The visitor attraction marketplace is a crowded one. There are lots of places competing for the same audiences and the money they bring with them, so what can you do to stand out from the crowd?
We recently visited a wildlife-themed attraction and we had a good day. We saw lots of animals which thrilled us all and my daughter got to see some things that excited her, but would we go back any time soon? No we wouldn’t and I’ll explain why.
We parted with £70 via a website that wasn’t as functional as it could have been, but we were comfortable with this as on paper the attraction offered us an experience of value; one that would satisfy the whole family and deliver new memories.
When we arrived, ticket scanning took an age; again, forgivable because we were excited about what lay beyond and once in, the first half of the ‘visitor journey’ met our expectation with lots of ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from us all.
But we then ventured to the main visitor hub - the toilets, the catering, the shop….. all those things that remain central to a great experience, and in this case, all a complete let down.
The infrastructure was dated, which in challenging financial times might not be a surprise, but it looked grubby and uncared for. Staff looked like they didn’t want to be there and there was little to no engagement with visitors beyond the function of the space. The food offer was poor. I could go on, but I think you’ll get my drift.
We last visited the site around five years ago and nothing had changed; it looked the same back then and we probably paid a lot less for it.
The experience the site offers is a relatively unique one and it’s good, but what attractions need to consider are the points of comparison. While the nature of the offer may differ, components such as toilets, catering, retail and online booking are such key requirements for every place that they will be part of why someone chooses you over somewhere else.
If a visitor is paying £70 for a day out, the chances are it’s a bit of treat and people will want to eat good food; they will want to buy a souvenir; they will certainly expect clean, functioning toilets; and they will want to feel welcome. If you get all of that right they will spend more and want to return.
Great visitor experiences need to cut across a whole site and they need to involve the front line teams. A smile or wave, a friendly conversation with a child or a bit of story-telling are the things that will be remembered alongside the sighting of a lion or a tiger. A great food offer that brings groups together to discuss their day provides a reason to visit beyond that lion and tiger, and a simple booking system just makes it easy to make the decision to return.
Of course it’s important to offer an experience that’s different, but you should never overlook the components that visitors expect and become complacent. This is where future visioning and planning comes in, supported by a programme of investment, that enables your attraction to continue to excite people.
If you’re wondering how to stand out from the crowd, let’s explore how I could help you consider the next stage in your attraction’s development.
