Interactive Websites + Value = Tourists

During the February long weekend, I spent 19 hours in a car. The real purpose of my trip was to visit my best friend, who is currently pursuing an Ivy League education. Because Yale just over an hour outside of NYC, I figured it was only appropriate to make a one-day pit stop to do some shopping, go out on the town and, of course, have a romantic Valentine's Day in The City That Never Sleeps.

After going to Las Vegas and seeing firsthand how the economy was suffering, I was curious to see if The Big Apple was in the same boat. I've been to NYC once before in 2007 and I remember it being a lot busier but I think there were some valid reasons. Firstly, it was summer. Secondly, it wasn't during a recession. Thirdly, it was during the week of Independence Day.

NYC seemed a little quiet when we drove in on Saturday morning, but by the afternoon I was wondering where all the tourists came from. I couldn't help but wonder if they, too, flocked to the city for a romantic weekend getaway.

Because our road trip was spontaneous, we didn't book any hotels or have any plans in advance. Luckily, we found a hotel in Times Square and got a dinner reservation at The Mercer Kitchen in Soho (after the concierge phoned 20 places). If I had known about this site, it would have made our trip planning more seamless.

Until I read this article, I was unaware that NYC had unveiled a $1.8 million visitor centre just a stone’s throw from Times Square. The centre, along with an interactive website, nycgo.com, enables visitors to create custom travel plans with state-of-the-art touch screen technology. This initiative was carried out by NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism arm.

While this swanky new tourist centre may be great once you're in the city, it doesn’t help lure tourists to the city. The website, however, does. It not only promotes positive messages about the city to distant locations, but shows package deals, discounts and a plethora of other fun activities. Focusing on value is key for attracting international visitors during the recession and that’s why I think destinations should be investing money in tourist-centric websites as opposed to blowing budgets on tourist centres.

During this downwards slump in the tourism industry, destinations need to focus on bringing travelers in before anything else. What better way to accomplish this by launching a website or implementing another social media tactic. Your thoughts?