Chute, a user-generated content platform for travel brands and destinations, is launching Destination Concierge, a chat bot platform for marketers to reach travelers through Facebook Messenger. Piloting the launch is NYC & Company, a destination marketing organization for the five boroughs of New York City.
The launch of this platform was done so that destination marketers can reach travelers where they are already going on their phone. According to Forrester, people spend 85 percent of their mobile time using the top messenger apps including Facebook Messenger, Kik, Slack, and WhatsApp.
However, most of the time travelers are given information through visitor’s guides and websites, a method that some view as outdated. Now, with Destination Concierge, users don’t even have to close Facebook Messenger to receive information about travel destinations.
Chute’s messenger bot allows travel brands and destinations to distribute their existing content through the popular messenger app, increasing their reach immensely. The service will start in New York City with NYC & Company.
“Our mission is to maximize travel and tourism opportunities throughout the five boroughs by providing resources for visitors to discover everything they need to know about what to do and see in NYC,” said NYC & Company president and CEO Fred Dixon. “However, today’s travelers are no longer just going to one resource or turning to visitor guides alone to research and plan. With so many outlets, it’s vital for destinations to be at the ready and reach travelers wherever they are.”
Once someone engages with the Destination Concierge bot, destination marketing teams can then provide those same travelers with news, content updates, promotions, etc.
Marketers are also able to extract analytics from the quantity and quality of conversations and the popularity of various questions; this information can then inform future bot content and better understand travelers’ needs.
For more information, visit http://www.getchute.com/destination-concierge/.
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