Research in the Faculty of Tourism and Transport
The Faculty of Tourism and Transport conducts applied research into topics such as destination marketing, digital travel experiences and the regional economic impact of events. On this page, we present a selection of research projects – ranging from interactive storytelling and augmented reality apps to the scientific analysis of value creation in tourism.
The projects are often developed in collaboration with the City of Worms, partner organisations and other Faculties at the university, and closely integrate research with teaching and practical application.
The app made the sights of the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘SchUM Cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz’ accessible to travellers and locals alike. At various SchUM sites, such as the Worms Synagogue or the Judenhof in Speyer, users were provided with information about the locations as well as Jewish history and tradition. The app presented this information in the form of stories tailored to each location, thereby creating a particularly moving experience.
Keywords: app, destination marketing, city tourism, storytelling
Project leads: Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Experience Design, represented by Prof. Jan Drengner (Faculty of Tourism and Transport) and Prof. Dr Werner König (Faculty of Computer Science)
Publications:
Drengner, J.; König, W. (2017): Experience-centred design of e-services using the example of a storytelling app for tourist attractions, in: Bruhn, M.; Hadwich, K. (eds.): Services 4.0: Concepts – Methods – Tools (Forum for Service Management), Volume 1, Wiesbaden, pp. 297–324. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-17550-4_14
The SchUM app now also offers insights into Jewish life in Speyer, in: University News of Worms University of Applied Sciences
Commissioned by: SchUM Cities of Speyer, Worms and Mainz e.V.
The project integrated the City of Worms’ diverse range of education and further learning programmes into the city’s website in a striking and intuitive manner. To this end, the team visualised the city’s educational programmes as a panorama (bildungspanorama-worms.de). Iconic buildings such as the cathedral, the town hall and the university established a regional connection. The panorama was based on a deliberately broad definition of education: in addition to nurseries, schools and the university, it also incorporated libraries, the adult education centre, the music school and cultural and sporting activities.
Keywords: web design, eGovernment, user-friendliness/usability
Project leads: Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Experience Design, represented by Prof. Jan Drengner (Faculty of Tourism and Transport) and Prof. Dr Werner König (Faculty of Computer Science)
Publications:
‘Making the diversity of education in the City of Worms visible’, in: University News, Worms University of Applied Sciences
Client: Education Office of the City of Worms
To mark the 500th anniversary of Luther’s refusal to recant at the Diet of Worms, an augmented reality (AR) feature significantly enhanced the user experience of the ‘Experience Worms’ guided tour app. The AR technology bridged the past and the present: it brought historical buildings and figures to life at real-world locations in Worms. Using the app, users navigated their way through the city and, at six locations, experienced the historical events surrounding Luther’s stay at the Imperial Diet of 1521 in the style of a graphic novel.
Keywords: app, destination marketing, city tourism, augmented reality, graphic novel
Project leads: Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Experience Design, represented by Prof. Jan Drengner (Faculty of Tourism and Transport) and Prof. Dr Alexander Wiebel (Faculty of Computer Science)
Publications:
‘What happened 500 years ago is brought back to life with the Luther app’, in: University News, Worms University of Applied Sciences
Client: Cultural Office of the City of Worms
The project developed the ‘Experience Worms’ app, which enabled travellers to explore the city at their own pace. The GPS-enabled app offered suggested routes and the option to create your own tour. An audio guide accompanied all tours, allowing users to focus entirely on the sights and sounds of the city. Historical images of the individual landmarks provided further insight into their past.
Keywords: app, destination marketing, city tourism
Project leads: Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Experience Design, represented by Prof. Jan Drengner (Faculty of Tourism and Transport) and Prof. Dr Werner König (Faculty of Computer Science)
Publications:
‘Experience more of Worms’ with a new app, in: Worms University of Applied Sciences News
Client: Online editorial team and Tourist Information Office of the City of Worms
The research analysed how effectively gamification makes digital tour guides a useful tool for destination marketing. To this end, the project developed the mobile gaming app ‘schaz – Rediscover Worms’ Treasures’ (schaz.de). The app guided travellers and locals through Worms and, via more than 25 mini-games, provided multimedia-enriched information on both well-known and lesser-known attractions in Worms. A user survey examined the extent to which the app influenced the image of the city of Worms.
