Simpleview, in conjunction with Karen Bolinger Consulting, conducted a global survey of the current digital landscape, finding the visitor economy is not keeping pace with other industries and is fueled by low digital literacy within organizations 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, chief information officers (CIOs), IT professionals, and marketing directors within convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and destination marketing organizations (DMOs) — plus national, regional, and state tourism organizations in over 10 countries.
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- Respondents said their digital technology plans included:
- Allocating increased budget to digital transformation: 55%
- Using digital technology to upskill staff: 54%
- Investing in human resources: 40%
- Placing a higher value on digital transformation over the next two years: 36%
- Six out of eight respondents said data analytics and insights reporting are their top priorities, with over 57% stating they want these features in any software they purchase.
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Ryan George, CEO of Simpleview, said respondents reported challenges in procuring and updating specialized DMO and CVB software due to stakeholders’ varying knowledge of digital requirements, the process, and the level of investment required.
“We heard in the research that many C-suite leaders needed support in educating their government stakeholders, boards, and internal management on the benefits of digital transformation and the roadmap to success,” said George.
The research confirmed that organizations within the visitor economy rely heavily on their tech stack, including customer relationship management (CRM) software, content management systems (CMS), and websites, to connect with customers and stakeholders to gather valuable insights and grow their business.