Mobile app will provide information for tourists on food, lodging, events
When it comes to promoting Alexander City to tourists, there’s going to be an app for that.
The Alexander City Chamber of Commerce is developing an app that will be available on iPhone and Android devices and is set to be up and running by the first part of June.
“It will help us to communicate with people who come to see us,” said Ann Rye, chamber president and CEO. “This is an avenue to boost our tourism. We want to attract more people to visit Alexander City.”
Rye said the aim is to entice people off the highway to enjoy everything Alexander City has to offer.
“They can download this app for free and be able to see a list of all our events, directions to those events, times, how to get tickets or whatever those details may be,” Rye said.
But it’s not just event information the app will have available. It will also include a directory of restaurants.
“Maybe they want Mexican or America cuisine,” Rye said. “They would go to the category, and it will list all the restaurants in that category.”
The app will also provide directions to the restaurant, which will be useful for finding restaurants off the beaten path, and offer an opportunity for restaurants to advertise their products.
“If they have a special offer that day or month, they can call the chamber and advertise through this app,” Rye said.
Parks, hotels, camping areas, athletic opportunities and more will also be detailed in the app. The ability to plug in recorded “guided tours” is also available.
“They can have a guided tour through any of our sites – Horseshoe Bend, downtown, Russell Lands, our cemeteries – just anything,” Rye said.
Rye said the chamber sees this as way to overcome the obstacle of people just not realizing what Alexander City has to offer. The City of Alexander City is also behind the effort, footing the bill for the start-up cost and the first year.
“Everybody has their phone with them when they’re out on the lake, driving on Hwy. 280, inside our city or outside our city,” Rye said. “Social media and mobile media are about fastest growing media tools.”
Rye said the chamber is in the process of collecting all the data necessary to send to the company producing the app – information from local chamber member retailers and restaurants as well as community events.
“This is another incentive for someone to be a part of the chamber,” Rye said. “For us to be able to maintain the information and keep it current, we have to be in communication with these businesses monthly.”
Rye said after generating all the content for the app for current member businesses, the chamber will begin contacting other businesses to join the chamber and become a part of the app.
