The eTourist - Focus on the use of smartphones.

A Smartphone characterizes a wireless telephone set with special computer-enabled features not previously associated with telephones. A smartphone nowadays brings together in one electronic device a laptop, digital camera, mp3 player, video camera, mobile phone and a GPS.

It is very likely that by 2011, smartphone sales will overtake PC's sales.

What is the link between tourism and smartphones ?

The main issue of all tourists when they arrive in an unfamiliar destination is to find what to do and once they decided, how to get there. A smartphone is a "perfect" tool to help tourists making decisions when they are in their consumption phase. Here is an example of a new smartphone application :

Dublin : the world's first city to provide a pointing technology-enabled smartphone application (app) http://www.eturbonews.com/18301/point-your-smartphone-building-and-get-information

 Some suppliers of the tourism industry also try to take advantage of the smartphone use increase : the hotel chain Holiday Inn thinks about making its customers use their own phones as a room-key so that they avoid stopping at the front desk. 

Holiday Inn to test smartphone as hotel-room key; some guests prefer to skip front desk http://travel.usatoday.com/hotels/post/2010/05/holiday-inn-to-test-smartphone-as-hotel-room-key-some-guests-prefer-to-skip-front-desk/93807/1

The trend of rising up smartphone use among tourists pushes tourism organizations to take it into account while making their marketing strategy.

Although smartphones represent an extraordinary step forward in new technologies, I do not feel confortable with their use. In my point of view new technologies change quicker and quicker and definitely too quick.

Although they are supposed to make communication easier between people, new technologies make it more complicated and even reduce it. Indeed, when a smartphone owner travels somewhere his first reflex is to check his phone to find his way (thanks to internet or a GPS) or to get some information whereas without it he could come to meet the local population.

Moreover some applications have been created to help the tourist, for example to find a good restaurant, just by simply taking a picture of it. In my opinion, this is going too far as taking risks is a very important part in travelling and it makes a travel experience a good one.