Converting virtual tourists to real-life adventurers

Brand problem

Hatta region in the UAE is a picturesque getaway destination east of Dubai, a natural gem well known to the outdoor adventure enthusiasts of the UAE and neighbouring countries. Tucked away in the cool and mild climate of Hajjar mountains, Hatta’s unique environment and cultural heritage offer perfect opportunities for ecotourism. But until recently, information about the region’s outdoor activities, tourist attractions and cultural riches was only available through word of mouth or extensive internet research – or simply wasn’t available at all. Consequently, holiday makers visiting Hatta would spend much more time discovering, planning and booking their itineraries than they would for other destinations.

Information about the region’s outdoor activities, tourist attractions and cultural riches was only available through word of mouth.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, approved the initiative to promote Hatta region as a global destination for investment and tourism. The aim was to enhance the sustainable development of Hatta, boost the economic and social growth, raise the living standards of the people in the area, and to conserve Hatta’s environment and cultural heritage. The logical first step would be to consolidate all the information about the destination in one place to simplify the visitors’ journey of discovery. Together with the client, we decided that going mobile-first would be the right choice for active and adventure seeking customers.

Lemon thinking

Our solution was Visit Hatta app – a welcoming, open 24/7 tourist information centre in the palm of your hand.

Solution

The app helps visitors to explore the region, discover Hatta’s activities and attractions – such as horseback riding, paragliding, kayaking to name but a few – learn about the cultural heritage – including galleries, museums and historical sights – book accommodation, and find restaurants. The app also has a trekking map and a list of local contact numbers to assist tourists with a variety of matters.

Carefully selected technical features make Visit Hatta an indispensable resource and tool for tourists:

• By making it a hybrid app, we significantly reduced the amount of coding required, so we could deploy Visit Hatta on multiple operating systems faster and at a lower cost.
• We linked the app to a booking module so that holiday makers can book their preferred accommodation on the spot.
• We knew there is a popular cycling trek in Hatta and people were using their phones to navigate the route. So, we thought it would be a good idea to equip the app with a built-in GPS function.
• To stay in touch with our customers that have downloaded the app, we added a notification feature. Now they can stay updated on all new activities, openings, events and promotions.

Results

Visit Hatta app proved so successful that it was followed by the creation of the www.visithatta.com website to extend a warm welcome to Hatta region to an even wider audience. We sincerely believe our solution is an important steppingstone towards the future prosperity of the region and its people.