Qingdao, a coastal city in East China’s Shandong province, has released a digital female figure, its first-ever digital urban recommendation officer to help promote the city’s new youthful image. It is reported that Qingdao Xiaoman is 22, and never ages. She knows quite a lot, can speak several languages, and travel through time and space with her abilities and talents. She is a steady, independent, decent and warm-hearted girl who sometimes may be a little bit lazy and naughty. She loves reading, singing, dancing, traveling and spotting delicious food, and hopes she can help visitors to Qingdao.
The smart girl digital guide incorporates cutting-edge technologies such as computer graphics, speech synthesis, motion capture, artificial intelligence and algorithm-driven technology.
Isn’t this CLEAR contest from Visit Detroit a great idea for host cities?
Travel North Tahoe Nevada is the newly rebranded name of the former Incline Village Crystal Bay Visitors Bureau. The leading tourism organization for North Lake Tahoe is expanding its focus from destination marketing to also include responsible and equitable travel. Andy Chapman, President & CEO, cited the evolution of tourism marketing from simply attracting visitors to including a more socially conscious approach as well, reports the Reno Gazette Journal.
Fourteen young people graduate this week from the Explore Charleston Intern Cultural Enrichment Program, set up by Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to diversify tourism and hospitality businesses throughout the destination.
CEO Helen Hill and her staff launched the pandemic-delayed internship program last year, recruiting students mostly from historically black colleges and universities around the country. This year’s class includes students from Georgia to California, and from Chicago to the Bahamas, plus one local.
By providing paid internships at hospitality partners, weekly networking, and housing, Explore Charleston makes the 10-week program accessible at no cost to the students. One of last year’s interns has graduated and returned to Charleston for a full-time job. Read more here.
“We need more diversity in the leadership of our industry,” says Laurie Lynn Smith, Vice President of Operations at the DMO.
FINN Partners has been named AOR for public relations for the NY International Travel Show, sponsored by Travel + Leisure Co., making its debut in New York City at the Jacob K. Javits Center on Oct. 28-30, 2022. This new event (hybrid trade and consumer) replaces the New York Times Travel Show that ran for 18 years and was cancelled during Covid. NYC & Company and Destinations International are among the industry sponsors. An attendance of 15,000 is projected. Virginia M. Sheridan, Managing Partner, FINN Partners’ Travel & Lifestyle is the account lead and Paul Muir is president of the show.
Carvertise and Placer.ai have announced a partnership that launches the Targeted IQ product line. Have you heard about SWARM? Read about the applications of this partnership for DMOs here.
In Utah, Grand County Commission approved a contract with digital map making company Wander App Inc. to create an interactive map of the Moab area to include responsible recreation messaging. The map will be embedded in the county’s Discover Moab website and available to download. Wander App will generate trackable QR codes to help the county monitor how the map is being used. The app will cost the county $14,000 this year, and an annual fee of $12,000 if the county chooses to continue, reports Moab Sun News.
