OUR TURN: Quick Response signs symbol of Marble Falls’ future
All the signs are there for Marble Falls to make inroads into the new trend of digital tourism, even if you can’t read them.
But don’t worry, that’s the way it’s supposed to be with Quick Response signs. Anyone under 30 already gets it. After all, they’re part of the new demographic in tourism dollars the city should be chasing.
The Quick Response signs are an acknowledgment the world and how we communicate are changing and moving into the digital age. So are tourists.
Traditional maps and brochures aren’t going away, nor are helpful publications such as the 101 Fun Things to Do in the Highland Lakes, which this company publishes.
But city leaders are smart to realize visitors are using new tools to pick where to go and what to see.
Marble Falls has to capitalize on these advances to help the local hotel-motel and sales taxes. This is especially critical as city officials recognize the importance of tourism to the economy and continue talks on everything from a future sports complex to a new beach.
Society has moved into the mobile data age, and if Marble Falls wants to continue drawing tourists to the Highland Lakes, city leaders have to remain innovative and follow these trends.
Erecting the new signs at City Hall is a good start.
What is a Quick Response sign, some might ask.
They can range in size from a postage stamp to something much larger. The pair affixed to the outside bulletin board at City Hall, 800 Third St., appear to be just two 12-inch squares with several abstract, maze-like patterns drawn on them.
However, they are a pair of electronic modules equipped with two-dimensional barcodes built to relay all sorts of encoded information.
The information can be decoded and read through the use of camera-application software embedded into smart phones or other mobile data devices.
For the moment, the signs help smart-phone users connect to the city of Marble Falls and Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce websites.
But that will change in the future, and the city should add more information as soon as possible. Other agencies might want to emulate their efforts by erecting their own QR signs around town.
Eventually, the signs at City Hall will emit images to help visitors using smart phones find reams of information on what to do and see in the city.
Further applications could include detailed information about weekend events or special activities going on downtown or on Lake Marble Falls.
Information about Johnson Park, renting city facilities, disc golf in Westside Park or even safety guidelines for the skate park could be featured.
The signs are cheap, too — just $25. That’s a good expenditure with chances for a great return.
The city has entered several partnerships with the goal of increasing tourism, identified as one of the area’s growth industries. As more people make mobile data systems a part of their lives, it’s only smart to adapt to the trends.
This is the future of tourism in Marble Falls. All the signs point to it.