The Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced plans today to develop the first official State of Vermont tourism mobile app, in partnership with the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing (VDTM). The official State of Vermont tourism mobile app will be a digital marketplace, allowing the ever-increasing number of mobile consumers to connect, research and, ultimately, book a trip to Vermont via the app. The app will offer visitors an enhanced digital experience with a design and functionality that complements the VermontVacation.com Travel Planner website and the Summer and Winter vacation guide books, which are existing collaborations between the Vermont Chamber and VDTM.
The Vermont Chamber has selected Route 802, a Williston-based new media marketing firm to develop the official State of Vermont tourism mobile app.
“We are extending our current vacation guide print relationship with VDTM to include the digital platform. We are excited to be working with Route 802 to fully utilize the extensive resources Route 802 has to enhance the guest experience,” said Tori Ossola, VP of Tourism for the Vermont Chamber.
“This resource is not just an app, or a guide, its a core component to an interactive digital marketplace. Our goal is to bring together communities, merchants and consumers to enhance the Vermont experience through integrated mobile technologies” said Al Levy, founder of Route 802. “We are providing an efficient and effective way to reach Vermont’s mobile audience with actionable, location-based and commerce-driven mobile tools.”
Visitors to Vermont will love how easy it is to discover events, search, book and pay for travel related services through this application. Vermont’s tourism businesses will appreciate the security and exposure to tech savvy travelers who are most familiar with using mobile technology in their travels. While there are many Vermont tourism related businesses that have been utilizing mobile technology to attract and provide services for consumers there is still a gap. For a significant number of Vermont businesses VisitVT will be their first exposure in the mobile environment opening them up to new business and tech savvy travelers.
VisitVT will be promoted as the official tourism app for Vermont with assistance from VDTM’s annual $2 million marketing spend and its primary tourism website, www.vermontvacation.com.
“Effective marketing today is defined by analytics and a clear return on investment. We are moving aggressively in a direction that provides for visible metrics about our media and campaign expenditures” stated Megan Smith, Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Tourism. “All of our marketing spend will point back toour new responsive website where the app will be available for download.”
Route 802 is currently developing a fresh photo-based interface with long-awaited mobile commerce features for retailers, restaurateurs, hospitality and more. The heart of the application will be a mobile payments and loyalty system in collaboration with LevelUp, who offers a flat merchant processing fee of 1.95% compared to the traditional 2.5-5% interchange fee experienced by merchants. Additional functions include restaurant ordering through Zuppler, with LevelUp payment, and a booking engine for lodging and activities that will tie to a new tourism travel planner.
Vermont’s tourism industry is a driving force behind the state’s economic engine, generating $1.7 billion dollars annually to Vermont’s economy. This app is the latest marketing project in the long-standing, public-private partnership between the Vermont Chamber and VDTM to promote Vermont to the 80 million people within a day’s drive of Vermont. The launch of the official State of Vermont tourism mobile app is scheduled to coincide with the release of the Vermont Vacation Winter Guide later this fall.
The largest statewide, private, not-for-profit business organization, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce represents every sector of the state’s business community. Its mission is to create an economic climate conducive to business growth and the preservation of the Vermont quality of life.
Route 802, headquartered in Williston, VT, is building a Digital Marketplace through integrated mobile technologies to bring communities, merchants and consumers together with new media solutions. Interested ecosystem partners and advertisers should visit http://www.mobilenomix.com or contact Deana Rock at [email protected]. Follow @Route802. @mobilenomix @VermontTourism and @Al_Levy on Twitter as we unveil the expansion details of our unique model.
Source: Berlin, VT (May 13, 2014) — The Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Route 802