As Paris prepares to host the Summer Olympics for the first time in a century, France is on a journey of restoration to provide visitors with an unparalleled Olympic experience.
However, amidst the excitement, Paris must confront challenges stemming from its centuries-old infrastructure and status as Europe’s most densely populated city, such as mobility obstacles, high tourist taxes and hotel rates, pollution in the Seine River, and even outbreaks of bedbugs.
But, what if you had the ability to build it all from scratch and incorporate cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, right into the city’s infrastructure?
Reimagining the city’s infrastructure presents exciting opportunities, and by leveraging innovative technologies, we can create immersive sports experiences that engage a global audience.
A glimpse into the life of an athlete
Creating opportunities for visitors to step into the shoes of an Olympic athlete, from the locker room to the main event, offers a one-to-one connection that deepens their understanding and appreciation of the Olympic journey. It can also be motivating on a personal level with the visitor’s own training goals, while generating revenue and leaving a lasting impact on the host city and its visitors.
Hologram tour operators and interactive maps
The incorporation of hologram tour operators and interactive maps will provide detailed insights about sports venues, competitions, and real-time navigation, highlighting popular outdoor activities and adventures. With multi-language support, these technologies make exploring new destinations more accessible and enjoyable for more active tourists.
Metaverse and 360-degree tours
Integrating metaverse technology and 360-degree tours enable global accessibility to major sporting events without the need for physical travel, making the sports industry, as a whole, more inclusive. Fans can also benefit from virtual merchandise stores, one-on-ones with their favourite athletes, and behind-the-scenes access that together enhance fan engagement.
Biometric technology and conversational commerce
Biometric technology and conversational commerce when intertwined create truly personalized sports tourism with seamless venue access, customized recommendations, and tailored assistance, leading to higher visitor engagement, improved journey flows, and sustained revenue growth.
Air taxis, autonomous vehicles, e-scooters, and more
For sports tourists attending major competitions with multivenue events, such as the 15 million or so heading to the Paris Olympics in less than 100 days’ time, options like air taxis, autonomous shuttles, e-scooters, and even hoverboards provide eco-friendly, quick, convenient ways to navigate the host city.
As Saudi Arabia prepares to host the 2029 Asian Winter Games in NEOM’s Trojena, a year-round ski resort destination, the world watches in anticipation. Unlike Paris, which must navigate the challenges of upgrading existing infrastructure for the upcoming Summer Olympics, the Kingdom is working with a relatively blank canvas.
It presents an opportunity for Saudi Arabia to showcase its commitment to innovation and sustainability, setting a new standard for the future of sports travel. As residents of more successful recent Olympics – like London – have discovered, it is not just about the weeks of competition, but the positive legacy that lasts for years afterwards.
Insignia Worldwide crafts new realities at the intersections of strategy and storytelling, by challenging what is humanly possible and creating what is Impossibly Human.TM