April 21, 2016

Tel Aviv is furthering its Smart City status as it integrates travel apps made in Tel Aviv into 12 percent of the city’s hotels. The municipality has also announced a new city credit card.

“Tel Aviv has been recognized as one of the world’s smartest cities, taking advantage of its flourishing Startup Ecosystem to improve its residents’ quality of life. This smart quality is now being leveraged in our tourism industry as part of the Smart Hotels initiative: to make the experience of visiting Tel Aviv easier, more connected and fun, while lowering the price of vacationing in our Nonstop City. The result will benefit international tourists, Israeli visitors, and local startups,” said Eytan Schwartz, CEO of Tel Aviv Global and Tourism.

The made-in-Tel Aviv apps will give visitors better communication with the hotels before and during their stay, enhanced segmentation in suggesting activities and events, and advanced tourist profiling for hotel marketers.

Some of the participating technologies include: Howazit, which provides a seamless connection between guests and hotels throughout the different phases of the visit; Dotz, which offers the ideal events guide for visitors based on their geo location and personal interests; and Aspectiva, which offers customer review insights.

Participating hotels are: Royal Beach, Isrotel Tower, the Dan Group hotels, Deborah, Golden Beach, Arkadia Tower, Carlton, Mergoza, West, Alexander, Embassy, Cucu and Port.

“It is our duty as a DMO (Destination Marketing Organization) to facilitate innovation across the tourism map of the city. There is such a dynamic startup scene here in Tel Aviv and many great products, that it would be a shame not to exploit that for the benefit of both visitors and businesses,” said Dr. Isaac Mizrachi, Director of Tourism at Tel Aviv Global.

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality has announced a new smart credit card for residents. The card is aimed at reducing the cost of living for residents and strengthening ties with local businesses.

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