Australian developer Wotsay has embarked on a groundbreaking ‘fun finding mission’, launching a world first, machine learning travel and recreation app that will revolutionise Australia’s $135b tourism industry – just when it needs it most.
The free Wotsay app launches in March loaded with over 100,000 listings to bring visitors and locals together with tourism and leisure operators like never before.
It makes finding and organising fun experiences easier for users – and reaching the ideal customer at the right time easier for travel, hospitality, entertainment and recreation providers and venues of all sizes.
That makes it a big win-win for consumers and an industry recovering from dual disasters, according to Don Morris AO, former chair of the Australian Tourism Commission and chairman of Tourism Think Tank.
“There is no doubt Australian tourism has been hit hard by the fires and the Corona virus,” Mr Morris said. “The Wotsay team have built a product that will disrupt the industry in a good way. It will not only improve the tourist experience, but also increase local participation, getting people off their screens and into their communities. It sits at that sweet spot of making life better for consumers and vendors, a real win-win.”
Wotsay we find you fun – and save you time
Wotsay takes all the legwork out of finding something fun to do or see and coordinating plans with friends and family. It eliminates the need to search and trawl through hundreds of options and online listings. The unique combination of intelligent data-driven and social platforms delivers Wotsayers the best, personalised recommendations for them – and the ability to share and coordinate their plans with others, all within the app, with no searching.
Like a concierge in your pocket, Wotsay connects you with attractions, activities, venues and events that match your profile and preferences, including budget, age, location, interests, availability, energy level and mood. No matter what you want – sustainable, accessible, family friendly, LGBT and more – Wotsay will find and deliver the best suggestions for you, to you. Users can curate and customise their own itinerary from the personalised suggestions, or follow others’ recommendations.
Its social collaboration tools give you the ability to share and coordinate plans, activities and adventures quickly and easily with friends and family, so you can organise in minutes what previously took hours or days.
“Think Facebook Events x TripAdvisor x 10,” CEO John Hancock said. “Wotsay is the world’s most powerful engine for discovering and coordinating fun because it focuses on the user, not the product. And because it’s machine learning based, every time it is used, it gets smarter.”
Wotsay we grow the industry: Finding ideal customers, slashing commissions, paying for content
Today millennials spend more on experiences than material possessions. The average Australian goes out 2-3 times a week – totalling to 1.5 billion outings per year, 50 million weekly dinners, and a total of over 87,000 vendor visits. 1 in 8 businesses in Australia is directly connected to tourism.
Wotsay will help grow the industry by matching vendors and venues with their ideal customers at the ideal time – when they are ready to buy or book – and then facilitate the booking process. With flights and accommodation commoditised by price comparison sites that sees vendors pay up to 25-30% commission on bookings, Wotsay offers a fresh low-to-zero cost sales channel for experience tourism.
Just like Airbnb made an entrepreneur out of anyone with a spare room, Wotsay offers revenues for anyone who knows a good time. Anyone who uploads a ‘Wotpak’ curated package of fun (including Influencers, local councils and everyday users) earns a commission on their content when a Wotsayer clicks through or books.
“Until now, connecting people with fun has been limited to catalogue websites that blindly put hundreds of things to do or see in front of every website visitor, with limited knowledge about the vendor and no knowledge about the visitor,” Mr Hancock said. “Wotsay flips that on its head when it comes to activities and is at the forefront of the industry’s trend focus on experience tourism. The ‘experience economy’ is booming – and Wotsay is already sitting where the industry is heading.”
Wotsay pilots in northern NSW and Sydney’s inner city at the beginning of March and launches nationally across Australia on 17 March, followed by the US in August and Asia and Europe in 2021.
It will be available for download from March 17 from Apple and Google play stores.
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Quotes from industry stakeholders
“I am excited by this technology and can see real value for this in the visitor economy to drive dispersal. I believe Wotsay could free up our staff time to focus on engaging with visitors to our region”
– Alicia Wallace, Team Leaders Ballina Visitor Information Centre
“[This] has the potential to enhance visitor experiences, increase spend to the tourism industry and to increase awareness of products offered by small to medium sized enterprises within the events and attraction fields.”
– Mark Williams, CEO Australian Tourism Data Warehouse
“We see the relationship with Wotsay as timely and important to our strategy as we continue to lead the field of assistance to the Traveller by broadening our appeal and access to a wide range of content and things to do.”
– Paul Buckley, CEO Datatrax
“Wotsay is one of those smart ideas ‘someone had to do’, and we welcome the opportunity to be part of the pilot.”
– Lawrence Gibbons, GM Pyrmont-Ultimo Chamber of Commerce
“The Wotsay App… will provide a unique approach for visitors to seek out and book experiences across our region. The methodology behind the Wotsay App will increase understanding of customer preferences and behaviour. This in turn will increase dispersal across the region and from coastal to inland areas.”
– Michael Thurston, GM Destination North Coast NSW
“The app will have a positive impact on our guests and visitors, giving direct access to valuable information about what the region has to offer, as well as real time reviews and recommendations at their fingertips.”
– Ben Dargie, Manager Ramada Hotel, Ballina
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