The barcodes can be scanned by smartphones and are a central part of the city’s promotions.
Iloilo City has just announced that it will be QR codes implemented as a part of a considerable tourism campaign in order to make the city more appealing to visitors who carry smartphones.
The city will also be releasing an app that can be used by tourists to scan the codes.
The City Tourism Officer, Benito Jimena, explained that the QR codes will become active for Iloilo’s campaign with the launch of the Neo reader from Smart, which will occur on March 20 and 21.
The campaign using QR codes is a part of a massive partnership among several groups.
The launch will be attended by many representatives of the groups that took part in the creation and implementation of the QR codes. This includes city officers and officials, as well as personnel from participating agencies such as the University of the Philippines Center for West Visayan Studies, Smart Communications, and the Iloilo City Cultural Heritage Conservation Council.
According to Jimena, the QR codes will provide smartphone users with a information about a point of interest or “item”. This information is sent directly into the smartphone that has used the special Neo reader app to make the scan. He stated that “One has just to turn the application on, position the cell phone screen to scan the code, and information, including photos and videos, will appear.”
Jimena also described a contest that will be held through the use of the QR codes. He said that during the launch, guests in selected areas of the city gallery, Calle Real, and Plaza Libertad Complex will be able to take part in the QR code Hunting Contest, which will include prizes that have been provided by sponsors.
He explained that the QR codes can be scanned in a similar way to those that are seen on products in stores, which are scanned at checkout counters. He did add, though, that “The bar code, however, stands alone, while the QR requires access to the web where data is stored.”
