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Iloilo Digital Tourism comes to Santa Barbara, Iloilo

TOURISTS visiting the historic town of Santa Barbara, Iloilo will now have a handy travel guide of places to go to and things to try. Philippine telecommunications leader Smart Communications, Inc. and new media startup InnoPub Media will launch the Anvil Award-winning digital tourism program in town this coming Independence Day, June 12.
Special markers containing QR (quick response) codes and NFC (near field communication) have been placed in select heritage and tourism areas in Santa Barbara. When scanned with a phone or tablet, the QR codes trigger the download of information about the tourism site. With NFC capable devices, all it takes is a tap on these markers to be able to get the information on their devices.

To be able to download information, however, the gadget needs to be connected to the Internet and have a QR code scanner, which can be downloaded for free in the phone’s application market.

The digital tourism program also includes a mobile guide to Santa Barbara, Iloilo (http://santabarbara.myguide.ph/), which contains a listing of places to go and things to try as well as important contact numbers. 

SPECIAL MARKERS. 
Some heritage and tourism sites in Santa Barbara contain special markers like these. When scanned with a phone, the markers trigger the download of information about the sites.
The mobile guide, which will be turned into a downloadable e-book for phones, tablets and e-readers in the coming weeks, is produced in partnership with Cebu Pacific. (Download SANTA BARBARA GUIDE)
The program also includes a mobile website that allows tourists to view an interactive map of places to go based on their locations. To view suggested areas, tourists need to turn on their gadget’s global positioning system or GPS, open myguide.ph and enable location sharing.
To download information on heritage and tourism sites using the quick response or QR code printed on special markers, you will need to have a QR Code scanner. If your phone still does not have one, you can download a free QR code scanner from your phone’s application store.
Android users can download the Scan app, NeoReader or the Barcode Scanner. These apps are free.
iPad and iPhone users can download the Scan app for iOS or NeoReader. Both apps are also free.
Windows phone users can download the Scan app for Windows.
BlackBerry users can download the free ScanLife Barcode Reader (Appworld link).
After installing a QR reader, you can start scanning the codes printed on markers in select tourism and heritage sites. To download information, however, your phone needs to have a dependable Internet connection. Your best choice is the country’s telecommunications leader, Smart Communications, Inc.
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