Using 5G to support tourism businesses in rural communities

,5G test-bed programme

We are a partner in the Mobile Access North Yorkshire (MANY) 5G testbed programme. One of the primary purposes of this testbed is to use 5G to support tourism businesses in a rural setting. The UK government’s Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport partially funded the project. 5G mobile technologies in rural communities are the focus of the MANY programme. Social, health, environmental, and tourism outcomes are being studied. Flo-culture leads the tourism trial. To this end, we are working with The Forbidden Corner, a leading visitor attraction in this rural county.

Hugely impacted by the COVID lockdown, The Forbidden Corner wants to use the 5G network to deliver interactive and fun experiences while also improving overall customer satisfaction. Ultimately, a better visitor experience will result in more memorable days out and motivate visitors to spread the word and return to the attraction.

Why Tourism?

The Yorkshire tourism industry brings £9 billion to the local economy each year and employs 225,000 people. Accordingly, this is of high importance to the general economy of the county.

A lack of digital access in areas of rural North Yorkshire has put businesses at a disadvantage over their urban neighbours. In addition, the Covid-19 pandemic has shown that there is now a clear understanding of the need for robust rural connectivity. Ultimately, this will result in a more sustainable and safer tourism industry for rural counties like North Yorkshire.

We are working with tourism and hospitality businesses to explore digital tools that utilise 5G technologies. Presently, we aim to use these to help them attract visitors, improve their customer experience and increase revenues.

Finally, please Get in touch if you are a tourism business operating in rural settings. We would love you to get involved.