Future trends?

The Crystal Ball
- J W Waterhouse

The latest copy of the Attractions Management Year Book (AM)  thumped onto my door mat over the Christmas period and the lead article is ‘Attractions Foresight’ where they look at the top 20 trends that they think will shape the future for attractions and tourism. I’ve picked out those that ‘tickle my fancy’ or I like or I can say this is something of which I have personal experience. 

Their number 1 is  ‘Underground Attractions’ and they use as examples, Iceland’s ‘Into the Glacier’, ‘Bounce Below’ in Wales, where you can trampoline in a slate quarry and ‘Zip World Caverns’ where ‘daredevil tourists’ can go on zip wires and an assault course underground. My own slightly more sedate example but still exciting will be the 20 minute ride on Mail Rail opening in London in 2017 as part of the £25 million Postal Museum project, that plays on the idea of underground secret tunnels, heritage and an immersive ride. 

Number 3 is ‘Vintage’ with visitors dressing up for themed rides – they quote the 

1940s re-enactors see miliblog.co.uk

revamp of the New York State Fair and the reopening of Dreamland at Margate. I’m not sure this is quite so new as they think – the outdoor museums at Beamish and Ironbridge have trod this particular path for years quite apart from  the themed events on the UK’s heritage railways covering WW2, 1930s, 1940s,1950s et al. 

Two perhaps potentially sensitive ones are number 5 - 'Dementia Friendly Design' ‘and number 6 – ‘Design for

See carehome.co.uk

Obesity’ or as their headline says ‘Fat Planet’. The dementia friendly design approach is of course just a further step on the access issue eg having typography that is readable even for those with limited sight or even blind ie having Braille and having well thought out and intelligent use of colours and patterns so as not to confuse visitors. They quote the example of the ‘stick man’ and ‘stick woman’,  frequently used for lavatories. If you cannot remember what they mean, then they are not a lot of help! Mind you even I have had a problem with some of the more arcane examples of stick people.

 

Obesity is a major issue in the developed world and Attractions Management expect to find that attractions are increasingly catering for two distinct groups – obese domestic and non obese tourist groups. The issue of over weight and large visitors is an issue for all kinds of attractions impacting on such things as seating, toilet cubicles, wider corridors and access in older heritage buildings and places where the original occupants and users were smaller and shorter anyway than the normal healthy 21^st century adult.

Number 8 is ‘Invisibles’   - sensors are integrated into the body to give a continuous data stream and establish a complete picture of what is going with our responses..…this will remove ‘the need to carry clunky devices’. This seems to be a variation on their number 2 of ‘Customisation’ or ‘Feedback’ for rides where riders can influence their experience through their breathing and heart rates.

Number 11 is ‘Africa’ a continent which ‘will show exciting growth over the next two decades, with the attractions industry ….as a driver for both domestic and inbound tourism.’  Indeed many countries in Africa have the assets to be potentially very wealthy with a vibrant domestic and inbound tourism industry, Nigeria, South Africa and the Congo being just three. But there are many issues to be tackled in for example geopolitics and economic development before I would put my money on this forecast.

No 12 is ‘Halal’ - Muslims spent US$149bn on international travel in 2013.  AM forecast ‘further segregation in design and in facilities…as the growth of halal tourism picks up pace.’ Quite how Western audiences brought up in the Judeo-Christian tradition may react to this in an attraction will be difficult to determine.

See arcapplause.com

No 13 is ‘Beacons’  - the technology is about to change the way we look at attractions and open up opportunities for enhanced experience design and (of course!) increased monetisation. Mind you I recall reading some 10 years ago, about the ability to send information to customers as they walk past certain hotspots – maybe modern technology and the ubiquity of mobile device will allow it to finally happen…

No 17 is ‘Tech backlash’ – essentially we will be come fed up with digital technology and visitors ‘will increasingly want to express themselves  as sentient, physical, social beings’. Yes me to – I’ve always be averse to walking around a museum or attraction with an electronic gadget held to my ear and some disembodied voice telling me what I should be looking at.

No 19 is ‘Retail Customisation’ and we are here already of course with ‘photo books,

Royal Mail Group

3D printing etc and with products tailored to individual customers. This is a development of the concept developed by Chris Anderson in ‘The Long Tail’ published in 2006 – ‘How endless choice is creating unlimited demand’ and brilliantly executed by the likes of Amazon and Ebay where technology has created the ‘market of one individual’. Royal Mail has been doing this for a while now with Smilers®  - customised stamps which include your own photo that you can buy on line and with a mobile app and special machines .

So those are just some of the Top 20 potential trends for all those who work in the attractions industry to be aware of and perhaps react to…

 

 

Audience Development and Visitor Engagement - the research tool kit

One way of attracting visitors - good cakes in the café!

