The tourism industry is constantly evolving alongside technological advancements and shifting visitor preferences. To remain competitive and enhance their positioning, DMOs, experience providers and cultural attractions must embrace innovation and collaborate more closely with the wider technology ecosystem.
The tourism industry is constantly evolving alongside technological advancements and shifting visitor preferences. To remain competitive and enhance their positioning, DMOs, experience providers and cultural attractions must embrace innovation and collaborate more closely with the wider technology ecosystem.
Our upcoming event, X. Design Week (3-6 June), delves into four key themes shaping the future of tourism innovation - Generational Intelligence, Shaping an AI Strategy, Digital Service Design and Immersive Storytelling and Spatial Computing. These themes embody the spirit of our tagline - Future. Flow. Forward.
Future encompasses the evolving trends that should be tapped into to prepare for what lies ahead for the tourism industry and boost visitor engagement.
Flow, much like Newcastle's River Tyne, represents the iterative design process.
Forward signifies the constant push towards innovation and progress in the tourism industry through the adoption of emerging technologies.
Generational Intelligence
Understanding generational shifts is crucial for tourism marketing. This theme explores growing generational divides and sets the scene for the emergence of Gen Alpha and their unique travel motivations, shaped by the digital age, the lingering impact of COVID-19 and an increasing focus on mental health. Gen Alpha has been surrounded by modern technological innovations, mobile devices and social media from a very early age. It is expected that by age 10, their technological skills will have already surpassed those of their Millennial parents.
In order to adapt to the behavioural and technological changes amidst these growing generational divides, DMOs and the wider sector need to consider how to effectively engage with this generation and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly. X. Design Week offers a deeper discussion on how next-generation marketing strategies can be crafted. Statistics indicate that 48% of Gen Alpha trust influencers as much as they trust their own family. This is why, at X. Design Week, we'll examine the role of influencers, particularly emerging AI influencers, and how the social media landscape is being completely reshaped after some major announcements at the start of this year. We see Gen Alpha as a key market to consider moving forward and now is the moment to start planning for their emergence as the largest and most valuable demographic for travel.
Shaping an AI Strategy
With the rapid development of AI, the tourism industry needs to develop resilient strategies for adapting to multimodal technologies and advanced AI infrastructures. At X. Design Week, we have chosen to explore the transformative potential of generative AI across all aspects of tourism marketing and management. During our first Impact Day, on 3 June, we will cover the full spectrum of generative AI applications across text, image, video and voice to empower participants to put AI into practice in a highly productive way.
Over the next decade, AI will have a significant impact on our work productivity. This is why it is crucial to evaluate current AI strategies and amplify the potential of this technology. Our keynote speakers will delve into how AI technology creates value and discuss how to balance the risk and reward of generative AI, something we'll explore in greater depth during the design sprint when we guide participants to shape their own AI strategy. As a cutting-edge technology that will have a significant impact on user experiences and brand opportunities, we must ensure that we move beyond experimentation to a clearly defined approach that brings lasting improvements and efficiencies to internal workflows and marketing.
Digital Service Design
The facilitation of connected and accessible experiences through intuitive innovation and the development of seamless interfaces will be a key driver of enhanced destination management, marketing and visitor experiences. Statistics for UK consumers suggest that 55% of abandoned purchases and bookings are due to accessibility issues, effectively demonstrating the potential digital service design brings for optimising all touchpoints and maximising conversions. During the discussions, we'll raise interesting questions about whether plugins are sufficient and the role of AI and machine learning in enhancing inclusive experiences.
We will also explore the critical elements DMOs, cultural heritage institutions and the wider experience economy need to consider when designing effective interfaces, particularly the interplay of user needs, technological capabilities and aesthetic appeal. Digital service design is an opportunity for innovation in tourism with long-term implications, where being agile and rapidly identifying trends is essential to meeting user needs and serving a clear purpose.
Immersive Storytelling and Spatial Computing
Travellers are seeking ways to stay present while still capturing the moment. Combining storytelling and spatial computing can contribute greatly to achieving captivating content that adds genuine value to the visitor journey. With the immersive technologies sector growing at 12.5% per year, it’s important to consider ways spatial computing will transform visitor experiences. At X. Design Week, we will explore the blend between digital and physical environments that create hyper-immersive experiences and examine how to be an early adopter of innovation. We'll focus on the rise of mixed reality experiences, particularly the emergence of wearable technologies and how to prepare for their widespread adoption as well as the growth of Augmented Reality experiences for transforming visitor engagement. Building upon this, we will co-design engaging and user-centred experiences that leverage the unique capabilities of spatial computing to create unforgettable memories.
With immersive experiences being one of the fastest developing opportunities, despite the limited attention placed on this topic, our second Impact Day, on 6 June, will delve deeper into the diverse applications of XR by testing the Apple Vision Pro and experimenting with AR, NFTs and blockchain. Participants will examine ways to produce immersive content and experiences and position themselves as pioneering destinations and businesses in the implementation of this emerging format.
