Innovation in Destination 2019-20

Edible Spoons  What is new?  An indian company called Bakey´s introduced edible spoons in order to reduce plastic pollution worldwide. Each year in the United States more than 40 billion plastic utensiles are used and thrown away. This is the reason why the innovators came up with a new innovation which are etible forks and spoons.  For whom is it new?  It is new for both, the market and the company. Of course, if you go to buy some ice cream you might get an edible cone. But this innovation can be used more than 3 years, if you don´t eat it before.  How new is it? It is incremental.  What type of innovation?  It is a product innovation. What can you find about the background of the innovation? For creating the product the innovator was inspired by his country´s problem concerning plastic waste. India needs around 120 billion plastic utensils each year. The innovator decided to change something by providing edible cutle...

Aira - Great help for visually impaired people "As someone with low vision, it can take me 2 to 5 times longer to try and access a website or read a document. With Aira, I'm able to have someone else do that for me and it takes half or a third of the time to get things done."   Maria , Entrepreneur and writer of the blog: Girl Gone Blind "Aira has given me access to information that I've never had before"   Jimmy, University Student and Musician  Aira is there when and if I need it. It's confidence in your pocket." Dennis, Entrepreneur and father What is new? The innovation is an app called Aira . It is a service which helps blind and visually impaired people to make their life easier. By using the app on either a smartphone or with a pair of glasses, the consumers will be connected with highly trained, remotely-located agents. The app then will immediately give the requested information to th...

Innovation - Project "Türe": Art in Nature  What is new? This innovation is about combining nature and art in the Alpine region in an inspiring way. It is an art installation, where 9 different doors were placed directly along the hiking route at an altitude of over 2000 meters above sea level at various locations. The doors were created by 9 artists from 5 different nations.  For whom is it new? Both, market and company.  How new is it? Incremental. This innovation is a new way of using doors. The door itself already exists for many years, but is now being used in a different context.   What type of innovation? It is a product innovation. What can you find about the background of the innovation?   The artists wanted to create a better perception for tourists and locals entering and leaving specific places. Not only when it comes to being inside but also being in nature. By positioning the doors in the landscape, virtual boundari...

Smart audio guide in sunglasses Photo credit  1 : Screenshot IPhone www.apple.com Figure  1 : Photo credit a&o hostels Österreich Werbung and WienTourismus developed interactive city tours for the Bose Frames, which have only been available in Austria since June: Ludwig van Beethoven guides visitors acoustically through Vienna and New York with sunglasses and loudspeakers and the new #RelatedToAustria app. In Vienna, visitors and locals can now borrow the glasses at the Tourist-Info on Albertinaplatz. Österreich Werbung and Vienna Tourist Board invite you to a city tour of New York and Vienna with stylish sunglasses, the latest technology including 360-degree sound, GPS function and gesture sensors: The Bose frames not only protect you from the sun, but also provide information about Vienna's sights. The glasses are an advanced audio guide which - coupled with the new #RelatedToAustria app on the smartphone - makes the city trip an interactive experience ...

Volunteer tourism It means an individual travelling to a developing destination to offer support and help on a voluntary basis. In the modern society hostels and restaurants as well as private people in touristic places are also employing a lot of volunteers wanting to travel as they get accommodation and food in return of their work. It has become a popular form of low budget travel among backpackers. It used to be a niche market but now it’s growing to become a tourism trend. ·        Dimension of innovation: it’s mainly new for tourists as they have the opportunity to see the world and do something valuable at the same time. It made tourists possible to stay for free and as long as they want. It is also new for companies or hosts as they are no longer obliged to pay the employees since they are provided accommodation and food, therefore it is a cheaper way to employ labour force.  ·        Type of innova...

Travel buddy finding networks It is a membership-based network for solo travellers to find people to go on travel adventures with. These networks can be social media groups as well as mobile phone applications like „Backpackr” ·        Dimension of innovation: it’s new to costumers, not only the online booking of a lodging or flight, the recommendation of sights and restaurants but also the option to find likeminded travellers to share your journey with has become possible through the technological innovation of applications. The world is changing and it’s also a new phenomenon to meet up with complete strangers to share an experience with, which is a proof of the world becoming more open and social/cultural peace oriented. ·        Type of innovation: incremental ·        Background: It was mainly developed for people to feel safer when they travel. As several travel apps were alre...

Couchsurfing Couchsurfing is a homestay and networking service. It has its on website and app where people can register as hosts or guests. The idea of it is to practice general kindness, cultural exchange and the will to volunteer as no payment is allowed between the host and guest.  ·        Dimension of innovation: it’s new way of alternative accommodation as there’s a strict rule of no payment for the accommodation service provided. It’s new to both hosts and guests.  ·        Type of innovation: incremental ·        Background: It was developed 1999 by computer programmer Casey Fenton in New Hampshire. He flew from Boston to Iceland but had no lodging so he hacked the data base of the University of Iceland and emailed students to offer him a homestay. Couchsurfing International was formed in 2003.  Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_gExC8ggn...

Biometric facial recognition Biometrics is the ability to identify someone using unique personal characteristics. It is used for example in the tourism mostly by airlines and hotels for check in or payments through fingerprint or facial recognition. It is also used for safety reasons for storing employee, company or tourist data (at border control) as well as valuable items/money.  ·        Dimension of innovation: it’s new to companies and costumers as well, it makes personal identification processes faster and improves data safety. It’s completely new as it uses and trusts biometric instead of computer based information.  ·        Type of innovation: disruptive ·        Background: It was innvented to do away with documentation, improve security, keep track of staff and personalise devices, cars, hotel rooms etc. The first biometric identification was developed in the 18...

   Chatbots Chatbots are used to help people book their flights and hotels. It simplifies tourists’ tasks. Some of them also give suggestions for destinations. It can also suggest things to do and places to visit or eat out at. It is also useful for carrying our surveys, improving costumer relationship and it’s a tool for the tourism sector to get information about the costumers’ travel behaviour and habits through their cell phone. ·        Dimension of innovation: it’s new to the costumers/tourists, they don’t need human assistance as everything -booking, reserving, collecting information- can be done online.  ·        Type of innovation: disruptive ·        Background: This technological innvention emerged because unavailability was a big concern in the tourism industry, as that could mean the loss of potential costumers. The first Chatbot „ELIZA” was created by...