The app was launched at the Rhineland-Palatinate Day 2018. Players there had the chance to win more than 5,000 prizes donated by sponsors. In addition, the app contained several games created exclusively for the event’s sponsors. The user survey thus also assessed whether the app was suitable as a tool for actively engaging target groups in a sponsorship context.
The app was developed using agile project management. This provided the project with further insights into the agile development of collaborative services.
Keywords: app, games, gamification, destination marketing, city tourism, sponsorship, events
Project leaders: Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Experience Design, represented by Prof. Jan Drengner (Faculty of Tourism/Transport) and Prof. Dr Werner König (Faculty of Computer Science)
Publications:
Drengner, J.; König, W.; Kaiser, S. (2019): Targeting audiences in sponsorship through gamification – example: the mobile game ‘schaz’, in: Marketing Review St. Gallen, Vol. 36, No. 6, pp. 52–58.
Drengner, J. (2019): Mobile games as a tool for activating leverage in event sponsorship, in: Zanger, C. (ed.): Event Research – Current Status and Perspectives, Wiesbaden, pp. 108–126. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-27652-2_6
Drengner, J.; König, W.; Wiebel, A. (2019): Pervasive mobile games and virtual reality as tools for digitally engaging event visitors: The search for ‘Schaz’ at the Rhineland-Palatinate Day 2018, in: Zanger, C. (ed.): Event Research – Current Status and Perspectives, Wiesbaden, pp. 248–266. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-27652-2_13
Drengner, J.; König, W. (2019): Agile project management as a tool for cooperative service development, using the example of a destination-specific gaming app, in: Bruhn, M.; Hadwich, K. (eds.): Cooperative Services: Areas of Tension between Service Cooperation and Service Coopetition (Forum Dienstleistungsmanagement), Wiesbaden, pp. 449–473. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-26389-8_20
Drengner, J. (2018): The potential of event apps to influence the brand meaning of destination brands: the case of Rhineland-Palatinate Day, in: Zanger, C. (ed.): Events and Brands, Wiesbaden, pp. 159–182. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-23285-6_7
Commissioned by: Kultur und Veranstaltungs GmbH, City of Worms
The project revamped the City of Worms’ website. To this end, the team analysed user behaviour and the website’s user-friendliness and carried out a benchmarking study. A key finding was that the services previously grouped together for locals and visitors should be separated more clearly in order to better serve both target groups. To this end, the tourism website ‘Experience Worms’, which brings together the city’s diverse range of experiences, was launched at the end of May 2020. Since February 2021, an additional website has also been online, which is more closely tailored to the needs of Worms’ residents.
Keywords: web design, tourism, eGovernment, user-friendliness/usability, destination marketing
Project leads: Interdisciplinary Centre for Digital Experience Design, represented by Prof. Jan Drengner (Faculty of Tourism and Transport) and Prof. Dr Werner König (Faculty of Computer Science)
Publications:
IZEd’s expertise is in demand: ‘worms-erleben.de’ aims to attract tourists, in: Wormser Zeitung
; City website gets a fresh new look, in: University News from Worms University of Applied Sciences
Client: City of Worms’ online editorial team
The research is developing a standardised methodology to empirically analyse the value added by events for a region (known as ‘indirect returns’). Local authorities use this tool to determine the economic impact of their events on the region and to identify ways of strengthening the regional economy. The methodology has already been applied to the Nibelungen Festival in Worms (2014) and the Bad Hersfeld Festival (2017).
Keywords: event, value creation, indirect economic benefits, tourism
Project leaders: Prof. Jan Drengner, Prof. Hans Rück
Publications:
Drengner, J.; Rück, H.; Eickenhorst, A.; Nowak, J.; Stindt, A. (2016): Regional economic impacts of publicly funded events: the case of the Nibelungen Festival in Worms, in: Zanger, C. (eds.): Events and Tourism, Wiesbaden, pp. 200–223. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-658-15515-5_8
Commissioned by: Kultur und Veranstaltungs GmbH, City of Worms; Bad Hersfeld Festival
Prof. Dr. habil Jan Drengner
Room K 118
