| “Both our agency and Indiana Dunes Tourism are constantly telling the story of the coastal region and all it has to offer. This app helps us do that.” | |
| Jenny Orsburn, Lake Michigan Coastal Program | |
The sand dunes, wetlands, native prairie, and oak barrens found along Indiana’s Lake Michigan shoreline are a magnet for tourists. Yet finding a way to reach the many different audiences attracted by the shoreline’s beauty and diversity can be a challenge, particularly as younger audiences turn away from hard-copy information and toward newer electronic media venues like Facebook and smartphone applications.
To address that challenge, a smartphone application has been developed that provides information on dozens of natural, cultural, and historic sites and activities in northwestern Indiana’s coastal region.
“Our premise is, ‘Let’s look at everyone’s needs and develop a holistic approach to marketing,’” says Christine Livingston, marketing director of Indiana Dunes Tourism. “Many people still love the hard-copy guides and they will always be needed, but the smartphone app enables us to target a younger group that wants information on their phones.”
The app was developed by a coastal partnership led by Indiana Dunes Tourism, the agency for tourism marketing, planning, and development in Porter County, Indiana. Funding and information for the app was provided by the Lake Michigan Coastal Program. Other partners included local, state, and national park officials, as well as area businesses, stakeholders, organizations, and academic institutions.
“One of the challenging things about developing an app,” Livingston says, “is that it’s not a one-time expense. The more features added, the more complicated the maintenance and troubleshooting can become. So any coastal programs considering app development need to think about how they can get ongoing funding.”
She notes that the app has generated a lot of excitement among digital-media users since it was developed one year ago as part of the Beyond the Beach Discovery Trail, a non-linear trail that connects natural, cultural, and historic assets. Users of the “trail” can receive information five different ways: via a printed trail guide and map, website, blog, Facebook page, and now, the phone app.
Sites along the trail are all shown and GPS-enabled with voice-over descriptions and a search feature that allows users to customize their trail experiences. For instance, an app user can search for trails alphabetically or by choosing the closest one.
Indiana’s SmartTrail app is part of the Great American SmartTrails app and is available at no charge from the online iTunes store at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/great-american-smarttrails/id398473998?mt=8.
“We were so glad to play a part in making the SmartTrail app available,” says Jenny Orsburn, a program specialist with the Lake Michigan Coastal Program. “Both our agency and Indiana Dunes Tourism are constantly telling the story of the coastal region and all it has to offer. This app helps us do that.”
To learn more about the Beyond the Beach Discovery Trail, go to www.beyondthebeachdiscoverytrail.com or call Christine Livingston at (219) 926-2255 or christine@indianadunes.com. For more information on the coastal program’s role, contact Jenny Orsburn at (219) 983-9912 or jorsburn@dnr.in.gov.