How should you set about visitor market research as part of a programme of audience development and visitor engagement? The case study on the link below sets out a method for understanding the profile and background of past and current visitors to a major multi site museum and heritage attraction that can then lead on to creating an audience development programme for attracting new visitors, encouraging repeat visitors and importantly ensuring that both are entertained and engaged during the visit. The case study covers the requirement to gather and measure the views of visitors and ‘non visitors’ on the attraction ‘offer’. Overall the approach is aimed at determining who the visitors are, where they come from, what their needs are in terms of the visit and to identify gaps in both the product offering as well as communications, pricing, on site facilities etc.

Click here to see the case study

New idea in interpretation

A bird’s eye view on the ‘Green Sunderland’
PICTURE: Sue Clarkson.

A novel and economic way of interpreting and showing the size and shape of a long lost aircraft is on show at Pembroke Dock in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales.

A huge green Sunderland Flying Boat is signposting Pembroke Dock’s very popular Flying Boat Centre Workshop - but only the birds, and the occasional pilot, can really get a grandstand view. But those on the ground will certainly get the 'feel' for the size of the aircraft.

The grassed area alongside the Centre, located inside the walls of the former Royal Dockyard, has been marked out with the exact dimensions of the famous Short Sunderland - length 85 ft and 112 ft wingspan.

Created by members of the Sunderland Trust’s enthusiastic Volunteer Team, the Sunderland’s unique shape stands out because the grass is mowed at two different heights.

This aerial view was taken by Sunderland Trust Volunteer Sue Clarkson from an aircraft flown by husband Graham - also a volunteer. Plans are now being formulated to make best use of the grass Sunderland.

Ground level views of the ‘Green Sunderland’ can be had when visiting the Flying Boat Centre Workshop which is open Tuesdays to Fridays, 10 am to 4 pm. Entry is free.

 

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

Trustee appointments to Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust

The Chief Executive of the Milford Haven Port Authority, Alec Don, has accepted an invitation to become a Trustee of the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust.

He joins another recently appointed Trustee, Mr Phil Thompson, on the board, strengthening the Trust which is leading unique and high profile heritage initiatives in Pembrokeshire.

Mr Don joined the Port Authority in February while Mr Thompson, now a director with CIOTEK PR and Events, retired earlier this year as Public Affairs Manager at Chevron’s Pembroke Refinery.

Welcoming the new Trustees, Trust Chairman William McNamara said: “As a Trust we have made considerable progress in a short time but we are very much aware that we needed to recruit active Trustees who are prepared to work hard to help progress our exciting plans which have caught the imagination of so many people.

“The Port Authority has been a key supporter of the Trust from the beginning and Phil Thompson has worked closely with us all this time as well so we are delighted that they have agreed to join us.”

Already the Trust has established a unique visitor attraction in the Flying Boat Centre in the former Pembroke Dockyard and which has attracted over 7,000 visitors. It is also working towards recovering the remains of a wartime Sunderland flying boat which sank locally 70 years ago, and moving ahead with plans with partner organisations for a military heritage centre at the beautifully restored Garrison Chapel, one of Pembroke Dock’s most famous and historic buildings.

“The military heritage of this area is remarkable and of national and international importance and our new Trustees will help us to take our plans forward,” added Mr McNamara.

Alec Don said: "I am delighted to become more involved with this fantastic project. The Sunderland Trust is to a substantial extent intrinsically about the history of the port of Milford Haven and Pembroke Port. The large Sunderland hangars at Pembroke Dock continue to have a vibrant economic life as part of the port and I hope eventually we will see Sunderland T9044 raised and installed at the centre of a new national visitor attraction for Pembrokeshire.

“I very much look forward to working closely with William and my fellow Trustees to make this hope a reality."

Caption to picture:

New Sunderland Trustees Alec Don (left) and Phil Thompson.
PICTURE: Martin Cavaney Photography.

Attract Marketing  is working with the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust to develop the visitor attraction.

Recent projects by Attract Marketing

Feasibility Study and Business Plan for the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust
Development Plan and Business Plan for the Charles Dickens House Museum Broadstairs for Thanet District Council

Feasibility Study and marketing/business plan for New College Nottingham (Adams Enterprises) for developing weekend breaks with leisure, arts and crafts themes and thus creating new revenue streams. Now trading as artspaceworkshops offering contemporary creative workshops 'in a relaxed social setting'

Competitor analysis and market research on the events and weddings market for the owner of 19th century mansion in Derbyshire

"How do visitors find out about you?"

Things are changing for promoting visitor attractions and tourism businesses. Is it advertising, recommendation, word of mouth, leaflets, social networking, signs, Twitter, TV, radio etc? To find out more join the professionals networking site LinkedIn and see the discussion in the Visitor Attractions Group at http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=1945560&trk=anet_ug_hm