Mobile technology has been a game changer for the tourism industry, through the collection of higher quality customer data and many other benefits. Mobile surveys can be easily deployed on smart phones and tablets, allowing for on-site interaction with visitors at events, information kiosks, displays, and more. They offer several advantages over paper-based surveys and are a more environmentally friendly option.

Simple and practical for volunteers

Using a tablet in the field is far more manageable than carrying a stack of paper surveys and extra pens. Most people are comfortable with using a smart device, so staff and volunteers can learn to input survey responses with minimal training.

No internet? No problem

Mobile surveys can be deployed anywhere, even in locations without internet coverage.

Save time and reduce human error

Data collected in mobile surveys is saved on the device and can be downloaded and analyzed instantly. The process saves hours of time spent on manual data entry and reduces double entry errors common to paper-based surveys.

Storage safety

Paper can be easily misplaced, discarded or destroyed, especially in a busy environment of outdoor location. Mobile survey data is stored on the device or in the cloud, which can be password-protected, copied or backed up for secure future access.

Case Study: Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival

In 2019, Tourism Saskatchewan worked with the Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival to deploy a mobile survey to help organizers gain a better understanding of the origin and make-up of festival attendees.

The annual Waskesiu Lakeside Music Festival is a free public event and features live music on an outdoor stage in the heart of the Waskesiu townsite in Prince Albert National Park.

Tourism Saskatchewan provided festival volunteers with an online training video and supplied three iPads pre-loaded with a short survey. During the event, attendees were offered a small incentive to participate in the survey.

“We started with offering a choice of a two-for-one certificate – for either mini golf or ice cream,” festival organizer Jim Kerby said. “After those ran out, we just asked people to participate. We were always very well received and hardly ever turned down.”

The survey data collected enabled Tourism Saskatchewan to build a demographic profile of the typical festival-goer and revealed the marketing tactics with the greatest impact. Kerby is a strong advocate for the technology. “We are big fans of the iPads for the survey – they worked really well, and we got lots of responses,” he said.