Kim Kerr and Julie Kilpatrick cut the ribbon on the new Touchscreen at the Ararat and Grampians Visitor Information Centre.
Ararat - The Ararat and Grampians Visitor Information Centre can now offer 24-hour information to tourists in town, promoting Ararat across the country and internationally, all with the help of a Tourism Touchscreen information kiosk installed in the visitor centre.
The visitor centre hosted the official unveiling of the kiosk by Ararat Rural City Council's tourism and community information co-ordinator, Julie Kilpatrick and Kim Kerr, visitor services team leader.
The Tourism Touchscreen complements the daytime services offered by visitor centre staff and volunteers by allowing after hours visitors to access local Ararat businesses' electronic brochures on display through the centre window.
"As a newcomer to the tourism industry I was eager to learn and keep improving our information services in Ararat, so every opportunity I got while travelling I would pop into other information centres to see what they were offering their tourists," Ms Kerr said.
"I quickly saw a trend in many of the centres offering this 24-hour information through the Tourism Touchscreen system. After visiting friends in Sale I called into their centre and collected the details for the Datatrax Company and by coincidence the very next week Michael from Datatrax Tourism Touchscreens called into showcase this very product.
"Without much convincing I could see the opportunities and potential to increase the presence of Ararat and all it has to offer!"
Many of Ararat's tourist attractions, motels and caravan parks, clubs, hotels, bakeries, beauty services and local wineries and art galleries are now on display across the entire network of over 240 Tourism Touchscreen locations, as well as online, and to smartphone users via the Take You There mobile app available on the App Store and GooglePlay.
Comprehensive content on Ararat has been contributed by both local businesses and the Ararat Rural City Council.
Michael Shepherdson, project manager for the Tourism Touchscreen Network, is excited to have the opportunity to include Ararat in the Victorian towns showcased on the network.
"Ararat has so much history, heritage and tourism potential to offer visitors," he said.
"The Tourism Touchscreen Network is a proven and great tool used by tourists to plan where they want to go and what they want to do.
"With the businesses and attractions displayed, I know the Tourism Touchscreen will help to showcase Ararat to tourists and encourage them to spruik Ararat to their friends and family."