Mossel Bay Tourism launched its first Quick Response (QR) codes tour at the Bartolomeu Dias Museum Complex on International Museums Day on May 18.

QR codes are trade-marked matrix two-dimensional barcodes containing information that can be read by all smart phones. They are a great way to enhance the visitor’s experience by bringing life to exhibits, and encouraging education and communication.

The codes have been installed at 15 locations, such as the Post Office Tree, the Granary, the Shell Museum, and the Braille Trail & Field Garden, letting visitors instantly and easily access information by scanning the bar code on their phones.

Mossel Bay Tourism Vice-Chairman, Ray Murray, said, from an economic point of view, the QR codes tour was  significant because it placed Mossel Bay at the forefront of the tourism industry by offering a new and exciting way of delivering information.

“As far as we know, this is the first time anyone has used QR codes in this way in any museum in Africa – and it’s almost certainly the first-ever QR codes tour of a museum in South Africa,” said Mbulelo Mrubata, Manager of the Dias Museum Complex.

Mossel Bay Tourism’s Marcia Holm said she hoped that QR codes would eventually provide residents and visitors with deep levels of information about the natural environment and many of the town’s historic buildings.

“It’s important to remember that the information behind the codes exists on the web, so you don’t have to be physically in Mossel Bay to read it or watch the videos – anyone with access to the net anywhere in the world can now read the fascinating stories coming out of our history and the environment.”

For more information, visit http://www.visitmosselbay.co.za/museums-and-culture/qr-codes