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Tourists will never get lost again, thanks to 3 simple words
In the travel industry the customer experience is everything, and we go to great pains to make sure that, from the moment of booking, every customer’s stay is smooth and free from hassle or frustration. But there are some elements that are outside of our control, and this includes one of the biggest frustrations for travellers: getting lost.
Many of South Africa’s most spectacular places to stay and visit are difficult to find, and many don’t have a useful address for navigation. Hotels, lodges and restaurants provide lengthy and detailed turn-by-turn directions but without local knowledge, tourists often struggle to follow them.
Innovative addressing system what3words has the solution. It has divided the world into a grid of 3m x 3m squares and assigned each square a unique combination of 3 dictionary words – a 3 word address. It’s the simplest way to talk about any precise location, from the front door of the Michelangelo Hotel in Johannesburg at ///target.craft.cardinal,to the beginning of the Tsitsikamma hiking trail at ///adoption.experimental.surroundings
3 word addresses are an accurate and reliable way to locate hotels and restaurants, and a lot more. Regular street addresses are limited to buildings, while 3 word addresses cover every 3m x 3m square on the planet. Now every incredible viewpoint, every perfect hidden cove, every tasty street vendor and every hidden waterfall can be found easily with its 3 word address.
In the Eastern Cape, Samara Private Game Reserve gives visitors the 3 word address ///rosters.plots.famous to help them locate their front gate, the turning for the which is easily missed in the vast landscape.
“I think what3words is a brilliant initiative” said Isabelle Tompkins, Business Development Managerat Samara. “We’ve added our 3 word address to our website to help guests find us more easily, and we’re also using 3 word addresses for our conservation projects such as mapping water points and spekboom planting”.
Samara join a rapidly growing number of tourism businesses worldwide using what3words, from the luxury Landmark Hotels in Dubai, India and Saudi Arabia to the rural hostels, cabins and campsites of the UK’s Youth Hostel Association. 3 word addresses are listed in Niislel Guide, the essential guide to the city of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and, closer to home, look out for what3words in the 2018 issue of Eat Out magazine, SA’s best guide to SA’s best food.
Get a 3 word address sign for your business
In partnership with South African Tourism Grading Council, what3words are offering South African tourism businesses a free personalised 3 word address sign for their business. Find your 3 word address and request your sign now.