HELLO Jamaica, have you ever gotten lost? Stood in a line you didn’t have to join? Or had to stop what you were doing to search your phone for directions?

Now imagine you are in a new country, alone, immersed in a new culture and people you don’t completely understand. Such thoughts could be enough to stop visitors from exploring our beautiful country. Now we are not talking about Richard Branson or Beyonce; they have assistants and an army of people to make sure they get where they want to go on time and experience the island. We are talking about the lower-middle to middle class foreigners making US$32,000 to US$75,000 a year.

We are aiming for the most significant number of tourists by giving them a customer-centric experience built on technology. Think Iron Man’s Jarvis with island swag, an Uncle Jarvi if you will. For the non-Marvel fans, Iron Man is a superhero in a suit with a virtual assistant called Jarvis who projects videos and images to the hero’s glasses or a surface in front of him. That way, Iron Man can focus on the world around him while receiving critical information to make faster decisions; this is called augmented reality (or AR for short)

AR is an interactive experience in which computer-generated images or videos enhance your real world environment. Another example is Pokemon Go; does anyone remember Pokemon Go? You used your phone for hunting magical creatures in the bush. It sounds weird, but millions of people worldwide did it for a few weeks. When you look at your phone screen, you see the actual environment and a computer-generated video of a creature as if it was really in front of you. You would then frantically swipe and tap your phone to capture the digital beast. For a short time Pokemon Go was able to get many out-of-shape introverts out of their homes to socialise with other out-of-shape introverts.

Jamaica, this could be what grows our tourism earnings from US$1.7 billion to US$10.7 billion. Here are a few suggestions for the tourism sector to use an islandwide AR framework to support tourism and spread income beyond the main attractions.

Pillar 1 – The Feeling of Safety. We have to be honest; there is a fear overseas about reports of crime in Jamaica, and we won’t discuss its perception versus reality here. With an islandwide AR network we can create safer experiences for tourists and reduce their fears of crime. If they are heading in the wrong direction, they can be automatically guided on their smartphone or smart glasses. If they are on the way to an area known to be dangerous, a virtual red line will warn them. A Jamaican AR app can give tourists peace of mind and encourage them to get outside their all-inclusive oases to spread some sweet green around the island. Its brilliance is that it does not have to disrupt their experience completely; no need to switch devices. If they can’t read a sign, information is automatically translated. Tour guides can use AR to seamlessly share facts and videos about Jamaica’s history to tourists’ devices.

Pillar 2 – Gamifying Vacations. We are big advocates for gamification across every industry. Gamification is simply a way of motivating people and enhancing experiences using similar approaches as employed in board and video games. An example is a scavenger hunt — each time you find a clue you get a reward that gets better than the last until you reach the big prize. We can similarly gamify tourism by offering digital badges to tourists who visit historical landmarks and uncover hidden digital treasures sprinkled across the island. Once they see all the locations and get all the badges, they stand to win a free return ticket to Jamaica. On their return, bringing their family to share in the updated VR experience, they purchase locally made souvenirs and absorb local art. Coincidentally, each digital badge is strategically placed nearby a shopping or cultural centre.

And finally, Pillar 3 – Tourism Insights. Since this AR network is digital, we can collect tourist data — with their consent, of course. We can use such data to: 1) improve how we advertise to new visitors 2) customise their experiences for maximum delight, and 3) optimise routes to distribute spending across Jamaica’s local economies evenly.

Augmented reality allows us to take digital things and put them virtually in the real world. The irony is, these virtual things can help us better appreciate the real world around us. What do you say, Jamaica Tourist Board? If we build it, they will inject cash into local economies. Stay innovative, Jamaica!

Adrian Dunkley is the president of the Jamaica Technology and Digital Alliance and, founder of StarApple AI. Send your feedback to marketing@jtda.org.