These quick response codes give tourists the chance to gain info in any of nine different languages.
A new move at the Kansai International Airport, using QR codes, has made it possible for travelers from overseas to be able to obtain the information that they need through the use of their smartphones and tablets.
An easy scan of the quick response codes will now offer this information in nine different languages.
Since January 20, travelers have been able to access tourist information through these QR codes. Those barcodes are posted in around 100 different locations throughout the airport’s Terminal 1 building, including on lockers, sightseeing maps, and tourism booths. When a traveler uses a smartphone or tablet to scan the barcode, they are given the opportunity to select their preferred language so that they can learn more about using the airport’s different facilities, visiting various tourist attractions, using different forms of travel available from the airport, and even learn about purchasing tickets.
The QR codes also provide information about the ingredients that make up various food items sold at the airport.
The languages that are available through the QRcodes include: English, Japanese, traditional and simplified Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Malay, and Arabic. According to the New Kansai International Airport, an airport operator, this location is the first domestic transportation facility that has implemented this mobile device friendly service. The service was developed by Pijin Co., a company based in Tokyo.
An official from New Kansai International Airport explained that “It will help us determine which information is most important for foreign travelers.”
The company is hopeful that the service will be able to provide it with feedback on the languages that are being accessed the most frequently by visitors to the airport. In 2014, it is estimated that there were a record 6.3 million foreign visitors who passed through the Kansai International Airport.
It has been challenging for the airport to ensure that the majority of travelers would have signage in a language that they understand, as there is limited space available. At the moment, printed signs are in English, Chinese, and Korean. The QR codes make it possible for information in as many languages as the airport wants.
