Visitors to the grower’s location can use their smartphones to spot the ripest and sweetest produce.
Sorell Fruit Farm, located in Southern Tasmania, has added a unique new mobile twist to its farm tourism through the use of QR codes that are located among all of the rows.
Each row of fruit boasts a quick response barcode that can be scanned by visitors with smartphones.
The idea came from the farm’s Bob Hardy. It allows visitors with a scanner application on their smartphones to scan the QR codes to obtain information about the fruit’s variety, its name, when it is in season, how it should be picked, and how to select the sweetest pieces at ideal ripeness. Hardy explained that the information is now available in two different languages, English and Mandarin Chinese, as these re the languages most frequently spoken by their visitors.
The QR codes are recognizable no matter what language the visitor happens to speak.
As the second largest language group of overseas visitors to Tasmania is Chinese, it makes sense to give those guests a recognizable way to obtain the information that they want, in that language, regarding the fruit that the farm produces. Using the QR codes provides a type of universal symbol that then allows the guest to choose the language that he or she would prefer.
According to Hardy, “QR codes are a great way of ensuring Chinese tourists have an enjoyable farm experience.” It means that they will not miss out on all of the fascinating things that can be learned, and the great techniques for choosing the perfect fruit to pick and to eat. He said that those who are more tech savvy and who are young at heart will also be able to enjoy the use of the barcodes that will provide them with an enhanced experience while they are visiting the farm.
The information that is available through the QR codes is also all available offline. However, this provides a quick, easy, and paperless way for smartphone users to gain access to it right when they need it. Hardy expects that this feature will be an important element in growing the number of Asian visitors that come to Sorell Fruit Farm every year.
