With no need to download complicated apps, visitors buy the card through a dedicated portal and add it to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet on their phone. The digital pass contains a unique QR code; at museums, on buses and at partner businesses (from restaurants and cafés to shops and gift stores), staff simply scan it with a smartphone to validate the benefit or discount.
The Vision: A single "smart" card, right on the visitor's phone, that unlocks the Municipality's entire tourist experience. By buying the "Alexandroupoli City Pass" (for 24, 48 or 72 hours), tourists get free travel on the urban bus network (KTEL), free entry to the city's museums, special discounts at local-product, souvenir and dining spots, and perks on eco-tourism activities (e.g. the Evros Delta) or the ferry connection to Samothrace. The city is upgraded into a top Smart Tourism destination, boosting turnover in the local market.
Indicative Technical Specifications
- Wallet integration: Direct integration with Apple/Google Wallet (a zero-download experience for users).
- Merchant web app: A lightweight web app for shop owners and inspectors to easily scan the card.
- Data analytics dashboard: A central dashboard for the Municipality and the Chamber of Commerce, collecting anonymised (big) data on which areas tourists visit, at what times, and where they choose to spend.
Benefits
- A unified tourist experience: Combines city transport, local culture (Ethnology, History, Natural History museums), Evros Delta tours and the ferry connection to Samothrace.
- Boosting the local economy: Partner businesses (shops, local-product and souvenir stores, restaurants) get placed on a digital "tourist map" that directs tourists to them for their purchases.
- Digital transformation (Smart City): For the first time, the Municipality gets real, measurable statistics on tourist movement.
