LOCAL EXPLORERS REFRESHES POPULAR TOURISM APP AND WEB PLATFORMS TO ENHANCE USER ENGAGEMENT

BOCA RATON, FLA—Local Explorers, creators of popular mobile loyalty apps and websites for the tourism and hospitality industry, is making its already powerful solutions even better with a series of upgrades to incentive user engagement and visits to attractions featured on its apps and websites. In addition, back-end upgrades make it easier for destination-marketing organizations (DMOs) to import their databases of local attractions directly into their websites and apps, eliminating the need for time-consuming manual entry.

Here are the powerful new features Local Explorers app users can soon enjoy:

Passes: In response to client demand, Local Explorers has introduced a pass feature, which allows DMOs to offer digital passes to selected businesses and attractions, where users can enjoy discounts, free samples, or other benefits. This flexible feature allows DMOs to design passes for any duration and their choice of local attractions. “They can be for anything – a sipping pass for wineries, a tasting pass for restaurants, or an experience pass for attractions such as museums and parks,” explained Susan Erickson, co-founder and vice president of Local Explorers. “One of our DMO clients even has a chocolate pass because their community has so many great chocolate shops.” She added that the pass feature has the flexibility to accommodate both paid or free passes.

Coupons:  While businesses featured on Local Explorers apps have always been able to publicize ongoing deals and discounts such as happy hour pricing on the app, digital coupons further drive foot traffic by offering app users one-time discounts on selected items. Businesses can not only choose the amount of the coupon discount, but how frequently users can redeem them. “Some businesses prefer to offer one-time discounts, while others allow visitors to redeem the same coupon once a week or once a month,” Erickson explained.

Tiered passport points: Up to now, passport programs on Local Explorers apps offered users points for each first-time visit to a participating site, and users could earn prizes at a range of point levels. The new tiered point system, which allows DMOs to offer larger numbers of points for first-time visits and smaller point allotments for repeat visits, not only incentivizes app users to explore new venues but rewards them for supporting familiar favorites. Tiered points are especially advantageous for smaller DMOs, Erickson said. “Some organizations have just a handful of members, and users can complete their passports in just a weekend if they want,” she explained. “And then what? With tiered points, they can continue to accumulate points towards prizes by revisiting places they especially enjoyed. And by using the app, they’ll keep learning about new events and offerings at the venues on the app—so they’ll continue to stay engaged with these businesses.” Erickson added that Local Explorers will work with clients to help them design a passport and point distribution system that works best for them.

Point wallets: The app’s new point wallet gives app users a bigger range of prize options. Instead of earning set prizes automatically upon earning a certain number of points, users’ points accumulate in a digital wallet that they control. This allows them to redeem points on the go for smaller prizes or save them up to redeem later for bigger rewards.

Full integration with SimpleView and IDSS:  Local Explorers apps have become even easier for DMOs to set up and maintain with full compatibility with SimpleView and IDSS, popular data management tools for the hospitality industry.  Back-end users can now directly import information on participating venues from their SimpleView or IDSS databases, which makes it quick and easy to populate the app’s database and update information. Current Local Explorers clients have praised this time-saving feature. “Our database went straight from our website onto the app, and it was a pretty seamless process,” said to Laura Argenbright, senior director of creative strategy and marketing for GO Laurel Highlands, a Pennsylvania-based DMO.

Enhanced website functionality: Local Explorers has also refreshed the look and user experience of its desktop solutions, which allow visitors to Local Explorers websites to do many of the same things as its app users, such as learn about venues of interest, bookmark favorite venues, and design their own tours of sites of their choice. They can also follow tours curated by the DMO to highlight featured locations. “It makes trip planning easy,” Erickson said. “Users can simply choose places they’d like to visit and select them, then the website generates a custom tour for them, including directions and estimated driving times. The best part is this is a seamless, all-in-one solution – we don’t hand our users off to a third-party platform. Everything they need—from directions to venue-specific information such as menu specials or prices—is in one place.”

Local Explorers apps by software designers Daruma Tech are designed to help communities better connect with visitors and local consumers by making it easy for them to discover and patronize local businesses and attractions. Each app is custom branded for the community it serves, and the Local Explorers team offers ongoing, proactive support, from development to training to regular maintenance and updates.

To learn more, visit https://www.localexplorers.com/