Getting them to spend more and stay longer

Improving visitor ratings of what there is to see, and especially of what there is to do, can lead to increased dwell time and increased secondary spend says Alan Love, Research Director, BDRC in the latest edition of Attractions Management. He’s posed the question  - ‘How can attraction operators encourage visitors to spend limited budgets at their attraction?’ And then provides some advice. Tweaking the offer can not only increase dwell times and increased secondary spend but can also lead to increased recommendation rates on say Trip Advisor, which may lead to increased volume, making marketing budgets stretch just that little bit further. Love bases his conclusions on some analysis he has done on the 30 metrics in the ALVA Quality Benchmark Survey.

Love’s review shows that even in straitened times, battening down the hatches on investment might not be the right solution.  By improving the visitor experience through enhancing what there is to do or to see at the attraction can lead to improved ratings and increased spend. As we say to our Attract Marketing clients 'you have spent a fortune getting people here for heaven’s sake make sure they stay as long as possible so they use the café and spend in the shop!'

See more at Time is Money

Attractions Management - Domestic tourism boost for UK attractions

Attractions Management - Domestic tourism boost for UK attractions

A number of UK attractions recorded increases in visitor numbers during 2011, according to figures from the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

Herbert Virtual Tour | The Herbert

Herbert Virtual Tour The Herbert

Have a look round The Herbert Art Galley and Museum in Coventry for interesting spaces to hire and use

William MacNamara and the Flying Boat

William MacNamara and Flying Boat, a photo by Boxbrownie3 on Flickr.

Supporting a client!

Why the Dickens are they closing this museum now? | News

Why the Dickens are they closing this museum now? News

Olympics Park Project for Attract

Olympics Park

Attract recently delivered a market assessment and business, marketing strategy and operating plan for a post Games project on the Olympics Park for Ecovert FM, UK industry leader in Total Facilities Management. The project included validation and assessment of the potential market, revenue and cost forecasts for catering, retail, access, licensing, operations, ticketing and cash handling.

Attract was assisted on this project by Richard Pawley (VTP Global), Mary Tebje (MTA Tourism Leisure), Jane Dean (Jane Dean Associates) and Lisa Hatswell (Lisa Hatswell Consultancy/Unique Venues of London) Andrew Potts (Wright Hassall), John Davies (Omniticket).

Attract client walks to the South Pole

William McNamara OBE

Walking to the Southpole - William McNamara OBE is used to a challenge, in fact he’s become quite adept at them with his role as CEO of Bluestone and chairman of the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust/Flying Boat Centre, one of Attract's clients, yet he’s sure to face his biggest challenge to date as he undertakes the ultimate adventure – an expedition to the South Pole. William has been fascinated by Antarctica for many years. It is a continent of superlatives, the largest, the highest, the coldest, the driest on the planet. The aim of the walk is to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The aim is to forge an ongoing relationship with Teenage Cancer Trust so that Bluestone can provide quality, fun, short break experiences for families of cancer sufferers and maybe national events bringing many similarly effected families together. Bluestone is a significant new business within the National Park, Pembrokeshire and indeed Wales. It has impressive social economic and environmental credentials which are entirely appropriate in this day and age. As William says "It has indeed been a great privilege but also a significant responsibility to be given the sanction to build and operate such a business in beautiful countryside in a stunning part of West Wales. Thus compassion, benevolence and creative partnerships to make a real difference within our communities are entirely appropriate whilst maintaining strong financial objectives."

More on William McNamara's walk to the South Pole and his fundraising efforts here http://www.90degreessouth.co.uk/