Join us at X. Design Week 2025, in Newcastle, where through exploratory sessions and hands-on design sprints, we'll unpack these trending topics and create actionable outputs while also engaging in cross-sector networking.
The tourism industry is constantly evolving alongside technological advancements and shifting visitor preferences. To remain competitive and enhance their positioning, DMOs, experience providers and cultural attractions must embrace innovation and collaborate more closely with the wider technology ecosystem.
Our upcoming event, X. Design Week (3-6 June), delves into four key themes shaping the future of tourism innovation - Generational Intelligence, Shaping an AI Strategy, Digital Service Design and Immersive Storytelling and Spatial Computing. These themes embody the spirit of our tagline - Future. Flow. Forward.
Future encompasses the evolving trends that should be tapped into to prepare for what lies ahead for the tourism industry and boost visitor engagement.
Flow, much like Newcastle's River Tyne, represents the iterative design process.
Forward signifies the constant push towards innovation and progress in the tourism industry through the adoption of emerging technologies.
Generational Intelligence
Understanding generational shifts is crucial for tourism marketing. This theme explores growing generational divides and sets the scene for the emergence of Gen Alpha and their unique travel motivations, shaped by the digital age, the lingering impact of COVID-19 and an increasing focus on mental health. Gen Alpha has been surrounded by modern technological innovations, mobile devices and social media from a very early age. It is expected that by age 10, their technological skills will have already surpassed those of their Millennial parents.
In order to adapt to the behavioural and technological changes amidst these growing generational divides, DMOs and the wider sector need to consider how to effectively engage with this generation and tailor their marketing strategies accordingly. X. Design Week offers a deeper discussion on how next-generation marketing strategies can be crafted. Statistics indicate that 48% of Gen Alpha trust influencers as much as they trust their own family. This is why, at X. Design Week, we'll examine the role of influencers, particularly emerging AI influencers, and how the social media landscape is being completely reshaped after some major announcements at the start of this year. We see Gen Alpha as a key market to consider moving forward and now is the moment to start planning for their emergence as the largest and most valuable demographic for travel.
Shaping an AI Strategy
With the rapid development of AI, the tourism industry needs to develop resilient strategies for adapting to multimodal technologies and advanced AI infrastructures. At X. Design Week, we have chosen to explore the transformative potential of generative AI across all aspects of tourism marketing and management. During our first Impact Day, on 3 June, we will cover the full spectrum of generative AI applications across text, image, video and voice to empower participants to put AI into practice in a highly productive way.
Over the next decade, AI will have a significant impact on our work productivity. This is why it is crucial to evaluate current AI strategies and amplify the potential of this technology. Our keynote speakers will delve into how AI technology creates value and discuss how to balance the risk and reward of generative AI, something we'll explore in greater depth during the design sprint when we guide participants to shape their own AI strategy. As a cutting-edge technology that will have a significant impact on user experiences and brand opportunities, we must ensure that we move beyond experimentation to a clearly defined approach that brings lasting improvements and efficiencies to internal workflows and marketing.
Digital Service Design
The facilitation of connected and accessible experiences through intuitive innovation and the development of seamless interfaces will be a key driver of enhanced destination management, marketing and visitor experiences. Statistics for UK consumers suggest that 55% of abandoned purchases and bookings are due to accessibility issues, effectively demonstrating the potential digital service design brings for optimising all touchpoints and maximising conversions. During the discussions, we'll raise interesting questions about whether plugins are sufficient and the role of AI and machine learning in enhancing inclusive experiences.
We will also explore the critical elements DMOs, cultural heritage institutions and the wider experience economy need to consider when designing effective interfaces, particularly the interplay of user needs, technological capabilities and aesthetic appeal. Digital service design is an opportunity for innovation in tourism with long-term implications, where being agile and rapidly identifying trends is essential to meeting user needs and serving a clear purpose.
Immersive Storytelling and Spatial Computing
Travellers are seeking ways to stay present while still capturing the moment. Combining storytelling and spatial computing can contribute greatly to achieving captivating content that adds genuine value to the visitor journey. With the immersive technologies sector growing at 12.5% per year, it’s important to consider ways spatial computing will transform visitor experiences. At X. Design Week, we will explore the blend between digital and physical environments that create hyper-immersive experiences and examine how to be an early adopter of innovation. We'll focus on the rise of mixed reality experiences, particularly the emergence of wearable technologies and how to prepare for their widespread adoption as well as the growth of Augmented Reality experiences for transforming visitor engagement. Building upon this, we will co-design engaging and user-centred experiences that leverage the unique capabilities of spatial computing to create unforgettable memories.
With immersive experiences being one of the fastest developing opportunities, despite the limited attention placed on this topic, our second Impact Day, on 6 June, will delve deeper into the diverse applications of XR by testing the Apple Vision Pro and experimenting with AR, NFTs and blockchain. Participants will examine ways to produce immersive content and experiences and position themselves as pioneering destinations and businesses in the implementation of this emerging format.
Join us at X. Design Week 2025, in Newcastle, where through exploratory sessions and hands-on design sprints, we'll unpack these trending topics and create actionable outputs while also engaging in cross-sector networking.
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