Issue link: http://visitithaca.uberflip.com/i/549770
Intro / Visitor Services / Marketing / PR / Sales Visitor Touchpoints Chat Service Expands Reach A new website chat implementation gave the Visitor Services team a digital way to reach travelers - and helped to push total touchpoints up 2% YoY to 17,031 visitors Q1-Q2. Chat makes up 17% of 2015 outreach. } 2,834 2,703 2,416 2,832 2,917 1,726 1,668 9,729 6,911 Mobile Technology Initiative receives Market NY CFA, Phase II application submitted Online chat implementation makes up 17% of 2015 consumer touchpoints Lodging tops visitor inquiries, 541 queries managed by CVB Q1-Q2 Chat Inquiries, 2,917 L o d g i n g W a te rf a ll s E v en t s L o d g i n g T G R equ e st W a t e r f a l l s Q1-Q2 Phone Inquiries 1,726 Chat Inquiries Surpass Phone Studying online chat inquiries suggests visitors are in the research phase - looking for places to stay, help with finding the best waterfalls, and checking out events. Lodging made up 37% of specific visitor inquiries, waterfalls 17% and events 11%. Chat Inquiries } Phone Inquiries } Phone Suggests Media Divide Travel guide requests make up 21% of all specific visitor inquiries over the phone - the old-school, pick up the phone to research mentality. It's the great media divide we are encountering across Visitors Services and Marketing: satisfying the need for print collateral, while focusing on digital communication in a mobile age. Mobile Technology Initiative Grant Update, Phase II After receiving a CFA Market NY Grant, the CVB Partnered with Communique to find a technology partner. CoLab was selected, and prototyped a web-based platform that would integrate phone, text, Facebook chat, itinerary building, and maps sharing, in one platform. Phase II funding has been requested for development and beta testing in 2016. CVB Mobile Dashboard Mock-Up }