Jiangsu province's 2015 smart tourism conference named Kunshan Tourism Resort a model site for "Internet Plus tourism".

The conference was held in Wuxi, Jiangsu province on Dec 17 and participated in by personnel from the information center of the national tourism bureau, the provincial tourism bureau and the provincial economy and informatization commission.

The model site certificate for Internet Plus tourism issued by the Jiangsu provincial tourism bureau to commend Kunshan Tourism Resort's efforts in recent years. [Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Kunshan Tourism Resort, founded in 1994, was among the first resorts to be approved by the provincial government. Convenient transportation, an uncompromised natural environment, rich tourism resources and developed infrastructures are the resort's advantages leading to its success in tourism development.

The resort has made smart systems its top priority over recent years. An overall plan and a three-year frame of action have been drafted, and a working mechanism for coordination and cooperation established.

A total of 20 million yuan was invested to construct a free Wi-Fi network, an integrated smart management platform, a video surveillance system, a scenic site service system and online and mobile portals.

A screenshot of the Kunshan Tourism Resort website. [Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

With the smart system's installation, the resort, which comprises water town appeal, rural tours, profound culinary culture, and lakefront retreats, attracted more than 13.8 million tourists in 2014 alone.

Zhouzhuang town, Jinxi town, Dianshan Lake town, Qiandeng town and Yangchenghu Tourism Center in Bacheng town are within the resort's limits.

For the future, the resort intends to further develop the existing systems into a fully-fledged cloud technology-based platform of management, services and marketing. According to the resort, the future platform will have the following four aspects.

An illustration of the future platform of smart tourism in Kunshan Tourism Resort. [Photo from Kunshan Tourism Resort]

Big data analysis: Information collected via communication base stations, the Wi-Fi system and video surveillance cameras, including tourist numbers, mobile phone area codes and visitor activities, will be processed for risk assessment, information disclosure and other emergency responses.

Cloud service platform: Internet of Things, cloud and mobile communication technologies will be deployed to build an integrated platform for data compilation, decision making and customization of services for mobile clients.

Smart marketing and branding: On this front, the resort plans to deepen its partnership with tourism websites to use the results of big data analyses to improve precision marketing. It will also offer tailored itineraries based on feedback from tourists and send information updates to tourists en route.

Smart information dissemination system: Computer and tablet terminals and touchscreens will be available for news updates at tourist centers, hotels, restaurants and other heavy traffic locations. Tourists can use these devices to access the resort's Internet service and post their messages and travel notes online. SOS phones will also be installed.

Edited by Peter Nordlinger