de Licenciatura (tesina):” El moble romànic català (1998”). Tesis en preparación: El Camino de Santiago en Catalunya.
Lluís CodinasLicenciado en Psicología de las Organizaciones y Trabajo. Máster en Dirección de Recursos Humanos. Responsable de selección de personal RRHH del Tecnocampus Mataró-Maresme y coordinador del programa de prácticas de la Escola Universitària del Maresme, Docente estudios de turismo y ADEiGI en la Escuela Universitaria del Maresme (EUM-TCM). Consultor Universitat Oberta de Catalunya. .
Dr. Josep Maria RayaDr.Josep Maria Raya es profesor titular de la Escola Universitaria del Maresme (Universitat Pompeu Fabra). Su investigación se centra en economía de la vivienda y economía del turismo.