The app was created to enable the self-navigating facility for the visitors, improve the overall visitor satisfaction of Wilpattu National Park (WNP) to an international standard, and improve the visitor services of the Park by creating a more interactive and high-quality visitor experience. The application also complements the standard operational procedures (SOPs) established in the Park in 2021 by providing visitors with an opportunity for the visitors to rate their visitor experiences.
The application has several features, and the users can virtually visit different locations inside the Park and access background information on those iconic locations, especially the flora and fauna species, history and more. Regarding a self-guided safari tour feature, visitors can access an interactive map depicting the immense Park. With this map, visitors can navigate themselves to many locations, which are classified into the following categories:
Park entrances
Bungalows
Campsites
Areas Reserved for Resting
Visitor facilities
Locations of historical significance
Wildlife-viewing areas
In addition, visitors can access comprehensive information on the laws and regulations of the Park, as well as safety precautions and the sites inside the Park where they can obtain first aid services in the event of an emergency.
The application can be accessed in three different languages: English, Sinhala, and Tamil. And the application was created to serve consumers with diverse backgrounds, both domestically and internationally.
Due to the restricted connectivity across the Park, visitors will have connection issues while on their journey. Therefore, the application was developed with offline features that can even function even when the user is not connected to the internet, which assures the safety and interactive visitor experience throughout the park visit.
One of the apps distinctive characteristics is that it provides virtual tours with 360-panoramic pictures of the cultural and wildlife-rich areas inside the truly vast Park. Users can better imagine what it would be like to be at the locations because of the immersive experience provided by this feature.