n-tree solutions develops new technology for guest cards

DestiCard the individual and flexible way to respond to holiday options
The trend towards individualization is particularly noticeable in the tourism industry - a trend that is also reflected in new technology for destination management. Developed by n-tree solutions Ticketsysteme GmbH, the concept has been in operation since 1 May the with Vorarlberg Tourism V-CARD.

Guest cards have become the norm in many regions. Convenience and performance, however, have left much to be desired. Conventional guest cards offer fixed benefits (price reductions or free admission), making changes to existing tickets is very difficult. For this reason tourist organizations often decide to include as many excursions as possible on the card. This leads to inflexible and often confusing offers.

"Two years of development work, in close cooperation with tourism and leisure enterprises in the Vorarlberg region, are now behind us", says Dietmar Umundum, CEO of n-tree solutions. "Our DestiCard concept not only meets the needs of tourists, it also supports the destination management of various tourist organizations and has numerous benefits for the businesses involved." The new card technology was tried and tested at the 2007 World Gymnaestrada and at the public viewing events of the World Football Championships on the Bregenz lakeside stage in 2008.

The idea of the card platform
"The businesses involved found the present guest cards inflexible and structured in a top-down fashion and for these reasons they were not very popular," said Umundum. n-tree solutions on the contrary stands for open cooperation. Tourism organizations define their card models in a web portal with options such as the Guest Card for Locals, Guest Card or Convention Card or Special Interest Card. Leisure facilities such as swimming pools, cable cars, ski resorts or museums provide one or more of these cards which offer good benefits. The tourist organizations can then choose from a wealth of offers and create customized service packages. In this way the guests are presented with offers that are specially tailored to suit their needs and interests.

Variable benefits
The new technology of n-tree solutions offers flexibility and comfort. The so-called "Dynamic Packaging" means that offers can be customized to suit specific requirements. For example, should bad weather be forecasted, then tourist offices can respond to this kind of news both quickly and creatively, stopping guests from getting frustrated about the situation. They can compile alternative programmes for the guests. "This is possible as cards that have already been issued can have additional services added to them at any time, either from the tourist office or by the guest via Internet," explains Dietmar Umundum. And if regions, tourist associations and leisure facilities work together, it is possible to present the guest with the best package.

Open Structure
A carefully selected structure allows sales points such as hotels to be included in the system with minimal technical effort - a PC with an Internet connection is all you need. Leisure facilities with their own cash and access control systems can also be integrated into the platform by means of an open interface. This means that the guests can directly enter the facility via the turnstile. There is no waiting in the queue at the ticket desk.