Aberdeen Inspired is to create a bespoke app to promote the city centre to both locals and visitors and help them find the best events and things to do, amazing places to eat and drink and hidden, off the beaten track gems.
The app will be used to share information about the city, highlight special offers and promote Aberdeen Inspired events, such as the Aberdeen International Comedy Festival, Aberdeen Restaurant Week, the Inspired Nights street food festival and Aberdeen Christmas Village, as well as the street art created for the internationally renowned Nuart festival.
Other cities including Barcelona, Vancouver, Blackburn, Chelmsford and Macclesfield have created similar city-centric apps with huge success, as well as a popular Street Art Cities app, which highlights locations with must-see street art.
Local companies are now being invited to submit proposals for the development of the Aberdeen Inspired app, of the aim of launching the tool in the spring.
As the Business Improvement District (BID) for the city centre, Aberdeen Inspired is committed to developing initiatives which promote the city and drive footfall in the BID footprint on Union Street and the surrounding streets.
Nuart Aberdeen is the only street art festival in Scotland and one of the UK’s leading festivals of its kind.
Artists from around the globe transform bare walls and buildings around Aberdeen city centre with works of art, which are then free for visitors and locals to enjoy all year round.
Aberdeen Inspired reported that the Nuart Aberdeen launch weekend attracted record numbers, with 30,000 visitors – almost a 5% increase in footfall week on week and the busiest days for the month of April 2019.
The spec for the new app includes an interactive map showing all the street artworks, with information on each piece and the option to plot a walking route or follow pre-selected walks around the city centre.
It is also intended that the app will eventually be able to be used to book tickets, reserve tables in restaurants and leave reviews.
Adrian Watson, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said: “We have been working on the concept of an app for some time and we are now in a position to invite tenders from companies who have the expertise to bring this vision to life. We are particularly keen to hear from local companies who would like to bid for this project.
“We want to use the app to enhance the city centre as a tourism destination to the local, regional and national markets. It will also be a vital tool to help us rebuild visitor confidence as we recover from the impact of the pandemic, create opportunities and benefits for our levy paying businesses through promotion of events, campaigns and offers.
“Nuart is an internationally renowned street art festival and as part of its legacy as well as the new content created, we want to encourage visitors to explore the city and find the different large artworks as well as the smaller pieces which continue to surprise people as they spot them around town.”
He added: “We hope to be able to launch the app in the spring and continue to build and develop it as a useful and engaging resource for both locals and visitors to Aberdeen.”
Two versions of the app will be created for Apple and Android phones.
To register interest in submitting a proposal, please email ross.grant@aberdeeninspired.com . The closing date for submissions is January 24, 2022.
For more information, visit www.aberdeeninspired.com.