The future of city centers: How guided XR tours and scavenger hunts with wallet integration can revitalize city centers

The crisis in city centers – a challenge for cities and brands

Germany's city centers have been struggling with falling visitor numbers for years. In the last five years, footfall in pedestrian zones has fallen by up to 30%. Changes in consumer behavior and the dominance of online retail have made many city centers emptier and less attractive. A study by the Institute for Retail Research (IFH) predicts that by 2030, around one in three shopping streets in Germany will suffer from vacancies that threaten their existence.

This development calls for creative solutions to revitalize city centres and create attractive experiences for both consumers and brands. One of those solutions is the Guided XR Tour – an innovative concept that combines immersive augmented reality experiences with a gamified user experience and is also GDPR-compliant.
 

Case study 1

IAA MOBILITY and the Guided XR Tour

The IAA Mobility 2023 in Munich provides an impressive example of the success of a Guided XR Tour. Here, visitors were able to experience various stations in the city center through an interactive XR Tour. Over 500,000 visitors took part in the event, 5,640 of whom used the opportunity to move through Munich via the XR Tour. These tours not only allowed visitors to explore the mobility solutions on display in greater depth, but also to take a personalized, digital journey through the city.

A total of 25,500 data sets were collected through the Guided XR Tour, which enabled the organizers to conduct targeted follow-up communication. Visitors were able to continue accessing their experiences after the event via their personalized wallet and received push notifications about interesting offers and events tailored to their interests.
 

Case study 2

Frankenstein Day 2024 – history meets innovation

Another promising project is the Frankenstein scavenger hunt in Ingolstadt, which went live on August 30 with a city festival in Ingolstadt. To mark International Frankenstein Day, which is celebrated in honor of the British writer Mary Shelley, an innovative mix of city tour and augmented reality experience is set to enrich city life. The tour combines historical elements, interesting experiences in the city and a mockumentary story about Frankenstein's creature with modern, augmented reality experiences.

Here, participants can not only discover special places in the city through a “scavenger hunt”, but also take part in interactive quizzes and collect points. Each station offers a gamified experience that is supplemented by rewards such as discounts or exclusive invitations to events. The scavenger hunt was marketed in advance on Ströer advertising media. 
 

How does the Guided XR Tour and Wallet integration work?

The Guided XR Tour uses state-of-the-art augmented reality technology to create an augmented reality experience that guides visitors through the city. Users can use their smartphone to “check in” at special stations, trigger augmented reality experiences and unlock interactive content such as quizzes or mini-games. The special feature of this tour is the integration of a digital wallet, which is available for iOS and Android devices. All experiences, rewards earned and anonymized user data are stored here in compliance with the GDPR.

Wallet integration enables brands to run targeted campaigns based on users' interests and behavioral data. At the same time, visitors receive push notifications tailored to their preferences, allowing them to continue engaging with the city and the brands' offers even after the tour has ended. This creates long-term customer loyalty and offers additional advertising space for local retailers.
 

Figures that prove success

The case studies show that the Guided XR Tour not only offers an innovative experience, but also delivers measurable results. Here are some of the impressive figures from IAA Mobility 2023:

• 500,000 visitors at the IAA Mobility in Munich
• 5,640 check-ins for the Guided XR Tour
• 14,709 completed tours, on average visitors visited 2.6 places (=tours) visited
• 25,500 data records recorded, which can be used for targeted marketing campaigns
• Top 3 checkpoints: Marienplatz (19.8 %), Max-Joseph-Platz (19.56 %), Königsplatz (14.73 %)

These figures prove that such a concept not only contributes to the revitalization of the city center, but also provides valuable data for CRM and targeted marketing of brands.
 

Conclusion

The Guided XR Tour with wallet integration is a powerful tool to combat the dying of city centers. The combination of historical storytelling, augmented reality and modern marketing technology creates an experience that not only inspires visitors, but also takes brand communication to a new level. Successful projects such as the IAA Mobility and the planned Frankenstein Day in Ingolstadt demonstrate the potential of this approach to strengthen city centers and brands alike and prepare them for the future.