Dalarna Science Park and Visit Dalarna are working together to generate growth and break new ground. The focus area is experience services aimed at the tourism industry via gamification or gamification.
- "We have already seen good results in the companies that have participated in the innovation process, where new gamified service products have been developed," says Victoria Ställberg, Head of Business Development, Dalarna Science Park. "We can see a leverage effect for an entire industry and region, which in the next phase can spread further within the hospitality industry and create a national attractiveness.
Dalarna is Sweden's fourth largest visitor region with a vision of being northern Europe's leading and most attractive destination by 2030. Visit Dalarna is the destination company that has the regional mission to develop, market and sell the visitor region Dalarna to attract more tourists.
- "In 2015-16, we started a process focused on developing the visitor's digital experience, because we understood how important, if not crucial, it would be in the future," says Lotta Magnusson, Head of Strategic Development at Visit Dalarna.
The need to create new innovative business opportunities with the new advanced reality where digital solutions and experiences are the future, created the new collaboration. Dalarna is home to digital technology companies at the forefront, Tension and PlaygroundSquad, which is Sweden's oldest game development program, and Dalarna Science Park, which is used to running innovation processes. As an external actor, Kairos Future has also contributed with trend and business environment analyses, etc.
Digital solutions that enhance the experience
Starting in 2020 and then accelerating in 2021, an innovation journey has begun with the aim of pushing the digital boundaries we are used to. The collaboration aims to enhance the experience and increase the availability of Dalarna's offerings through gamification of experiences both before, during and after a visit to Dalarna, which leads to higher demand both on the national and international market. In this way, relationships are built on a broader level and business is driven forward.
Gamification is a new term that describes how to connect the mechanisms of game development with a task in order to enhance the experience.
Participants in the innovation process are a number of companies based in the world of events in Dalarna and well-known visitor destinations whose facilities or activities are driving forces in Dalarna's tourism industry. One example is the Carl Larsson farm, which has now chiseled out a digital journey into the future where innovative technology can give art and culture enthusiasts around the world a unique opportunity to get a guided tour of the farm in Sundborn.
- "Anyone, anywhere, can take part in the history and walk in Carl Larsson's footsteps," says Lotta Magnusson. With the technology, the destination builds relationships on new levels with guests before, during and after the visit. The new application is also driving interest in those who choose to follow the Carl Larsson farm remotely. It is also an accessibility adaptation that opens up in a fantastic way and creates opportunities. It becomes so clear where a customer journey can begin and what you can do to build relationships and brand," Lotta Magnusson continues.
Dalarna Science Park, as the innovation arena for the whole of Dalarna, has come to play a key role, not least in the process work with the companies involved. During the innovation process, which includes a 32-hour activity, various new ideas have been created with the help of process management and cutting-edge expertise. All participating companies have now moved on and are in a concrete, operational phase.
- All the meetings in the processes, the commitment and skills that have been mixed have led to new thinking in the companies, with new innovative solutions that have the potential to lift the tourism industry to a new level. In addition to the great result of the process itself, we see that the approach is scalable, something that can create value for other destination companies in Sweden, says Victoria Ställberg
